Blackstone expects India and Japan to be its most active markets in Asia next year based on capital allocation, according to the firm¡¯s head of private equity.

¡°India has the highest growth; it also has the most ebullient stock market,¡± Joe Baratta, Blackstone¡¯s global head of private equity, said in an interview in Tokyo. ¡°Japan will also be very interesting as a market. The economy seems to be decoupled from what¡¯s going on in the rest of the world.¡±

The world¡¯s largest alternative asset manager has been active in India, where it recently acquired a stake in two hospital chains. But it¡¯s been relatively quiet when it comes to private equity deals in Japan in the past two years, despite broader foreign investor interest in the island nation.