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Singapore clinics have reported a twofold increase in pickleball-related injuries as the sport’s popularity surges across all age groups. ACL injuries among young athletes are on the rise, with rehabilitation timelines stretching nine to 12 months. Cycling accidents continue to result in serious fractures requiring extended hospitalisation leave.

Whether it is a weekend football match, a morning run with a crew, or an evening game of pickleball, the risk of an injury that keeps a working adult off their feet, and off the payroll, is higher than many realise.

Staying active is one of the best things Singaporeans can do for their health, but a single sports injury can undo months of financial planning. While health insurance covers the hospital stay, it does not replace lost income during the weeks or months of recovery at home. Mortgage payments, household expenses, and rehabilitation costs do not stop just because a pay cheque does.

Allianz Accident Protect Plus, a personal accident insurance plan starting from SGD $14.25 per month, is designed to close that gap. When an accident leaves someone unable to work, the plan pays a weekly cash benefit of up to SGD $200 for up to 104 weeks, even if they are recovering at home rather than in a hospital bed.

The plan also covers medical and surgical expenses of up to SGD $7,000 per accident, including physiotherapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and chiropractic treatments. For those who do require hospitalisation, a daily hospital income of up to SGD $200 for up to 750 days provides additional support. And because the policy covers injuries sustained through recreational and leisure activities, and accidents beyond the sporting arena, it offers peace of mind whether you are on the court, on the road, or simply going about your day.

Allianz believes that an active lifestyle should be a source of wellbeing, not financial worry. Allianz Accident Protect Plus gives customers the confidence to stay active, knowing that if an injury sidelines them, their finances do not have to be.

For more information on Allianz Accident Protect Plus, visit: https://www.allianz.sg/individual-solutions/allianz-accident-protect-plus.html

Coverage is subject to the terms, conditions, and exclusions of the Allianz Accident Protect Plus policy. Please refer to the Policy Wording for full details. This policy is protected under the Policy Owners’ Protection Scheme which is administered by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC). This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Allianz Insurance Singapore Pte. Ltd.

At Allianz Insurance Singapore, we aim to secure the future and create a positive impact on society and the environment by leveraging our expertise in risk management. As we work toward strengthening our position as one of Singapore’s leading risk solutions providers, we deliver innovative and customer‑focused protection solutions for individuals, SMEs, and mid‑corporate clients – spanning Motor, Home Content, Travel, Personal Accident, Cancer, Hospital Income, and a comprehensive suite of commercial insurance offerings.

Joint study shows emerging markets will generate 60% of new online spending over the next decade — most of it from consumers without a credit card

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 October 2026 – Asia is projected to add 702 million middle-class adults between 2026 and 2036, three-quarters of all middle-class growth in emerging markets, according to a new study from World Data Lab (WDL) and EBANX, a global technology company specializing in payment services for emerging markets.

But this new consumer class will not shop the same way developed-market consumers do: by 2036, only 20% of adults in emerging markets will hold a credit card, against 66% in developed markets.

Global online spending is projected to grow from USD 11 trillion in 2026 to USD 25.6 trillion in 2036. Emerging markets add USD 8.7 trillion of that increase (60% of all new online spending), with China (USD +4.7 trillion) and India (USD +1.3 trillion) leading this growth. Indonesia (USD +243 billion), Brazil (USD +249 billion) and Mexico (USD +191 billion) form the next tier.

The categories matter as much as the markets. Online gaming spending in emerging markets grows 14% a year over the decade, the fastest of any category, and SaaS nearly 10%. Emerging markets will generate 76% of global growth in social media spending and 64% in SaaS.

The demographic picture challenges a common assumption. Consumers aged 45 and over account for 51% of emerging markets’ online spending growth through 2036, and spending by those aged 65 and over grows 12% a year, faster than any other age group.

The outlook was discussed during “Navigating Payments: How innovation and fragmentation are changing the game for e-commerce,” a webinar co-hosted by World Data Lab (WDL) and EBANX.

“Over the next ten years, people aged 45 and over will add USD 4.4 trillion in online spending in emerging markets, half of all the growth. Some of them already shop on their phones and will keep doing so as they get older. Others will buy online for the first time in their fifties or sixties. Merchants who build their checkout only for a 25-year-old will miss both groups,” explained Wolfgang Fengler, CEO of WDL.

The study models consumer spending, demographics, and financial access across 184 countries to 2036, drawing on the World Bank’s Global Findex and WDL’s consumer models, combined with EBANX’s experience processing payments for global merchants in emerging markets since 2012.

“If your checkout only takes credit cards, you are competing for one in five adults in emerging markets and conceding the other four”, said Marie-Elise Droga, Chief Revenue Officer of EBANX. “The merchants growing fastest with us didn’t wait for cards to arrive: they added the payment rails their customers already use, and they’re taking new buyers, bigger baskets and recurring revenue that card-only competitors can’t even see.”

834 million new online buyers, 281 million new credit cards

Between 2026 and 2036, the global economy will add 834 million online buyers but only 281 million credit card holders—a ratio of nearly three to one. In emerging markets, two in three new online buyers (67%) will arrive without a credit card. Adults without it already account for 55% of online spending in emerging markets, a share that rises to 90% in India and 93% in Sub-Saharan Africa. Credit cardless adults also represent 52% to 59% of spending in every digital category, from gaming and SaaS to streaming and travel.

Digital payment use is also running ahead of online shopping. Of the 2.6 billion emerging-market adults spending between USD 6 and USD 25 a day, 70% already pay merchants digitally while only 33% buy online, leaving at least 957 million digitally active consumers who are not yet online buyers. Many hold a bank account or mobile wallet but no card that works at an international checkout.

“This is closely tied to the innovation that came out of the financial industry in emerging markets, which developed solutions for an increasingly mobile economy and for the habits of local consumers. Today, we call them local payment methods, or LPMs, and they allowed e-commerce growth to decouple from the credit card, which still has very low penetration in these countries,” said Estelita Hass, head of Market Intelligence at EBANX.

Subscriptions are the next frontier — and India shows why

Recurring categories such as streaming, SaaS and online education will reach USD 2.1 trillion a year in emerging markets by 2036, with USD 1.1 trillion coming from adults without a credit card. In India, 82% of recurring online spending will be cardless. Account-based recurring rails are beginning to close that gap: a global SaaS company saw a 20% uplift in new subscribers after adding UPI at checkout in India, and cybersecurity company Nord Security now generates 28% of its revenue in Brazil through Pix Automático, Brazil’s recurring instant payment, six months after launching it with EBANX.

The webinar presentation is available at [LINK].

Hashtag: #EBANX #WorldDataLab #Fintech #Payments #EmergingMarkets #Consumers

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

ABOUT EBANX

EBANX is the leading technology platform connecting global businesses to the world’s fastest-growing digital markets. Founded in 2012 in Brazil, EBANX was built with a mission to expand access to international digital commerce. Leveraging proprietary technology, deep market expertise, and robust infrastructure, the platform enables global businesses to offer hundreds of local payment methods and streamline cross-border payments across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. With a global footprint, it established a technology and regulatory headquarters in Singapore in 2026. More than just payments, EBANX drives growth, enhances sales, and delivers seamless purchase experiences for businesses and end users alike.

For further information, please visit:

Website: https://ebanx.com/en/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ebanx/

By Nantoo Banerjee The long-drawn Ukraine-Russia war seems to be turning out to become the world’s largest and most expensive proxy war in the modern era, in which the European Union and the United Kingdom have so far spent nearly $300 billion on Ukraine to tame Russia. The Syrian civil war since 2011 may be […]

The article The UK, EU Spent Billions On Ukraine To Proxy-Fight Russia appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

By Kalyani Shankar In India, festivals are more than just celebrations; they are significant traditions. Families often spend a considerable amount on new clothes, sweets, decorations, and gifts during these times. However, rising prices and inflation are forcing consumers to adjust their budgets and shopping habits. Many families are choosing to celebrate on a smaller […]

The article Rising Prices Of Essential Commodities Restrict Family Budgets In Festival Season appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

By Dr. Gyan Pathak India is set to further ‘improve’ employment and unemployment data by revamping the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and bringing out the data accordingly from January 2027. The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has proposed to introduce modification in the sampling design of the PLFS […]

The article India Set To Further ‘Improve’ Employment Data From January 2027 appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

By T N Ashok NEW YORK: The latest diplomatic signals from Washington and New Delhi suggest that a prolonged India–US trade confrontation may finally be approaching a settlement. US President Donald Trump says a deal is close. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after meeting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Mumbai on October 20, has […]

The article India-U.S. Trade Deal Draft Is Ready, But Still There Are Few Gaps appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

The two-day summit, inaugurated on Friday at the Brilliant Convention Centre, attracted investment proposals worth approximately ₹5,800 crore, potentially generating more than 10,000 jobs. Separately, five companies received letters of intent for land allocation covering projects valued at ₹9,625 crore.

The proposed semiconductor facility, involving Paras Semiconductors, a subsidiary of Paras Defence and Space Technologies, represents one of the state’s largest identified investments in advanced chip packaging. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government on July 22 for a greenfield outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing plant.

The project is planned for the Indore-Ujjain corridor, where the government has identified approximately 50 acres for development. Its proposed capabilities include advanced packaging technologies associated with increasingly complex semiconductor devices, although commercial production schedules and confirmed manufacturing capacities remain undisclosed.

Advanced packaging allows multiple semiconductor components to be integrated within compact assemblies, improving communication between chips and potentially reducing power consumption. Technologies involving three-dimensional integration are particularly relevant to artificial intelligence accelerators, high-performance computing and specialised processors.

The proposed plant has been described as incorporating sophisticated packaging and testing capabilities. However, claims that it will become India’s first operational 3D artificial intelligence chip packaging facility remain dependent on implementation, technical specifications and the commissioning of competing projects.

Yadav said the summit demonstrated growing interest among technology companies in establishing manufacturing, research and engineering operations in Madhya Pradesh. More than 1,000 delegates participated, including representatives from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Sweden.

The investment proposals announced during discussions included ₹1,800 crore from Spintronics AI Semiconductors for phased development and ₹1,200 crore from Lalwala Industries for semiconductor manufacturing and chip design activities.

Other prospective investors included companies operating in electronics manufacturing, semiconductor design, healthcare technology and associated services. The government indicated that the proposals would require further approvals and implementation agreements before their anticipated employment benefits could materialise.

Among the five companies receiving land allocation letters, Cytech RE proposed a ₹6,415 crore hyperscale data centre with a capacity of 50 megawatts at Ganga Malanpur in Gwalior. The project represents the largest individual investment covered by those letters.

Una Ecosystems proposed a ₹2,000 crore lithium-cell manufacturing facility in Bhopal, while Auriga IT Solutions outlined a ₹500 crore global capability centre in Indore. Meena Circuits and Kaynes Electronics proposed electronics manufacturing investments of ₹400 crore and ₹310 crore respectively.

These investments extend beyond semiconductor fabrication and packaging, reflecting the government’s broader effort to attract data infrastructure, electronics manufacturing and technology services. The distinction is significant because the aggregate investment figures announced at the summit encompass several industrial categories rather than semiconductor production alone.

Yadav also announced plans for a Semiconductor Centre of Excellence and a separate Centre of Excellence for Photonics and Quantum Technologies. Both institutions are intended to support research, chip design, innovation and specialised workforce development.

The Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation exchanged memoranda of understanding with five institutions, including SEMI India, Semiconductor Laboratory in Mohali and the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India.

The agreements cover technical collaboration, training, research and industry engagement. Their implementation is expected to involve cooperation between government agencies, academic institutions and private companies seeking access to specialised semiconductor expertise.

The state’s Semiconductor Policy 2025 offers financial incentives for eligible projects, including capital assistance and subsidised electricity. Officials have presented these measures as instruments for attracting investment into a sector requiring substantial initial expenditure and dependable infrastructure.

Yadav assured participating companies of administrative assistance, including streamlined approvals, single-window clearances and access to electricity supplies. He also identified the Indore-Ujjain Economic Corridor as a priority location for semiconductor packaging, electronics manufacturing and chip design.

Seven additional companies received letters of intent for office accommodation at the Electronics Complex in Pardesipura, Indore. Their proposed activities include semiconductor design, engineering services, research, artificial intelligence applications and electronics development.

The allocations cover approximately 44,816 square feet and carry projections of 1,280 employment opportunities. Among the beneficiaries are ADT Semiconductors, Spintronics AI Semiconductors, H-Semi Products and Truechip Solutions.

The summit’s programme includes technical discussions on semiconductor supply chains, advanced packaging, fabless chip design, photonics, quantum technologies and workforce requirements, alongside exhibitions involving more than 50 participating companies.