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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.

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The product, unveiled at Global Fintech Fest 2026, combines machine-learning risk assessment, dynamic authentication and protection against eligible fraud chargebacks. PayU said the system evaluates cross-border card payments using transaction and behavioural signals, then determines how much authentication each payment requires.

Low-risk transactions can pass with less friction, while payments assessed as higher risk are routed through stronger authentication checks. The approach is intended to address a persistent problem in online commerce: controls that are too strict can reject legitimate customers, while weaker screening can expose merchants to fraud and chargeback losses.

PayU said merchants using the technology have recorded an improvement of about 4% to 5% in international card payment success rates while reducing fraud exposure. The figures are company data and were not independently audited in the announcement.

One online travel merchant using Fraud Liability Protect achieved a 14% rise in payment success rates and an 83% reduction in its fraud-to-sales ratio, according to PayU. The company did not identify that merchant or disclose the transaction volume, testing period or baseline behind those percentages.

Manas Mishra, chief product officer at PayU and Wibmo, said fraud controls should not undermine payment acceptance as merchants expand across markets. He said the product was designed to distinguish genuine and risky international transactions and to protect businesses against both human-initiated and AI-enabled fraud.

The liability element is significant because chargebacks can transfer the financial cost of disputed card transactions back to merchants. PayU’s own documentation describes a chargeback as a transaction reversal following a successful customer dispute. Under its fraud-liability programme, cases classified as covered fraud can be closed with PayU bearing the chargeback amount, subject to applicable terms and eligibility.

Fraud Liability Protect is integrated with PayU Checkout and is being positioned mainly for small and medium-sized businesses in travel, online travel agencies, airlines, e-commerce, quick commerce and food technology. These sectors can face direct revenue pressure when overseas cards are declined or fraudulent transactions later result in disputes.

Zomato is among the businesses using the service, PayU said. The food delivery platform is applying the system to international card transactions so lower-risk payments can proceed with fewer obstacles while higher-risk transactions remain subject to additional controls.

The product also seeks to reduce so-called false positives, where legitimate purchases are blocked because conventional controls treat them as suspicious. That can be especially costly for merchants serving customers abroad, where differences in card issuance, geography and spending behaviour may raise risk scores even when a transaction is genuine during automated screening.

The launch comes as payment providers increasingly use machine learning to balance fraud prevention with checkout conversion. Card-not-present payments create particular challenges because merchants cannot physically verify the card or cardholder, making transaction data, device information, behaviour patterns and authentication signals more important to risk decisions.

PayU already uses automated risk controls across its payment infrastructure. Its published security material says machine-learning models and real-time monitoring are used to identify potentially fraudulent transactions and abnormal patterns. The new service extends that approach by linking risk scoring directly with variable authentication and an explicit chargeback-protection layer for qualifying international card transactions.

PayU’s international payment gateway supports cards issued overseas and allows merchants to offer multiple currencies, while settlement to participating merchants is made in rupees under its terms. The company also offers 3-D Secure-based controls for international card processing, which are designed to add cardholder authentication when required.

The distinction between authentication and liability remains important. A transaction that passes authentication is not automatically immune from every dispute, and chargeback outcomes depend on card-network rules, reason codes and the conditions attached to the merchant’s payment arrangement. PayU’s documentation requires merchants to respond to chargeback notices within specified deadlines where a dispute requires documentation.

Addressing the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi, Goyal said greater connectivity between national payment networks, including systems modelled on India’s Unified Payments Interface, could lower friction in cross-border commerce while supporting wider use of members’ own currencies.

His proposals were aligned with the economic agenda carried into the BRICS summit, where leaders backed further work on facilitating trade and investment settlements in local currencies and improving interoperability between payment systems. The approach stops short of creating a common BRICS currency and instead focuses on practical links between existing financial infrastructures.

BRICS leaders encouraged the New Development Bank to expand local-currency financing and diversify its funding base, complementing efforts to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper and safer. Officials have stressed that the objective is not a single currency, but greater use of national currencies where commercially practical and mutually agreed.

Goyal said UPI now handles more than 250 billion transactions annually and is accepted in 11 countries. He urged BRICS economies to explore linking their payment networks, promote trade in each other’s currencies and expand digital commerce alongside cooperation in emerging technologies.

The minister coupled the payments proposal with a call for easier market access. He said BRICS economies should open their markets to one another’s products, including raw materials and critical minerals, while simplifying regulatory procedures and accelerating the clearance of consignments.

Goyal argued that resilient supply chains required two-way trade rather than dependence on one-sided flows. He said non-tariff measures impose higher export costs than tariffs in 88 per cent of countries, making regulatory obstacles and customs delays a central concern for companies seeking to trade across BRICS markets.

The push comes as intra-BRICS commerce has expanded sharply. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said trade among BRICS countries rose from $84 billion in 2003 to nearly $1.2 trillion in 2024, underscoring both the scale of the bloc’s market and the potential gains from reducing transaction and financing costs.

Agrawal also highlighted the global trade-finance gap, estimated at about $2.5 trillion, and said BRICS should improve access to affordable working capital for exporters. The Jaipur Consensus, agreed by BRICS trade ministers in August, provides a basis for examining a common mechanism to help smaller businesses obtain finance against confirmed orders and reliable payment records.

Trade ministers have also advanced a 2026-2030 action plan on global value chains, including BRICS Connect, business-to-business partnerships, digital trade documentation and possible platforms for strategic supply chains and investment promotion. These measures form part of a broader effort to make trade flows more diversified and less vulnerable to disruption.

Goyal identified agriculture, pharmaceuticals, engineering, electronics, automobiles, auto components and services as sectors with scope for deeper cooperation. He called for closer links between startup ecosystems and urged agri-tech companies to work jointly on solutions for farmers and food security.

Services trade was another priority. Goyal said BRICS members should make it easier for professionals to move across borders and work towards greater recognition of professional qualifications, arguing that services markets needed to become more genuinely accessible.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at the same forum, said supply-chain connectivity, trade facilitation and innovation had become central to BRICS cooperation. He also pointed to digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, financial technology and advanced manufacturing as areas offering opportunities alongside questions of standards, security and trust.

Russia’s Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov separately supported stronger alternative payment arrangements, saying the share of Russia’s export settlements conducted in dollars and euros had fallen sharply over the past three years. He also promoted work on a proposed BRICS grain exchange and closer cooperation among special economic zones.

The Vietnamese electric-vehicle maker said the proposed outlets would span Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, extending its reach beyond major centres such as Metro Manila and Cebu into markets including Cagayan de Oro, Tacloban and Subic Bay. The sites are expected to combine vehicle display, customer consultations, sales and after-sales services under VinFast’s global showroom standards.

The agreements, announced on September 11, bring together Elite North Auto Cars Inc., MG Gateway Mantrade Corp., Grand Canyon Multi Holdings Inc., Britannica United Motors Incorporated, VF Auto Sto Tomas Inc., GR8 Marketing Motors Inc., ARCMA Motors Corporation, Autonomics Motor Corp., Gershom Car Trading Corp., Areza Motor Sales Inc., Central Auto Resources Inc., Autolink Global Motors Inc. and Greenport Mobility Inc.

VinFast said the partners’ distribution experience and regional networks would help accelerate expansion and improve access to its electric cars and support services. The company did not disclose investment values, opening dates for individual locations or how many of the 27 sites would provide full workshop facilities.

Antonio Zara, chief executive of VinFast Southeast Asia, said the Philippines remained a key market in the company’s longer-term regional and global plans. He said VinFast was seeking to develop not only its retail footprint but also products, services, infrastructure and the wider electric-vehicle ecosystem, working with local partners to make battery-powered mobility more accessible.

The latest dealer push builds on a network expansion already under way. VinFast said in April 2025 that it had reached agreements with six Philippine dealers to establish more than 60 new showrooms, including planned locations in Metro Manila, Quezon City and other urban centres. Its third-quarter 2025 financial disclosure later said the company had nine showrooms operating nationwide, underscoring the gap between announced development plans and sites actually opened.

That distinction remains important for the new programme: the 27 outlets are covered by memoranda of understanding and are expected to be developed, rather than being newly opened locations. VinFast’s stated target is to develop a total network of 60 dealerships in the Philippines in 2026.

The company has also been adding after-sales and charging capacity as it seeks to reduce practical barriers to electric-vehicle ownership. VinFast previously signed an agreement with Motech aimed at bringing up to 63 service workshops into its authorised repair, warranty and maintenance network. It has also worked with other service partners and has promoted charging infrastructure through V-Green, the charging-network business associated with the wider Vingroup ecosystem.

VinFast entered the Philippine passenger-vehicle market with a battery-electric range that has included the VF 3, VF 5, VF 6, VF 7 and VF 9. At the Philippine International Motor Show in June 2026, the company displayed its broader mobility offering and highlighted programmes combining vehicle access, charging and transport services.

Its expansion comes as carmakers compete for position in a Philippine electric-vehicle market supported by government measures intended to encourage cleaner transport. The Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act established a national policy framework for EV adoption, charging infrastructure and industry development, while tariff measures have lowered import costs for qualifying electric vehicles and components.

Dealer coverage is a central challenge for newer entrants because buyers expect servicing, spare parts and warranty support alongside vehicle sales. VinFast has increasingly used local dealer partnerships across Southeast Asia and other markets rather than relying solely on company-owned retail outlets, allowing it to add sales points faster while drawing on established operators’ local knowledge.

The 13 new partners are expected to help VinFast reach customers across several island groups, where distribution and after-sales logistics can be more complicated than in a single contiguous market. VinFast has separately worked with logistics providers in the Philippines to support vehicle inspection, distribution and servicing as its product range expands.

The talks, held on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, focused on bilateral relations and the regional security situation. India’s Prime Minister reiterated that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and called for sustained efforts to secure lasting peace and stability, according to an official statement issued after the meeting.

Modi specifically highlighted the need to safeguard freedom of navigation and commerce and the safety and well-being of seafarers. The issue has become a central concern for New Delhi as attacks on commercial vessels and disruption to maritime routes in the region have affected trade and put crews at risk.

The meeting was Modi and Pezeshkian’s second in less than two weeks. They had met on August 31 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, where Modi also raised the protection of commercial shipping and seafarers and urged a diplomatic approach to the West Asia conflict.

Friday’s discussion came as the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel continued to place pressure on strategic waterways and supply routes. India has sought to maintain working relations with Iran while also preserving close ties with Israel and Arab states, making maritime security and regional stability important economic as well as diplomatic priorities.

At least 10 nationals of India have been killed in attacks on vessels transiting the region during the conflict. New Delhi has condemned attacks affecting Gulf countries, energy infrastructure and commercial shipping, while repeatedly calling for de-escalation and protection of civilians and maritime workers.

The maritime threat has sharpened concerns over energy shipments through Gulf waters that remain critical to India’s oil and gas imports.

Modi reinforced the same message earlier on Friday at the BRICS Business Forum, saying global trade could advance only when sea lanes were secure, supply routes remained open and seafarers were safe. He described India as a firm supporter of freedom of navigation and the safety of maritime crews.

Pezeshkian, who was making his first visit to India as president, used his participation in BRICS meetings to press for stronger economic cooperation among members and protection of legitimate trade from political and military pressure. He argued that the grouping’s strength would be demonstrated by converting economic capacity into functioning networks for trade, investment and joint financing.

The Iranian president also called for greater use of national currencies in trade among BRICS members and said Tehran was prepared to work as a strategic partner in energy and transport supply chains. His remarks reflected Iran’s effort to reduce exposure to sanctions and other constraints on cross-border commerce.

During the bilateral meeting, Modi thanked Iran for maintaining high-level participation in BRICS-related meetings despite difficult circumstances. He said the grouping could strengthen resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability among countries of the Global South.

The two leaders also reviewed broader bilateral ties and cooperation in multilateral organisations. Modi welcomed continuing coordination on issues of mutual interest within BRICS, where Iran is a full member alongside Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and other states that have joined the expanded grouping.

The talks followed Pezeshkian’s participation in the Leaders’ Session of the BRICS Business Forum. Modi thanked him for attending and said engagement between the two countries should continue across bilateral and multilateral channels.

The New Delhi meeting also built on the August 31 discussions in Bishkek, when Pezeshkian told Modi that Tehran favoured a negotiated solution to its confrontation with the United States. Modi at that meeting expressed concern over escalating tensions and said civilians, civilian infrastructure, commercial shipping and seafarers should not be harmed.