Scaling What Works: Private Sector Development as Catalyst for Growth in Southeast Asia

Mobilizing private sector capital will be essential to narrowing the multitrillion-dollar financing gap for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific—a gap that public funds alone cannot fill. In line with its Strategy 2030, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has made private sector development a core institutional priority. Since 2022, ADB has more than doubled its non-sovereign operations and aims to achieve $13 billion in annual private investments by 2030, including $4.5 billion in direct private capital mobilization.

In Southeast Asia, where rapid economic growth and urbanization continue to shape the region’s development trajectory, private capital will play a vital role in driving sustainable growth and strengthening resilience across sectors such as clean energy, digital infrastructure, transport, and urban development. ADB estimates that ASEAN will need between $184 billion and $210 billion annually to meet its 2030 infrastructure and climate goals. With limited public financing, closing this gap will require innovative financial mechanisms—supported by sound policy, regional collaboration, and blended finance solutions—to attract and sustain private investment at scale.

This webinar will explore how ADB is translating its ambition into action through case studies demonstrating how it is strengthening private sector development and capital mobilization across Southeast Asia. Discussions will highlight how ADB’s lending, guarantees, transaction advisory services, and technical assistance help create enabling environments for investment, while showcasing opportunities for governments and project sponsors to leverage ADB’s full toolkit—from upstream policy support to risk-mitigation instruments. 

The event is organized by the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF) in collaboration with ADB’s Private Sector Development department and hosted by the Southeast Asia Development Solutions (SEADS) platform. ACGF, an initiative of the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund jointly owned by ASEAN governments and ADB and managed by ADB, helps Southeast Asian governments prepare and finance green infrastructure projects that advance sustainability and climate resilience.

Speakers

• Pratish Halady, Regional Head, Private Sector Development, Southeast Asia Department, ADB
• Dominic Mellor, Principal Investment Specialist, Private Sector Operations Department, ADB
• Adnan Rafiq, Senior Investment Specialist, Private Sector Operations Department, ADB
• Jaeyoung Wee, Investment Specialist (Blended Finance), Private Sector Operations Department at ADB.
• Patricia Sosrodjojo, Independent Investment Committee Member, Frontier Fund, ADB
• Trinh Thi Huong, Deputy Director General, Agency for Private Enterprise and Cooperative Development, Ministry of Finance, Viet Nam
• Sunita Dubey, Senior Advisor and Energy Transition Expert
• Moderator: Maria Joao Pateguana, Principal Investment Specialist, Southeast Asia Department, ADB