Abhishek Loonker

Abhishek Loonker is a CFA charterholder with over 22 years of experience in the Indian private equity and venture capital industry. He spent roughly 16 years at Ascent Capital, a leading Indian mid-market private equity firm headquartered in Bangalore, where he was part of the founding team and rose to Director – Investments. During that tenure he was involved in raising and managing three funds and executed investments across a wide range of sectors. Bloomberg lists him in connection with Ascent Capital Advisors India Pte Ltd. Earlier in his career he worked as a project manager at JGI Ventures, advising startups.

Since 2020 he has been a Managing Director at GEF Capital Partners, a global private equity firm focused on climate investing, where he works through the firm's South Asia advisory arm and leads its South Asia strategy. His mandate centers on mid-market growth opportunities in climate-related areas across the region, and he is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and managing investments. He currently serves on the boards of Membrane Group and Rochem Separation Systems, and manages GEF Capital's investment in Premier Energies Limited, which completed a high-profile IPO in 2024.

On education, he holds an MBA (gold medalist) from MATS School of Business and is a CFA charterholder. He also completed an Executive Education Program in Corporate Restructuring and Mergers & Acquisitions at Harvard Business School. In 2018 he was recognized among the "40 Under 40" in the Alternative Investments industry by AIWMI and IAAIF, and he is a former Vice Chair of CFA Society India, remaining an active speaker at CFA Institute and CFA Society India conferences.

• Invests at the mid-market growth stage — established, scaling companies rather than seed-stage startups.
• At GEF Capital, focuses squarely on climate and sustainability: clean/renewable energy (solar manufacturing via Premier Energies), water and wastewater treatment (Membrane Group, Rochem), and related mid-market businesses in South Asia.
• Historically at Ascent, backed a diversified mid-market portfolio across consumer internet, financial services, and capital-markets infrastructure.
• Public commentary emphasizes governance and durable trust — on the Premier Energies IPO he framed success as resting on "the solid foundation of integrity, transparency, and exemplary governance."
• As a panelist on "State of Private Equity Investments in India," he examines whether Indian private markets are at an inflection point where structural opportunities outpace challenges, and how macro/regulatory tailwinds shape capital deployment.