The inaugural New Asia Forum (NAF) 2026 is set to bring together some of the world's most influential investment institutions, including BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners, KKR, Brookfield, Oaktree, and Franklin Templeton, underscoring Asia's growing strategic importance in global investment and the push to deepen capital partnerships across the region. The forum, scheduled for 3 and 4 December 2026 at The Mulia in Bali, Indonesia, will feature more than 100 speakers, according to Media OutReach Newswire.
The participation of these institutions, which collectively manage trillions of dollars across public and private markets, highlights the increasing need to connect Asia's economic growth and industrial transformation with patient, long-term investment, particularly in energy, digital connectivity, and advanced industries. Confirmed speakers include Will Brilliant, Partner at Global Infrastructure Partners and Head of Digital Infrastructure at BlackRock; David Luboff, Partner, Co-Head of Asia Pacific and Head of Asia Pacific Infrastructure at KKR; Andrew Burych, Managing Partner and Head of East Asia at Brookfield Real Estate Group; Roger Zhang, Managing Director and Co-Head of Asia at Oaktree; and Manraj S. Sekhon, Chief Investment Officer of Templeton Global Investments at Franklin Templeton. Global business and technology leaders from companies such as Freeport-McMoRan, Jardine Matheson, AirAsia, Databricks, Archer Aviation, and Honeywell will also be represented.
The significance of the forum lies in its timing. Asia Pacific accounts for close to 60% of global economic growth, yet significant opportunities remain to mobilize long-term capital toward the region's investment and development priorities. As global investors reassess capital allocation strategies amid shifting economic and geopolitical dynamics, Asia offers opportunities for diversification, new partnerships, and sustained value creation. The forum aims to move beyond dialogue by facilitating actionable investment opportunities through targeted investor engagements, private roundtables, and connections between international capital and selected investment propositions. The objective is to establish relationships and advance discussions that can lead to concrete investment outcomes beyond the event itself.
Pahala Nugraha Mansury, Managing Director of Global Relations & Communications at Danantara Indonesia, a founding partner of the forum, emphasized the importance of moving beyond investment interest toward sustained institutional engagement and concrete partnerships. "The participation of leading global investment institutions shows that global investors are paying closer attention to Asia. However, the real opportunity is not just attracting more capital, but building the right partnerships to turn the region's potential into lasting investment," he said. "The New Asia Forum brings global investors, governments, and industry to the same table, so that conversations become meaningful collaboration and opportunities. For Danantara Indonesia, it is about establishing Indonesia as a trusted, enduring partner for global capital."
Beyond the investment community, NAF 2026 will convene senior government leaders, including H.E. Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan, and Sebastian Kurz, former Federal Chancellor of Austria. Their participation reflects the forum's broader ambition to connect capital with the industrial capabilities, technologies, and strategic partnerships required to unlock new investment opportunities across Asia. The growing lineup follows the announcement earlier this month of NAF 2026's ambition to help mobilize US$30 billion in investment across the New Asia region, with Danantara Indonesia serving as a founding partner. Held under the patronage of President Prabowo Subianto, the forum is expected to convene more than 1,000 participants, including senior government officials, global investors, sovereign investment institutions, and business leaders, across more than 40 sessions.
As a founding partner, Danantara Indonesia views the forum as an important platform to advance its mandate of mobilizing long-term capital, building strategic global partnerships, and expanding investment capacity to support Indonesia's economic transformation. By bringing together global investors, sovereign institutions, policymakers, and industry leaders, NAF 2026 enables Danantara Indonesia to connect international capital and expertise with investment opportunities in Indonesia's priority sectors while strengthening the country's position as a trusted long-term investment partner in the region.
