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The value of technology goes beyond efficiency. Emma Wu noticed that a large number of overseas fresh fruit brands are stepping up their presence in China, while many domestic brands are showing a strong desire to go global. Emma Wu remarked: “A growing number of international brands are now registering Chinese brand names, setting up dedicated consumer brand teams, and increasing their investment at the retail end. The essence of branding lies in brand owners extending their quality commitment to the end consumer. This, in turn, requires them to maintain effective control of product condition at every link of the domestic supply chain. The same applies to Chinese brands going global.”

In the past, once imported fruit arrived at port, quality essentially entered a “black box” — brand owners had no visibility over key metrics like arrival temperature, handling status, or outbound records across the supply chain.

Emma Wu added that AI is transforming the fresh fruit and vegetables industry from one that “runs on experience” to one that “makes decisions with data.” In sorting and quality inspection, AI vision technology can assess coloration, size, and defects within a second — with greater accuracy and consistency than the human eye. In warehousing, automated equipment is taking over repetitive tasks such as material handling and palletizing. In transportation, IoT sensors track the temperature and location of every load in real time, and could raise the alarm before any issue arises.

Built around the unique characteristics of berry products, VX Logistics has customized a comprehensive end-to-end solution encompassing precision temperature and humidity management as well as rapid in-warehouse throughput — supporting the annual market launch of close to 200 million boxes of berries for Driscoll’s.

Zespri has been a partner of VX Logistics for over a decade. VX Logistics has built a full end-to-end system for Zespri in China – covering warehousing, quality inspection, ripening, automated sorting, and packaging.

“Cold-chain logistics is not a cost center — it is a value center.” She further pointed out that cold-chain logistics today is no longer merely a cost item for warehousing and transportation. It is a provider of supply chain solutions for brand clients. Both expanding overseas and deepening presence in China demand stable temperature and humidity control and quality assurance. The technological nature and professional reliability of cold-chain operations make cold-chain logistics an “added value” that safeguards product quality and reduces loss.

After 13 years of dedicated development, VX Logistics’ cold-chain scale now ranks first in Asia and stands firmly among the global top tier. As the supply chain service provider behind renowned fruit brands such as Zespri, Driscoll’s, Envy Apples, and Rockit, VX Logistics’ core competitive edge lies in its technology-driven supply chain services.
Hashtag: #VXLogistics

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

By TN Ashok The 18th BRICS Summit, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026, was never going to escape Washington’s shadow — and it didn’t. Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi steered eleven member states toward a unanimously adopted New Delhi Declaration that pointedly avoided naming the United States, President Donald […]

The article India steers 18th BRICS summit deftly, keeps anti-West rhetoric at bay appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Chinese President Xi Jinping used the 18th BRICS Summit to argue that countries should pursue development paths suited to their own national conditions, a message that overlapped with the summit’s broader emphasis on policy autonomy, inclusive growth and reform of global institutions.

Addressing the first leaders’ session on September 12, Xi marked 20 years of BRICS cooperation and said members had strengthened themselves through unity while preserving independence in choosing their economic and social models. He described BRICS as an increasingly important platform for emerging markets and developing countries.

The summit’s New Delhi Declaration gave that theme wider institutional form. Leaders called for a more representative international order, greater participation by developing countries in global decision-making and reforms to institutions including the United Nations, World Trade Organization and international financial architecture.

The declaration also reflected the diversity within the expanded grouping. Rather than prescribing a single model of development, BRICS leaders stressed national circumstances, differing capacities and the need for policy space, particularly in areas such as energy transition, industrialisation and climate action. That approach broadly matched Xi’s argument that development strategies should reflect domestic conditions rather than external templates.

Xi sought to extend the idea into technology policy. He proposed an initiative on artificial intelligence-enabled industrialisation, deeper cooperation in research and applications, and stronger industrial and supply-chain links. China also promoted open-source AI collaboration and international platforms intended to improve access to emerging technologies for developing economies.

Other leaders framed similar priorities through their own national perspectives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, the four themes of India’s 2026 BRICS chairship, and called for solutions developed within the grouping to serve a wider range of developing countries. He also urged members to translate summit commitments into practical programmes.

BRICS members agreed on measures spanning digital cooperation, food and energy security, health, trade facilitation and the use of local currencies in cross-border transactions. The declaration supported stronger payment connectivity while stopping short of endorsing a common BRICS currency.

The economic agenda also underlined the practical test facing the grouping. Members backed use of national currencies in trade and investment, stronger cooperation through the New Development Bank and efforts to improve financial resilience. Such measures are intended to widen financing options for developing economies without committing members to a single monetary framework or common currency.

The expanded bloc now brings together countries with sharply different political systems, strategic alignments and economic structures. That breadth gives BRICS a larger claim to represent developing-country concerns, but it also limits how far members can converge on detailed policy prescriptions. Analysts have noted differences over whether the group should remain primarily an economic and development forum or assume a stronger geopolitical role.

Those tensions were visible alongside the development agenda. Leaders opposed protectionism and unilateral economic measures, supported a stronger multilateral trading system and called for reforms that would increase the voice of developing countries. At the same time, members avoided turning the summit into a unified ideological platform, relying instead on consensus language broad enough to accommodate competing interests.

Xi’s second summit intervention on September 13 placed a “people-centred” development philosophy within a wider call for Global South cooperation. He urged progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, improvements to global climate governance and a consensus-based framework for governing artificial intelligence.

China’s approach also carries strategic implications. Beijing has increasingly used BRICS and other multilateral forums to promote its views on development, sovereignty and global governance. Some members share its criticism of unequal representation in international institutions, while others remain cautious about allowing BRICS to become identified with any single country’s geopolitical agenda.

EPFO announced the channel through its official account on X, sharing a direct joining link and QR code. The channel had more than 83,000 followers by Tuesday, reflecting early uptake among members seeking alerts on schemes, procedures, service changes and public notices.

The new channel, however, should not be confused with a transactional WhatsApp service. EPFO’s own digital platforms show that personal services such as checking an individual provident fund balance, viewing a passbook, filing claims or tracking claim status continue to be provided through authorised channels including the Member Passbook portal, Unified Member Portal and the UMANG application. The WhatsApp channel is designed primarily to broadcast information rather than display confidential account data.

That distinction is important because some descriptions circulating online have suggested that members can directly check balances or access account-specific information through the new channel. EPFO’s published service framework does not support that interpretation. The organisation separately offers balance enquiries by missed call and SMS for eligible members whose Universal Account Number, or UAN, is linked to the required records.

Members registered on the UAN portal can obtain their last contribution and provident fund balance by giving a missed call to 9966044425 from the mobile number registered with EPFO, provided the UAN is linked with at least one prescribed know-your-customer detail such as a bank account, Aadhaar or PAN. EPFO’s passbook portal also lists an SMS option using the format “EPFOHO UAN” with the relevant language code sent to 7738299899.

For a fuller range of services, EPFO directs members to UMANG. Official guidance lists facilities there including viewing the passbook, filing online claims, tracking claims, activating or obtaining a UAN, submitting Jeevan Pramaan and downloading a Pension Payment Order. The Unified Member Portal provides additional account and member functions after authentication.

The WhatsApp channel therefore expands EPFO’s communications reach rather than replacing those existing systems. Followers can receive official notices on a platform already used by millions of people for everyday messaging, potentially reducing dependence on users repeatedly checking websites or social media accounts for updates.

EPFO has increasingly used multiple digital channels to communicate with members and employers, including its website, X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Its employer portal currently directs users to those official accounts for news and updates, while its member-facing portals continue to handle authenticated services.

Members can follow a WhatsApp channel without exposing their phone number to other followers, but that privacy feature does not turn the channel into an authenticated account interface. Balance checks, claims and passbook access still require EPFO’s designated systems, where identity and account credentials are handled through verification processes.

The expansion also comes with a need for caution over impersonation and fraud. EPFO repeatedly warns members not to disclose Aadhaar numbers, PAN details, bank information, passwords, UAN credentials or one-time passwords in response to calls, messages, WhatsApp contacts or social media approaches. Its anti-fraud portal states that EPFO staff do not seek such personal or financial details through these channels.

Members joining the WhatsApp channel should therefore verify that they are using the link or QR code shared through EPFO’s official communication channels. A WhatsApp broadcast channel does not require users to send credentials to receive public updates, and any request for sensitive account information should be treated with suspicion.

For members who only want to stay informed about policy changes, deadlines, service interruptions or procedural guidance, the channel provides a convenient additional source. Those seeking personal account details must still use the authenticated EPFO systems or designated balance-enquiry services.

Founded in 2019 by Jaylon Lim and Joshua Luah, both of whom cut their teeth working part-time at an events rental company, The Carnival Fair was built on a simple observation: Singapore’s events scene had genuine appetite for a specialist who took carnival experiences seriously, from properly maintained equipment to staff who know how to run a booth and hold a crowd.

That foundation has since grown into a catalogue spanning carnival classics such as ring toss and bouncy castle rental, themed booth setups with custom props and backdrops, and a tech-forward lineup including claw machine rental, racing simulators and VR/AR stations. Clients looking to rent carnival games for a single booth or an entire event footprint can now draw from one of the broadest catalogues in the local market, with carnival food rental options available to round out the experience for guests. The breadth was on full display at flagship events such as the City Harvest Church Christmas Carnival at Suntec City, which drew around 10,000 attendees across a multi-day operation, and the Biotronik “Carnival Around the World” celebration, which paired globally themed food stations with bespoke branding to mark a genuine company milestone.

Underpinning the growth is a price-match guarantee, ensuring clients who find a comparable like-for-like quote from another Singapore provider are never short-changed on price or quality.

Reaching 1,200 events reflects sustained demand from Singapore’s businesses, schools and families for carnival experiences done properly, and marks just the beginning as the company moves further into full event planning rather than rentals alone.

With demand continuing to grow across corporate, education and private segments, The Carnival Fair is expanding its interactive and technology-driven offerings, including holographic claw machines, racing simulators, VR/AR stations and interactive digital games, while deepening partnerships with venues and recurring corporate clients.

Hashtag: #TheCarnivalFair

https://www.thecarnivalfair.com.sg/
https://www.facebook.com/TheCarnivalFairSG/
https://www.instagram.com/thecarnivalfairsg/?hl=en

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About The Carnival Fair

The Carnival Fair is a Singapore-based carnival event and rental company offering bouncy castle rental, carnival games, inflatables, food stations, photo experiences and interactive tech installations for corporate, school and private events. Businesses and families can rent carnival games and equipment individually or as part of a full carnival package, backed by a price-match guarantee. The company has served more than 700 clients since 2019.

As AI cuts production costs and multiplies the output of small agency teams, a new model is emerging in Singapore: revenue-sharing, where the agency earns only when the client sells.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 September 2026 – For decades, the marketing agency business model has rested on one assumption: producing campaigns is expensive, so clients must pay fixed monthly retainers regardless of results. Artificial intelligence is dismantling that assumption from two directions at once — cutting what it costs an agency to operate, while multiplying what a small team can produce.

The savings start in places clients never see. Administrative work that once consumed billable hours — invoicing and quotations, client reporting, campaign documentation, scheduling and follow-ups — can now run largely on AI systems, stripping overhead out of every account an agency manages.

The bigger shift is in production itself. In video, AI now handles the foundation of the edit — assembling rough cuts, syncing footage, generating captions and preparing ad-ready variations — before a human editor applies the judgment, pacing and finishing that machines can’t. What once took an editor days takes hours. The same applies to design and ad creatives. The result: a small team’s production capacity multiplies while its cost per campaign falls.

That double effect — lower cost, higher capacity — changes what an agency can afford to offer. When servicing an account no longer carries heavy fixed costs, those economics can be passed on to the customer: instead of a large retainer that pays for activity, the agency can charge a minimal base fee and earn its real income as a share of the sales its campaigns generate.

Singapore agency touchmkt has built its business on this model, charging SME clients a low base retainer that roughly covers production, then earning 5–9% of the revenue attributed to its campaigns — tracked through conversion tools that tie each sale back to the ads that produced it.

“The economics simply didn’t work before,” said Charlie Tan, founder of touchmkt. “If every account carries thousands of dollars in production and admin costs, you have to charge for it whether the campaigns perform or not. When AI takes out the cost and multiplies the output, you can afford to be paid on outcomes. For the first time, the agency’s goals and the client’s goals are actually aligned — we only do well when they sell.”

The model does demand discipline: rigorous attribution, and the agency absorbing the risk of campaigns that underperform. But for small businesses long wary of paying retainers for activity rather than results, the direction is clear — AI hasn’t just changed how marketing is made; it’s beginning to change how it’s paid for.

Hashtag: #touchmkt #MarketingAgency #AI #Singapore #SME #DigitalMarketing

https://www.touchmkt.com
https://www.facebook.com/people/touchmktai/61589325994905/#
https://www.instagram.com/touchmkt.sg/

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Touchmarket LLP

touchmkt (TouchMarket LLP) is a Singapore-based growth agency for small and medium businesses, combining on-site videography and photography with AI-assisted content production and performance advertising. The agency builds websites, produces short-form video and branded social content, and manages Meta and Google ad campaigns with full conversion tracking — operating on a performance-based model in which its fees are tied to the sales revenue its campaigns generate. touchmkt works with clients across F&B and catering, education, beauty and skincare, renovation and home services, and professional services in Singapore. Learn more at touchmkt.com or contact biz@touchmkt.com.

DCWA is part of Tech Week Singapore and serves as a key platform for data centre operators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to exchange insights and explore emerging technologies shaping the future of digital infrastructure.

As demand for digital infrastructure continues to grow, data centre operators face increasing pressure to maintain reliable operations while improving energy efficiency. Azbil applies its expertise in measurement, control, and automation to help optimize building and cooling-system operations in mission-critical environments.

At DCWA, Azbil will highlight its Building Automation solutions and specialized services for mission-critical environments, including an intelligent building management system and the chiller plant digital twin. These solutions leverage advanced technologies to improve energy efficiency, support informed decision-making, and enhance the reliability and resilience of critical infrastructure operations.

Guided by its Purpose, “Expanding Technological Frontiers, Unlocking Human Potential,” Azbil will continue to create new value through its advanced measurement, control, and automation technologies and through co-creation with customers and partners, contributing to more reliable, efficient, and sustainable digital infrastructure.

Event Overview

For details, please visit the following website.

• https://www.singaporetechnologyweek.com/data-centre-world

* Posted information is accurate as of the date of announcement.

Hashtag: #Azbil #DCWA

https://www.azbil.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/azbil-southeast-asia-and-india/

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Azbil Corporation

Azbil Corporation, formerly known as Yamatake Corporation, is a leading company in building and industrial automation, using its measurement and control technologies to provide customers with high value-added solutions to make their operations more efficient and sustainable. Founded in 1906, the Azbil Group consists of 30 companies and operates in 16 countries, providing cutting-edge solutions and services to meet the diverse needs of its global customers. As of March 31, 2026, Azbil employed about 9,000 people worldwide and generated JPY 298.9 billion in revenue. To learn more about Azbil Corporation and its solutions, please visit Azbil’s website at https://www.azbil.com.

The regulator said the work will focus on creating clearer rules for datasets used by embodied AI systems, which combine artificial intelligence with physical machines such as humanoid robots. The effort is intended to support more consistent data collection, processing, evaluation and use as companies race to improve machines that must perceive, reason and act in real-world environments.

China has already moved to build a broader standards framework around the sector. National standards published on August 27 cover the quality of real-world embodied-intelligence data and technical requirements for data-generation platforms, while several additional specifications remain under development.

Among projects overseen by the National Data Administration are proposed standards covering the sources and constituent elements of high-quality embodied-intelligence datasets, simulated synthetic-data generation and processing, and specifications for data collection and model training at training bases. The projects are being developed under the National Data Standardisation Technical Committee.

One draft programme, registered in April, sets a 12-month timetable for a standard on data collection and model training at embodied-intelligence training bases. Its drafting group includes the China Electronics Standardization Institute, Beijing Institute of Technology, the Institute of Software at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and robotics companies.

A separate draft addresses synthetic data, which is becoming increasingly important because collecting enough physical-world robot interactions can be expensive, slow and difficult to reproduce. China’s policy framework encourages the use of simulation and synthetic techniques to expand supply where genuine operating data are scarce or costly to obtain.

The National Data Administration has made high-quality datasets a central part of its wider artificial-intelligence strategy. An implementation plan issued in June called for faster construction of datasets in strategic and emerging fields including embodied intelligence, intelligent driving and the low-altitude economy. It also called for data covering physical interaction, environmental perception and motion control in key scenarios.

The plan directs authorities and industry participants to improve data cleaning, enhancement, labelling, alignment and quality inspection, while developing national standards covering formats, categories, annotation and quality assessment. The regulator said such work should produce datasets that are structurally complete, diverse, accurately labelled and suitable for model development.

China’s push reflects the distinct data demands of robots operating in the physical world. Unlike text-based systems trained largely on digital information, embodied AI requires large volumes of multimodal material that can include video, images, sensor readings, point clouds, movement trajectories and feedback from physical interaction.

Data supply has therefore emerged as a competitive constraint for developers seeking to train machines to perform long sequences of actions reliably across changing environments. The National Data Development Research Institute has said embodied intelligence and world models are driving sharply higher demand for three-dimensional, video and other multimodal data, while also raising requirements for collection and annotation quality.

The government has also been expanding the underlying pool of AI-ready datasets. At a national data industry event in Guiyang in August, the National Data Administration said more than 126,000 high-quality datasets had been built across China, with a combined volume exceeding 1,815 petabytes.

Officials described a system combining a national dataset management platform, an open-source community and a data-labelling network with sector-specific pilot programmes. The framework includes 106 leading organisations and 140 pilot tasks, with regional authorities encouraged to develop projects suited to local industrial strengths.

Embodied intelligence has featured in those pilots alongside other emerging fields. The administration has promoted cooperation among robotics companies, universities, research institutes and public bodies to increase the quantity and usefulness of machine-training data while testing standards before wider application.

The robot has begun operating at Kalangan, the art museum inside the Domestic Security Hold Area, marking the first phase of a wider plan to introduce robotic assistance across the airport. CIAL Managing Director S. Suhas inaugurated the service, which is intended to give passengers access to travel information while they move through the terminal.

Passengers can interact with the robot to check flight schedules, gate numbers and CIAL services. It can provide directions to boarding gates and other airport facilities, helping travellers locate destinations without having to rely solely on static signs or information counters.

CIAL has also given the robot a cultural role. At Kalangan, it can explain Kerala art forms including Kathakali and Ottanthullal and provide information about sculptures and artworks displayed in the museum. The robot can guide passengers towards relevant exhibits, linking travel assistance with the airport’s cultural displays.

The airport operator said passenger assistance robots will be deployed in check-in halls during the next phase of the programme. CIAL is also examining the use of delivery robots capable of carrying food and other products directly to passengers waiting inside the terminal, though no timetable has been announced for that service.

Pune-based Kinetics Robotics developed the passenger assistance robot for CIAL. Executive Director Santhosh Poovattil, Head of Commercial Manoj P. Joseph and Kinetics Robotics representative Jignesh Nair were among those present when the service was launched.

The project adds another automated passenger-facing service to CIAL’s broader digital upgrade. The airport last year outlined a Rs 200-crore digital transformation programme, CIAL 2.0, covering operational systems, artificial intelligence, automation and cybersecurity. That programme included upgraded flight information and announcement systems, common-use passenger processing infrastructure and other technology intended to improve airport operations and passenger convenience.

CIAL 2.0 also identified facial-recognition check-in, artificial intelligence-based baggage tracking, lost-item tracking, prepaid cab booking kiosks and DigiYatra integration among its digital services. The passenger assistance robot extends that technology drive into a visible, interactive role inside the terminal rather than keeping automation largely behind the scenes.

For passengers, the robot’s main practical value is immediate access to frequently requested information. Flight updates and gate directions can change during the course of a journey, and an interactive unit positioned within the secure area can supplement display boards and staffed help points. Its deployment at Kalangan also allows CIAL to test passenger interaction with the technology in a controlled setting before placing more robots in busier check-in areas.

The cultural information function gives the device a second purpose beyond navigation. Travellers passing through the museum can request explanations of traditional performances and displayed works rather than using the robot only for airport queries. CIAL has presented that combination as part of its effort to improve passenger convenience while drawing attention to Kerala’s cultural heritage.

The first deployment remains limited to the domestic security hold area, and CIAL has not disclosed how many passenger assistance robots will be added in the next stage. The airport operator has also not announced technical details such as supported languages, operating hours, mobility range or whether future units will have additional functions.

Kalangan serves as the initial location because it combines passenger circulation with exhibits that require both directional and informational support. The robot can therefore handle airport questions while directing visitors towards artworks and explaining selected cultural forms.

CIAL’s move comes as airports increasingly use self-service and automated systems for routine passenger interactions, particularly for check-in, baggage processing, navigation and information delivery. At Kochi, the next expansion will move the assistance robots from the museum setting into check-in halls, where passenger volumes and the range of queries are likely to be greater.