President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns that the six-month conflict with Iran is depleting US firepower, describing the fighting as a comparatively small war even as American and Iranian forces exchanged strikes after about a month of reduced direct combat. “This is a relatively little war for us,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “This is not a big war.” Trump also rejected warnings that prolonged operations could […]
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 August 2026 – Ingdan, Inc. (“Ingdan” or the “Company”; Stock Code: 400.HK, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), an ecosystem services platform anchored in artificial intelligence (“AI”) chips and principally engaged in the businesses of “Comtech” and “Ingdan” today announced its unaudited interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2026 (the “First Half of 2026” or the “Period”).
Financial Highlights for the First Half of 2026
During the Period, benefiting from sustained strong chip demand across the AIDC, storage and robotics sectors, the Group recorded revenue of approximately RMB13,249.2 million, representing an increase of approximately 98.4% from approximately RMB6,676.5 million for the corresponding period in 2025.
The Group’s gross profit amounted to approximately RMB799.7 million, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 36.5%. Operating profit was approximately RMB517.2 million, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 87.7%. Net profit after tax amounted to approximately RMB373.0 million, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 96.3%.
Business Review
Strategic Upgrade Milestone: Token Factory Order Formally Secured, Opening Up a Second Growth Curve
During the First Half of 2026, the Group achieved a landmark breakthrough in its AI-driven strategic upgrade. The previously disclosed intent service orders exceeding US$1 billion have now been formalized into services contracts. Delivery is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2026, with the contracts expected to generate aggregate service revenue of more than US$1 billion over the next five years. This milestone signifies a fundamental evolution in the Group’s growth model—from “selling chips” to “selling computing power”—and its formal upgrade into an “Token computing power operator”, presenting a compelling new value proposition to the capital markets.
Three Growth Drivers for Rapid Expansion
The Group’s performance growth is supported by three core drivers:
Full-Chain Technology Services Platform
As a technology services platform based on AI chips, the Group connects upstream AI chip technologies with the needs of downstream innovative enterprises. Leveraging the resources of leading global chip manufacturers, including NVIDIA, Intel, AMD and SanDisk, the Group has established a comprehensive product portfolio covering GPUs, CPUs, FPGAs, ASICs, memory chips and software ecosystems. With chip distribution serving as its entry point, the Group provides customers with integrated, full-chain services encompassing technology solutions, supply chain management, technical training, and after-sales operation and maintenance. Its services cover a broad range of application scenarios, including cloud-based intelligent computing centers, edge AI, robotics, drones and enterprise-level computing power services.
Global Computing Power Network Deployment
To support the large-scale delivery of its Token factory business, the Group is accelerating the development of a global computing power network. In the near term, it plans to expand its computing centers footprint into multiple Asian countries, with total planned computing capacity exceeding 100 megawatts. Through its proprietary Token computing power scheduling platform, the Group provides one-stop services encompassing computing power scheduling, cluster operation and maintenance, and Token computing power services. Its customers include leading internet cloud service providers and market-leading enterprises in vertical robotics segments, demonstrating the commercial viability of the Group’s business model.
Outlook
Mr. Jeffrey Kang, Chairmanand CEO of Ingdan, Inc., commented: “As demand across AIDC, storage, robotics and AI Token services continue to grow, the Group’s strategic positioning as a ‘Token computing power operator’ has been further strengthened. We expect robust customer demand in the second half of the year, while the AI Token factory business is expected to become the Group’s second growth curve. This will further enhance the capital market’s recognition of the visibility of the Company’s growth and its long-term development potential.”
Cautionary Statement
The information contained in this document has not been independently verified. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, advisers or representatives makes any express or implied representation, undertaking or warranty as to the fairness, accuracy, completeness or correctness of the information or opinions presented or contained herein. No person should rely on this document as a basis for any decision.
The information contained in this document should be considered in the context of the circumstances prevailing at the relevant time and is subject to change without notice. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information contained herein to reflect any developments occurring after the date of this document. This document is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon as providing, a complete or comprehensive analysis of the Company or its financial or operating condition or prospects. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, advisers or representatives shall have any obligation or accept any liability, whether in negligence or otherwise, for any loss arising from any use of this document or its contents or otherwise arising in connection with this document.
This document may contain statements reflecting the Company’s current intentions, beliefs and expectations regarding the future as of the relevant dates indicated herein. Such forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance. They are based on certain assumptions concerning the Company’s operations and on factors beyond the Company’s control, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, advisers or representatives has any obligation or undertakes to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or unforeseen circumstances arising after the relevant date.
Hashtag: #Comtech #Ingdan #AI #AIDC #TokenFactory #IC #Chips #humanoid #Intel #AMD #Sandisk #NVIDIA #Tech #RevenueGrowth #TechGrowth #AIInvestment #ProprietaryProducts #KeplerLab #Comtech #IngdanTechnology #IngdanAcademy #AIAcceleration #TechTransformation
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Ingdan, Inc. (Stock Code: 400.HK) is an ecosystem services platform anchored in artificial intelligence (“AI”) chips. The Group captures the rapidly growing demand across numerous industries, from AI computing centers to AI-powered intelligent terminals, by converting AI chip resources into a broad range of rapidly deployable application solutions that provide the core driving force for customers’ intelligent upgrade. Through its proprietary AI technologies, large models and specialized industry knowledge bases, the Group provides customers with advanced chip application technology solutions and efficient supply chain management services.
Headquartered in Shenzhen, the Group operates offices and branches across major cities in China, including Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou , Suzhou, Wuhan and Chengdu, as well as operations in Singapore and Japan. The Group’s core businesses are Comtech — a technology services platform for the chip industry; and Ingdan — a platform providing Artificial Intelligence of Things (“AIoT”) technology and services.
For further information, please refer to the Company’s website at 
www.ingdangroup.com
Highlights:
Financial Highlights:
| For the 6 months ended 30 Jun | |||
| HK$’000 | 2026 | 2025 | Change |
| Revenue | 1,450,897 | 1,436,576 | +1.0% |
| Sales derived from private label products | 277,194 | 251,203 | +10.3% |
| Gross profit | 518,758 | 518,177 | +0.1% |
| Interim dividend per share (HK cents) | 11.0 | 11.0 | – |
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 August 2026 – Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited (“Best Mart 360” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”; stock code: 2360.HK), a leading leisure food retailer in Hong Kong, announced its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2026 (“the Period under Review”). During the Period under Review, the revenue recorded by the Group amounted to approximately HK$1,450,897,000, representing an increase of approximately 1.0% as compared to approximately HK$1,436,576,000 for the six months ended 30 June 2025 (the “Corresponding Period Last Year”).
During the Period under Review, profit attributable to owners of the Company amounted to approximately HK$116,221,000.
For the six months ended 30 June 2026, gross profit of the Group was approximately HK$518,758,000, representing an increase of approximately 0.1%, as compared to gross profit of approximately HK$518,177,000. Gross profit margin during the period was approximately 35.8%. During the Period under Review, basic earnings per share of the Group was approximately HK11.6 cents. The Board recommended the payment of interim dividend of HK11.0 cents per share.
BUSINESS REVIEW
CHAIN RETAIL STORES
As at 30 June 2026, the Group operated a total of 190 chain retail stores, including 184 chain retail stores in Hong Kong and 6 chain retail stores in Macau, respectively. During the Period under Review, the Group continued to implement its store network optimization strategy to fully showcase its diverse product portfolio, further enhance its overall brand image and provide customers with a more comfortable shopping environment.
Since 2021, the Group has launched its brand of global wine and food stores “FoodVille”, which provides mid-to-high-end, premium food products from around the globe. These include fine wines, premium chocolates, health foods, cheese, Western sauces and ingredients from around the world, aming to cater to the market’s pursuit of a quality of life and expanding the Group’s customer base. As at 30 June 2026, the Group operated a total of 8 retail stores under the brand.
During the Period under Review, the rental expenses (on a cash basis) of the Group’s retail stores accounted for approximately 9.7% of its sales revenue.
THE PRODUCTS
During the Period under Review, the Group adhered to its global procurement strategy, sourcing high-quality products from around the world to provide customers with a diversified range of choices. During the Period under Review, the Group sold over 1,045 brands and more than 3,054 stock keeping units (“SKUs“) of products in total. The Group continuously optimised its product portfolio and actively introduced a variety of new products and flavours to meet customers’ ever-changing needs.
To enrich its product mix and maintain effective control over product quality, supply stability and profit margins, the Group continued to actively develop its private label products. During the Period under Review, sales derived from private label products amounted to approximately HK$277,194,000 (six months ended 30 June 2025: approximately HK$251,203,000), which accounted for approximately 19.1% of the Group’s total revenue for the Period under Review. The Group had a total of 12 private labels covering approximately 272 SKUs of products, including masks, canned Chinese delicacies, cereals, milk, honey, nuts and dried fruits as well as a wide range of leisure food products.
MEMBERSHIP SCHEME AND MARKETING & PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES
As at 30 June 2026, the Group had a cumulative total of approximately 2,469,754 registered fans and members (30 June 2025: approximately 2,243,198). As at 30 June 2026, the number of mobile app members reached approximately 1,374,462 (30 June 2025: approximately 1,238,775).
During the Period under Review, the Group continued to carry out a variety of marketing activities, including “Best Price”, “Instant Redemption upon Purchase” and other promotional campaigns, which provided customers with a series of special offers on selected quality products as a way to show its appreciation for their support and effectively enhance customer loyalty. The Group also launched a new brand promotion campaign, namely “Best Mart, Always a Friendly Buy”, in 2026. By integrating online and offline promotional channels, the Group further strengthened its brand image and enhanced its interaction and connection with customers.
The Group also utilised a variety of outdoor media, such as large-scale advertisements at MTR stations and truck wraps, together with marketing strategies on digital media and social platforms, to further increase its brand exposure and market penetration, thereby attracting more new customers to shop at its stores.
In addition, the Group actively fulfilled its corporate social responsibility by partnering with the charitable foundation under China Merchants Group to launch the “Care 360˚” Neighborhood Support Programme, which aids families in need, continuously promotes community care and inclusion and actively puts into practice the core principles of corporate sustainability.
EMPLOYEES
As at 30 June 2026, the Group employed a total of 1,257 full-time and part-time employees (31 December 2025: 1,227). The increase in the total number of employees was primarily due to the Group’s recruitment of additional staff for its newly opened stores. To retain talent and provide its employees with appropriate incentives to enhance their sense of belonging and loyalty, the Group regularly reviews and updates its employee remuneration packages and benefit plans, taking into account labour market supply and remuneration trends as well as individual employee performance. During the Period under Review, the staff costs of the Group (excluding emoluments of the Directors) accounted for approximately 9.6% of its total revenue (six months ended 30 June 2025: approximately 9.7%).
OUTLOOK
Global geopolitical tensions remain high, and uncertainty persists regarding the pace of the external economic recovery. Meanwhile, the active expansion of mainland Chinese e-commerce platforms into Hong Kong has driven the popularity of cross-border online shopping, further intensifying competition in the local retail market. Amid complex and increasingly competitive market conditions, the overall business environment for the retail sector is expected to remain under pressure in the second half of 2026. However, as Hong Kong hosts a series of major international events and exhibitions as well as cultural and sports activities, the number of visitors to Hong Kong and their willingness to spend are steadily recovering. At the same time, consumption of daily necessities has demonstrated strong resilience. Market demand for value-for-money globally sourced food products and healthy snacks continues to grow, presenting the Group with solid development opportunities. Looking ahead, the Group remains cautiously optimistic about its business prospects. To address intense market competition, we are committed to refining operational management, optimizing business processes, and maintaining strict cost controls.
To further strengthen its connection with consumers, the Group officially launched a rebranding campaign in June 2026, adopting “Best Mart, Always a Friendly Buy” as its new core brand value and striving to build a more welcoming, youthful, vibrant and creative brand image. Regarding its store network management, the Group will balance strategic expansion with operational optimization. On one hand, the Group will capitalise on appropriate market opportunities and continue to expand its footprint through a “dual-brand” strategy featuring “Best Mart 360˚” and “FoodVille”, aiming to precisely meet the demand for high-quality food across different customer segments. On the other hand, the Group will adhere to strict capital-return discipline by actively negotiating with landlords for more flexible and reasonable lease terms, while regularly reviewing the operational efficiency of existing stores. Through these efforts, the Group aims to comprehensively enhance the overall profitability of its network and deepen its presence in the mass retail market.
Faced with a complex, ever-changing and highly competitive market environment, the Group is comprehensively exploring and researching the application of artificial intelligence in its business processes, aiming to enhance operational efficiency through innovative technology. The Group will further deepen its online-offline integration strategy, fully leverage the advantages provided by the extensive member database of its mobile app and implement targeted marketing through big data analysis to effectively increase member engagement and overall repeat purchase rates.
In terms of online channels, the Group will strengthen its collaboration with the foodpanda mall platform to ensure a seamless shopping experience. The Group will also remain agile in our operational strategies to optimize overall sales performance.
Guided by its core brand philosophy of “Best Quality” and “Best Price”, the Group will make every effort to expand its upstream supplier network while ramping up the development of its private label products. These initiatives will solidify our competitive pricing advantage while effectively meeting the market demand for daily necessities. The Board is confident that, through prudent yet flexible strategic planning, strong brand appeal and an optimised product portfolio, the Group will successfully enhance customer loyalty. This will steadily drive the business toward sustainable growth, thus creating long-term and robust returns for shareholders.
Hashtag: #BestMart360
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited, mainly operates chain retail stores under the brand “Best Mart 360˚”. It offers a wide collection of imported prepackaged leisure foods and other grocery products, principally from overseas. The Group’s business objective is to offer “Best Quality” and “Best Price” products to customers through continuous efforts on global procurement with a mission to provide comfortable shopping environment and pleasurable shopping experience to customers. As at 30 June 2026, the Group operates 190 retail stores that are strategically located across 18 districts in Hong Kong and Macau. In addition, the Group’s new global gourmet store, “FoodVille”, was officially opened in September 2021, which mainly provides globally sourced medium-to-high-end quality food products.
Matein Khalid Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein is set to list in Hong Kong on September 1 at a valuation of up to $27 billion. That is less than half the $64 billion valuation at which Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala invested in 2023. It is a brutal comedown for a retailer once expected to be worth $100 billion. My knowledge of sartorial retailing is admittedly less than encyclopaedic. Yet I […]
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 August 2026 – Jungheinrich, a global leader in sustainable material handling solutions, celebrated 25 years of presence in Singapore as country’s backbone for material flow of goods and a driver of sustainable intralogistics solutions, with more than 7,000 machines in the market and over 100 total warehouse solutions implemented.
On 28 August 2026, Jungheinrich celebrated this silver jubilee with an anniversary gala dinner at Pan Pacific Orchard Singapore, graced by Guests of Honour: Thomas Motak, Deputy Head of Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to Singapore, and Nadine Despineux, Member of the Board of Management, Chief Sales Officer, Jungheinrich, alongside key attendees such as, Manojit Acharya, Vice President – Asia Pacific & Managing Director, India, Benedict Kothe, Managing Director, Singapore and Malaysia, Jungheinrich, Jens Rübbert, President of the European Chamber of Commerce, Singapore, Soo Haw Yun, Vice President, Global Enterprises, Singapore Economic Development Board, and the various Jungheinrich teams, customers and partners in the APAC region.
A special toast was raised to mark Jungheinrich Singapore’s 25-year journey and its evolution into a strategic hub for Asia-Pacific (APAC). Established on 21 February 2001 as the first country unit in APAC, Jungheinrich Singapore is now part of a regional network spanning eight country units and 14 partner companies, supported by over 1,500 employees. The Singapore operation oversees key regional functions including training, automation, dealer management, sales, customer service and human resources, with the APAC spare parts distribution centre also based here.
Jungheinrich has also established itself as one of the few full-liner suppliers of material handling equipment and solutions in Singapore, offering warehouse trucks, racking, automation, digital solutions and customer service all under one roof. The Singapore team, comprising of 150 employees, works closely with Jungheinrich’s partners across APAC, supporting the company’s regional reach and market development.
Over the past 25 years, Jungheinrich Singapore has pioneered the adoption of electric material handling equipment in the country, with an estimated 25% share of the electrified machines market. Its team of 50 technicians strive to provide industry-benchmark service, supporting the logistics sector’s shift towards more efficient and professional operations. In recognition of its innovation and education initiatives, Jungheinrich Singapore was named Supply Chain Innovator of the Year (CSR) at the prestigious Supply Chain Asia Awards 2025, and has also achieved Great Place To Work® Certified™ status.
Notably, Jungheinrich Singapore was the first in APAC to open a Jungheinrich Experience Centre, established in May 2024, to showcase product innovation and illustrate how material flow interacts within a warehouse setting. The centre has since welcomed visitors including Kuehne & Nagel, Supply Chain Asia, the German Embassy in Singapore, and a slew of students from Republic Polytechnic (Singapore) and the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland).
Jungheinrich Singapore has also played an active role in supporting the local community, serving as the official logistics sponsor for the annual National Day Parade for 2 consecutive years in 2025 and 2026, deploying electric forklifts, pallet trucks and reach trucks to help distribute close to 250,000 fun packs to spectators. The organisation also donated warehouse trucks to support Willing Hearts and Food Bank Singapore in their operations, and provided pallet jacks and forklifts for the United Buddy Bears Exhibition at Gardens by the Bay in September 2025, which marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Singapore and Germany.
Since 2024, Jungheinrich Singapore and Malaysia have jointly run the “The Environment Wins Twice” campaign with Animal Projects & Environmental Education (APE) Malaysia, planting a tree for every electric forklift sold, and as of 2025, 455 trees have been planted, turning each sale into a tangible contribution to reforestation while supporting Jungheinrich’s global sustainability commitments.
While Southeast Asia’s warehouse automation market is projected to nearly double from US$0.87 billion in 2025 to US$1.95 billion by 2032, and Singapore’s land and labour constraints driving to demand for smarter, space-efficient solutions, Jungheinrich sees significant opportunities for further growth in the region.
Looking ahead, Jungheinrich Singapore will focus on developing localised automation solutions, expanding the rollout of AntOn by Jungheinrich, and introducing sustainable material handling solutions tailored to customers across APAC. Building on the launch of its first electric van in July 2025, the organisation is also targeting a fully green-energy service fleet by 2030, supporting its commitment to Carbon Neutrality by 2030 for Scope 1 emissions.
“As we celebrate 25 years in Singapore, we are proud of the strong foundation we have built with 150 intralogistics experts who support our customers across industries. Our journey has been defined by innovation, partnership, and a commitment to improving material flow efficiency. Looking ahead, we remain focused on helping businesses enhance productivity, increase warehouse safety and quality, and achieve sustainable growth through advanced material handling solutions,” said Benedict Kothe, Managing Director, Singapore and Malaysia, Jungheinrich.
“We congratulate Jungheinrich on 25 years in Singapore. Over the years, Jungheinrich has grown its Singapore operations into a strategic APAC hub, driving initiatives such as automation, innovation, and sustainability. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Jungheinrich as it contributes to Singapore’s logistics sector and develops solutions for the region,” said Soo Haw Yun, Vice President, Singapore Economic Development Board.
As Jungheinrich Singapore enters its next chapter, the organisation remains committed to supporting customers’ growth with innovative, sustainable and increasingly automated material handling solutions.Hashtag: #Jungheinrich #Manufacturing #Logistics
https://www.jungheinrich.com.sg
https://sg.linkedin.com/company/jungheinrich-singapore
https://www.facebook.com/jungheinrichSG/
https://www.instagram.com/jungheinrich.sg/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
As one of the world’s leading providers of material handling solutions, Jungheinrich has advanced the development of innovative, sustainable products and solutions for material flows for more than 70 years. The family-owned, listed business generated revenue of €5.5 billion in the 2025 financial year with a workforce of over 21,000, and service and sales companies across 42 countries. In APAC, the company has established eight country units and over 14 partner companies, supported by over 1,500 employees. Established in Singapore in 2001, Jungheinrich Singapore marks its 25th anniversary in 2026 as the company’s strategic hub for the region.
Find out more at www.jungheinrich.com.sg.
European Central Bank Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel has called for central bank money to become a native programmable asset on distributed-ledger platforms, arguing that smart contracts could make monetary policy operations faster and more flexible as finance becomes tokenised. Speaking at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium on August 28, Schnabel said central banks need to extend their operational reach into tokenised markets rather than leave […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez faced criticism on Sunday from opposition figures and former Chavista officials over a sweeping oil agreement that gives the United States majority control over output tied to 65 billion barrels of proven crude reserves. Rodríguez defended the 25-year arrangement in a televised address, insisting Venezuela would retain ownership and sovereignty over its natural resources while using US capital, […]
A US high-school student has made about $20,000 by selling a Telegram digital collectible awarded for his performance at this month’s International Olympiad in Informatics. Telegram founder Pavel Durov said Jonathan He, who won a gold medal and finished seventh overall at IOI 2026, sold his Algorithm Cup for 15,000 Grams, valuing the transaction at roughly $20,000. The collectible was among a limited set distributed to medal-winning […]
US lawmakers renewed demands for President Donald Trump to end the war with Iran as the conflict passed its six-month mark, while the White House shifted emphasis towards economic pressure and Trump signalled no urgency to restart negotiations. Republican Representative Thomas Massie and senior Democrats used Friday’s milestone to challenge a war that began on February 28 with coordinated US and Israeli strikes. Massie said the conflict […]
A sector assessment by PhillipCapital said the April-June quarter had already shown resilience despite geopolitical disruptions, with industry occupancy rising by two to four percentage points from a year earlier. Average room rates increased 6-8 per cent, while revenue per available room, or RevPAR, advanced 11-13 per cent.
The brokerage expects business conditions to improve further during the October-March period, helped by a heavier wedding calendar, stronger meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions activity and higher international travel during the traditional peak season. Corporate travel, which was softer earlier in the year amid uncertainty linked to the West Asia conflict, has also shown signs of gradual recovery.
Limited additions to room supply in key markets are expected to give operators continued pricing power if demand strengthens as projected. That imbalance between demand and new capacity has been an important support for average room rates across several major destinations and is likely to remain favourable through the second half of the financial year.
The outlook is consistent with ICRA’s projection that hospitality industry revenues will rise 7-9 per cent year on year in FY27, following an estimated 9-12 per cent increase in FY26. The ratings agency expects pan-India premium hotel occupancy to remain at 72-74 per cent, broadly unchanged from FY26, while average room rates for premium hotels rise to Rs 8,600-8,800 from Rs 8,200-8,500.
Domestic travellers remain the principal source of demand and have helped cushion the industry from weaker foreign arrivals and disruptions to international air routes. ICRA estimated occupancy at 66-68 per cent during the first two months of FY27, compared with 62-64 per cent a year earlier, while average room rates were estimated at Rs 7,800-8,000 against Rs 7,500-7,700.
Leisure destinations have generally performed better than business-focused hotels during the opening months of the year. Indian Hotels Company reported strong demand across its domestic portfolio, with revenue from operations within India rising during the June quarter and leisure markets contributing significantly to growth.
Other listed hotel operators have also reported positive RevPAR trends, though performance has varied by city, customer mix and exposure to international guests. The sector’s recovery in the first quarter was more occupancy-led than in earlier periods, when sharp increases in room rates were the dominant driver of revenue growth.
Demand from corporate customers is expected to become more supportive as travel budgets normalise and business activity strengthens. Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi have shown firmer room rates in parts of the second quarter, aided by technology, global capability centre and broader corporate travel demand.
International traffic remains a key variable. Foreign tourist arrivals were hit earlier by disruptions associated with the conflict in West Asia, but the Ministry of Tourism’s data portal indicates arrivals during 2026 have begun to show year-on-year improvement in available updates. A seasonal rise from October would add higher-paying international travellers to the domestic base.
Wedding demand is also expected to provide a material lift. Hotels typically benefit not only from room bookings during large celebrations but also from food and beverage, banquet and event revenue, making the wedding calendar an important contributor during the second half.
Meetings and exhibition business is another area expected to improve as companies resume travel and events. Stronger MICE demand can lift weekday occupancy at city hotels, complementing leisure traffic that is often concentrated around weekends, holidays and destination markets.
Risks to the outlook remain. A prolonged escalation in West Asia could again disrupt international travel and corporate spending, while inflation could weigh on discretionary consumption. ICRA has said these factors remain monitorable even though domestic demand has so far limited the direct impact on the sector.
Mistral AI and Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN have agreed a strategic collaboration worth hundreds of millions of euros, linking local computing infrastructure with model development and enterprise deployments across the kingdom and the wider Middle East. The agreement, announced on August 24, will see Paris-based Mistral explore using HUMAIN’s data centre infrastructure to meet growing local computing demand while the companies jointly develop and localise advanced artificial intelligence […]
Devanathan is due to take up the newly created role in October and will be based in Singapore, reporting to Kiran Mani, OpenAI’s managing director for Asia-Pacific. Her responsibilities will cover consumer growth, enterprise adoption and partnerships, regulatory engagement and operations across Southeast Asia and Australia.
The move gives OpenAI an experienced technology executive as competition intensifies among artificial intelligence companies for users, corporate customers, developers and public-sector partnerships. Devanathan has spent more than a decade at Meta and has held senior roles spanning ecommerce, gaming and country leadership across Asia-Pacific.
Devanathan announced her departure from Meta on Friday, describing the decision as “bittersweet” and saying she would take a short break before beginning her next chapter. OpenAI subsequently confirmed that she would join the company in the regional position.
Her departure also reshapes Meta’s reporting structure in one of its largest markets. Arun Srinivas, Meta’s managing director and country head for India, will report directly to Benjamin Joe, the company’s vice-president for Asia-Pacific. Srinivas had been reporting to Devanathan.
Devanathan joined Meta in 2016 and helped build its businesses and teams in Singapore and Vietnam, as well as ecommerce initiatives across Southeast Asia. She moved in 2020 to lead Meta’s gaming business in Asia-Pacific before being appointed vice-president and head of India, taking up that position in January 2023. Her remit was later expanded to include Southeast Asia.
At Meta, her work covered the company’s business and revenue priorities, relationships with major brands, advertisers, creators and partners, and the expansion of digital commerce and messaging services. She has more than 25 years of experience across banking, payments and technology.
OpenAI’s appointment places Devanathan in charge of markets where governments and companies are accelerating investment in generative artificial intelligence while also debating rules on safety, data, copyright and the use of advanced models. Her remit includes regulatory engagement, making her role important to OpenAI’s efforts to navigate differing policy regimes across Southeast Asia and Australia.
The company has been expanding its physical and management presence across Asia-Pacific, with offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Delhi. It has also strengthened its leadership in India, where it appointed former Uber executive Prabhjeet Singh as managing director earlier this year.
OpenAI has made India a significant part of its regional growth strategy as demand for generative AI tools rises among consumers, developers and businesses. In February, the company launched OpenAI for India, an initiative focused on artificial intelligence infrastructure, enterprise adoption, skills development and education partnerships.
Devanathan’s appointment extends that regional build-out beyond India, giving OpenAI a senior executive responsible for Southeast Asia and Australia from Singapore. The role combines commercial expansion with policy and operational responsibilities rather than focusing solely on sales or partnerships.
For Meta, the leadership change comes as the company continues to manage its advertising, messaging and social-media businesses across the region while increasing investment in artificial intelligence. Devanathan’s departure removes an executive who had overseen both India and Southeast Asia and had been part of Meta’s Asia-Pacific leadership structure.
When Meta appointed Devanathan to lead its India operations in 2022, the company said she would bring together its business and revenue priorities and strengthen relationships with brands, creators, advertisers and partners. She moved back to India for the role after earlier assignments in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
In her departure message, Devanathan highlighted work involving government citizen services delivered through WhatsApp in India and small businesses using Meta’s applications as digital storefronts in Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. She also referred to her experience helping technology companies and creators grow across the region.
SpaceX shares ended Friday at $141.50 after Elon Musk said the rocket and satellite company could generate about $3.5 trillion in annual revenue by 2033, setting out a growth expectation seven years ahead of Morgan Stanley’s long-range estimate. The Nasdaq-listed stock gained 0.45 per cent on August 28, closing above the previous session’s $140.87 but remaining well below its post-flotation peak above $225. The shares have nevertheless […]
Polkadot’s DOT token fell below $0.85 on Saturday as selling pressure returned after a brief August rebound, leaving the cryptocurrency struggling to reclaim the psychologically important $1 level despite favourable network decentralisation metrics. DOT was trading near $0.84, down about 4 per cent over 24 hours and roughly 9 per cent over seven days. Its market value stood near $1.42 billion, with about 1.7 billion tokens circulating. […]
Moscow is hosting more than 1,200 competitors this weekend as the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Grand Slam brings one of its biggest international fields to the Russian capital for the 2026-2027 season. The two-day competition, running on August 29 and 30 at the Dynamo Sports Academy, has attracted 1,220 male and female athletes from 32 countries. The field includes 85 black belts, giving the Moscow stop a strong […]
By TN Ashok INDIA bloc opposition leader and Congress chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi’s forthcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, has become a focal point of political controversy before a single copy has reached an Indian bookseller. The irony is considerable: a book about a woman who spent much of her public life guarding her […]
The article Sonia Gandhi’s Belonging: Penguin demanded unfair redactions appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).
Figures unveiled at the 2026 China International Big Data Industry Expo in Guiyang, Guizhou province, showed that data-related software products, including AI application software, and data-resource products involving token services generated a combined 4.99 trillion yuan. The two categories accounted for 73.6 per cent of the industry’s total output, underlining the growing commercial connection between data resources and AI development.
The number of data enterprises operating across China reached 482,000 by the end of 2025, an increase of 17.9 per cent from a year earlier. The eastern regions remained the largest concentration of activity, with their data industry valued at about 5.23 trillion yuan.
Growth has accelerated steadily over the past three years. China’s data industry was valued at 5.06 trillion yuan in 2023 and 5.86 trillion yuan in 2024 before climbing above 6.7 trillion yuan last year. Expansion has increasingly shifted from basic data collection and processing towards higher-value services designed for AI models, intelligent agents and industry-specific applications.
High-quality datasets have emerged as a particularly important segment. By August 2026, more than 126,000 such datasets had been established nationwide, containing more than 1,815 petabytes of data. Their combined volume has risen by more than 89 per cent since March, reflecting rapidly expanding demand from developers training and refining AI systems.
The broader supply of digital information is also growing sharply. China generated 52.26 zettabytes of data during 2025, up 27.28 per cent from the previous year and representing roughly 27.4 per cent of global data production. Enterprises accounted for about nine-tenths of the increase, with manufacturing, transport and logistics, software and information technology services recording especially strong gains.
That expansion is occurring alongside rapid growth in AI itself. China’s core AI industry exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan in 2025, with more than 6,200 specialised AI enterprises operating nationwide. More than 30 per cent of large manufacturing enterprises had adopted AI technologies by the end of the year, widening demand for industrial datasets capable of training systems for production, quality inspection, predictive maintenance and automation.
AI development is also changing the composition of the data market. Large language models initially depended heavily on publicly accessible text and image material, but developers are increasingly seeking proprietary industrial, scientific, financial, medical and operational data. The expansion of intelligent agents and embodied AI is adding demand for video, three-dimensional information, sensor readings, physical interaction records and synthetic data.
Intelligent-agent innovation has become another growth area. More than 3,400 patents associated with agent technologies were authorised during 2025, with the pace of growth more than doubling from the previous year. Commercial platforms are simultaneously combining access to multiple AI models with tools that allow companies to select, adapt and deploy systems without developing every component internally.
Policy is increasingly focused on turning China’s vast quantity of information into commercially usable AI resources. A national programme launched this year calls for high-quality industry datasets covering areas including scientific research, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, transport, financial services, healthcare, education, e-commerce, tourism, meteorology, urban governance, autonomous driving, embodied intelligence and biotechnology.
The programme is intended to expand dataset supply, improve annotation and quality assessment, encourage controlled circulation and connect dataset development more closely with practical AI applications. Authorities are targeting significant progress by the end of 2028, including industry datasets tested through real-world applications and specialised companies capable of developing tools and standards around them.
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