Regional News

The Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2025 has achieved the second-highest attendance in its 16-year history, drawing 300,641 fans over the weekend. This marks an 11.7% rise from last year’s 269,072 attendees, despite recent changes to the track due to the redevelopment of The Float at Marina Bay. Singapore GP Pte Ltd responded to the increased demand by adding nine new grandstands and three hospitality facilities.

The event, renowned for its night racing, also introduced new thematic lifestyle precincts and expanded food and beverage options to enhance the fan experience. The entertainment line-up was a major draw, with 65,000 fans attending nightly performances by G-DRAGON and Foo Fighters, and a special appearance by Sir Elton John.

In addition to its popular success, the Grand Prix has been recognised for its environmental efforts. The FIA renewed the event’s Certificate of Three-Star Level within its Environmental Accreditation Framework, acknowledging Singapore GP Pte Ltd’s commitment to reducing the event’s environmental impact whilst delivering a positive experience.

Looking ahead, the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix will introduce a Sprint Race in 2026, promising more excitement for fans. The event continues to be a highlight of the motorsport calendar, combining thrilling racing with world-class entertainment at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

ENNOVI has announced a strategic expansion beyond its traditional automotive focus, aiming to harness the growing trends of electrification and artificial intelligence (AI) across various industries. The company, known for its innovative battery and powertrain solutions, plans to apply its core connectivity capabilities to a wider market, enhancing its role in creating smarter and more sustainable technologies.

The decision marks a significant shift for ENNOVI, which has built a reputation as a trusted partner in the automotive sector, particularly in developing solutions for mild 48V hybrids and battery electric vehicles. The company’s advanced signal connectivity systems have also been instrumental in advancing autonomous driving technologies. By expanding its focus, ENNOVI seeks to apply these competencies to other sectors, facilitating the electrification and AI transformation beyond automotive.

Stefan Rustler, CEO of ENNOVI, stated, “Our ‘Beyond Automotive’ strategy is a natural evolution for ENNOVI. By leveraging our innovation, speed, and global reach, we are set to empower customers to follow the electrification and AI megatrends across diverse industries.”

This strategic move is expected to position ENNOVI as a key player in the broader technological landscape, capitalising on its existing strengths to drive innovation in new areas. As industries increasingly adopt electrification and AI, ENNOVI’s expansion could lead to significant advancements in how these technologies are integrated and utilised across various sectors.

NTT DATA has announced a strategic collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to deliver AI-powered, industry-specific contact centre solutions using Amazon Connect. This partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of AI-driven customer experience (CX) solutions globally, enhancing personalisation and operational efficiency across various sectors.

The collaboration will see the launch of NTT DATA’s Managed Customer Experience (MCX) for Connect platform, which combines over 30 years of CX expertise with AWS’s cloud-native capabilities. This platform promises faster time-to-value, personalised interactions, and data-driven engagement experiences. It will cater to industries with complex customer lifecycles, such as financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, and retail.

Key features of the collaboration include AI-powered CX solutions that integrate Amazon Connect’s AI features into the MCX platform. This integration will enable more personalised and efficient customer interactions through conversational AI agents, real-time sentiment analysis, and predictive service capabilities. Additionally, the partnership will leverage NTT DATA’s core CX intellectual property, including real-time speech analytics and the Smart AI Agent Ecosystem, to support the adoption of cloud-based contact centre solutions.

Sashen Naidu, Global VP of Customer Experience at NTT DATA, stated, “This strategic collaboration agreement with AWS represents a pivotal moment in our mission to modernise customer experiences for the AI-first era.” The collaboration is set to launch immediately, with joint solutions expected to be available to clients in the coming months.

HLB Private Bank has announced a refreshed brand identity and an enhanced proposition aimed at high net worth (HNW) and ultra-high net worth (UHNW) clients, focusing on intergenerational wealth transfer and legacy planning. The bank, with a 120-year heritage, aims to be the partner of choice for these clients by combining tradition with innovation. This initiative is bolstered by a strategic alliance with Lombard Odier, Switzerland’s oldest private bank, offering clients access to global expertise and sophisticated wealth management solutions.

The bank’s new brand video, featured on Malaysia Airlines flights, highlights the importance of communication in aligning family values, reflecting HLB Private Bank’s commitment to seamless wealth transfer and legacy planning. As Asia experiences the largest wealth transfer in history, with an estimated $5.8t set to change hands, the bank’s approach is designed to secure a sustainable multigenerational legacy.

Jeffrey Yap, Hong Leong Bank’s Managing Director and Head of Regional Wealth Management, emphasised the need for a holistic perspective in wealth management, stating, “The modern wealthy family requires wealth management that extends far beyond mere portfolio optimisation and financial advisory.”

The collaboration with Lombard Odier enhances HLB Private Bank’s ability to deliver tailored solutions for multigenerational asset stewardship, balancing global opportunities with regional specifics. The bank’s new brand identity, including a refreshed logo and upgraded office spaces in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, embodies its sophisticated yet grounded philosophy, facilitating essential dialogue for bespoke wealth planning. This strategic move positions HLB Private Bank to effectively support clients in preserving and growing their wealth across generations.

UOB Kay Hian’s latest financial updates reveal a mixed performance across Asian markets, with Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BBRI) experiencing a 9.9% year-on-year decline in earnings for the first eight months of 2025. The bank’s pre-provision operating profit fell by 4.4%, impacted by lower yields and increased operational expenses. Despite a modest 5.8% growth in loans, driven by corporate and consumer sectors, micro loans continued to contract. The bank maintains a “hold” rating with a target price of Rp4,250, supported by a 7.9% dividend yield.

In Malaysia, the banking sector remains robust despite macroeconomic headwinds. August statistics indicate steady loan growth at 5.4%, improved asset quality with gross impaired loans at historical lows, and healthy liquidity levels with a loan-to-deposit ratio below 90%.

Meanwhile, VS Industry in Malaysia reported disappointing results due to operational challenges and cost-cutting measures. However, the company remains optimistic about narrowing losses by March 2026. The valuation appears attractive at 13.0 times FY26 forecast price-to-earnings ratio, maintaining a “buy” rating with a target price of RM0.76.

In Singapore, real estate investment trusts (REITs) are poised to benefit from a shift in US monetary policy towards easing, which is expected to lower debt costs and expand yield spreads. UOBKH recommends buying blue-chip S-REITs, including CLAR, CLAS, KDCREIT, KREIT, and LREIT.

In Thailand, Krungthai Card is projected to report a slight increase in Q3 2025 net profit, supported by efficient asset quality control and anticipated government stimulus. Thanachart Capital, however, is expected to see a decline in quarterly net profit due to seasonal factors, though long-term improvements are anticipated from Q4 2025.

Guzman y Gomez, the popular Mexican fast-food chain, is set to launch a limited-edition butter chicken filling as part of its GYG Goes Local series. This new offering will be available from 14 October to 23 November 2025, showcasing a unique fusion of Singaporean and Mexican culinary traditions. The butter chicken filling, featuring a creamy blend of tomato, butter, and traditional Indian spices, can be enjoyed in various GYG favourites, including burritos, bowls, tacos, and quesadillas.

For the first time, the butter chicken sauce will also be offered as a top-up for just $1, making it a perfect addition to GYG’s popular Chipotle Fries and Nacho Fries. This initiative aims to cater to local tastes whilst maintaining the brand’s signature Mexican flair.

The introduction of this new flavour is part of Guzman y Gomez’s strategy to reimagine homely favourites with bold local flavours. The company is keen to provide its customers with an authentic taste experience that resonates with Singaporeans.

As part of the launch, Guzman y Gomez is offering media drops to select offices, allowing recipients to be among the first to sample this exclusive flavour. This limited-time offering is expected to attract both loyal customers and new patrons eager to try the innovative blend of flavours.

INFINITIX Inc, a leader in GPU resource management and AI infrastructure, is set to demonstrate its cutting-edge AI solutions in collaboration with Graid Technology Inc at Tech Week Singapore 2025. The event, taking place on 8–9 October at Marina Bay Sands, will feature their joint innovation, “The Unified AI Infrastructure of Compute and Storage,” at Booth V20 in the Big Data & AI World zone.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is INFINITIX’s AIStack platform, which integrates MLOps and GPU resource management to address inefficiencies in enterprise AI workflows. AIStack promises to enhance GPU utilisation to over 90%, accelerate workload execution by tenfold, and reduce environment setup time to just one minute. Key features include a Rapid Container Service built on Kubernetes and a High-Performance Computing engine powered by Elastic Distributed Training, enabling efficient parallel processing of large datasets.

Graid Technology’s SupremeStore complements AIStack with its next-generation AI HPC storage solution. Featuring a dual-controller high-availability design and integrated with SupremeRAID SR-1010 and BeeGFS, SupremeStore eliminates storage IO bottlenecks, offering up to 80GB/s throughput and linear scalability.

WenYu Chen, CEO of INFINITIX, highlighted the significance of this collaboration: “As AI adoption accelerates, the disconnect between compute and storage has become the primary bottleneck to innovation. Our unified infrastructure developed with Graid Technology directly solves this challenge.”

DBS has released a report forecasting a promising outlook for the Singapore market as the year draws to a close. The report, dated 2 October 2025, suggests that small and mid-cap stocks are set for an eventful fourth quarter, with a focus on value plays ahead of the anticipated Value Unlock package.

The report indicates a strategic shift towards value stocks, suggesting investors revisit technology and industrial sectors. This comes as the market positions itself for a potential rally by the end of the year. DBS’s analysis highlights the importance of these sectors in the current economic climate, suggesting they may offer significant opportunities for growth.

The report also serves as a reminder of the bank’s interests, noting that DBS Vickers Securities and DBS Bank Ltd, part of the DBS Group, may have dealings in the securities mentioned. The bank advises that the information provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

As the market anticipates the Value Unlock package, investors are encouraged to consider the potential of small and mid-cap stocks, which could play a pivotal role in the market’s performance in the coming months. The focus on value plays and key sectors like technology and industrials underscores the strategic opportunities available in the Singapore market as 2025 comes to a close.

DoorDash has officially completed its acquisition of Deliveroo, marking its entry into the Singapore market. Despite the change in ownership, the Deliveroo app will continue to operate under its existing brand, offering ready-to-eat meals, groceries, and its Shopping arm. This transition is part of DoorDash’s strategy to leverage its global scale and technology to enhance service delivery.

Tony Xu, DoorDash’s co-founder and CEO, emphasised that this acquisition represents “the beginning of a new chapter, not the end of an old one.” He assured Deliveroo’s seven million active customers that the user experience would become “even faster, smarter, and more delightful.” Additionally, Xu highlighted plans to introduce new tools for the 178,000 merchants on the platform to help them thrive both online and offline.

For Deliveroo’s 130,000 riders, Xu promised to maintain flexibility whilst enhancing safety and support features. Miki Kuusi, co-founder of Wolt, will assume the role of CEO of Deliveroo, alongside his duties as Head of International at DoorDash. Kuusi expressed admiration for Deliveroo’s achievements, stating, “I couldn’t be more excited to learn from each other as we take our shared mission to the next level.”

This acquisition is expected to bolster DoorDash’s presence in Singapore and enhance the delivery experience for consumers, merchants, and riders alike. As DoorDash integrates its technology and logistics capabilities, the company aims to drive economic vitality and innovation in the region.

Singapore has intensified its support for aviation training and development in Africa and the Caribbean by signing three new Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the civil aviation authorities of Cameroon, the Comoros, and Guyana. The agreements, facilitated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), were formalised during the 42nd International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal, Canada.

The MOUs with Cameroon and the Comoros, signed on 25 September 2025, involve collaboration in exchanging information and best practices in civil aviation administration, safety oversight, and air traffic management. These initiatives aim to bolster capacity building through training programmes that may be conducted in Singapore, the respective states, or virtually.

From 2025 to 2028, CAAS plans to support African states with 195 fellowships, eight scholarships, and 12 in-region training programmes through the Singapore Aviation Academy. This builds on existing cooperation in the region.

The MOU with Guyana, signed on 29 September 2025, focuses on delivering training programmes and exchanging expertise in human resources management and air transport regulation. This partnership extends the ongoing training cooperation between Singapore and Caribbean states.

Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS, expressed Singapore’s commitment to sharing expertise globally, stating, “We are honoured to partner Cameroon, the Comoros, and Guyana and hope that the partnership can help build mindshare for Singapore and bring our countries and people closer together.”