Infrastructure Investing Turns Fashionable: Latest Entrant KKR

May 17, 2008 | by Sahad P V

As the global economy is still reeling under the subprime crisis, infrastructure investing is becoming fashionable globally. Soon after Morgan Stanley and Global Infrastructure Partners (a PE firm backed by Credit Suisse and General Electric) announced almost $10 billion worth funds for infrastructure, here is one of the largest PE firms in the world, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., announcing its entry into the business of investing in roads, bridges, ports and flyovers.
The New York-based firm said it would invest in infrastructure assets worldwide. It has also hired George Bilicic from investment bank Lazard to head up this initiative.
Bilicic has been quoted as saying by TheDeal.com that there is a need for deployment of capital in sectors including electric and gas utilities, water, transportation (including roads, bridges and tunnels), gas pipelines and airports. “Across the economy and across nations, there’s a fundamental need for this asset class,” Bilicic told the website. It’s not clear how much it will set aside for the infrastructur