Industry News

DFI Retail Group has announced a pioneering partnership with GenM to introduce the MTick symbol in Asia, marking a significant step in making menopause-friendly products more accessible. This initiative will be rolled out in mid-2026 across Guardian stores in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, as well as Mannings in Hong Kong and Macau, providing dedicated spaces for menopause-related products.

The MTick, a universal shopping symbol, signifies products that are menopause-friendly, meeting criteria such as authorised health claims and verified technology. This collaboration aims to address the needs of the 1 billion women experiencing menopause globally, 87% of whom feel underserved by current retail offerings. Andrew Wong, CEO for Health & Beauty at DFI, stated, “Partnering with GenM to bring the MTick to Asia is a meaningful step forward in our wider Health & Beauty strategy.”

Heather Jackson, CEO of GenM, highlighted the global impact of this partnership, noting that it redefines how women shop for menopause-friendly products. The initiative not only enhances product visibility but also provides educational content and resources, empowering women to make informed choices.

With over 1,000 MTick-certified products already available in the UK, this expansion into Asia signifies a new era for menopause inclusivity in retail. As DFI Retail Group leads this change, it sets a precedent for other retailers to follow, ensuring that menopausal women have the support and resources they need.

Sanli Environmental Limited, through its subsidiary Sanli M&E Engineering Pte Ltd, has been awarded its largest contract to date by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore. The contract, valued at approximately S$281m, involves the supply and installation of electrical services for the Cross Island Line Phase 1 and the Punggol Extension. This project, in collaboration with China Railway Electrification Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (Singapore Branch), significantly elevates Sanli’s order book to a record S$614.9m.

The project is expected to positively impact Sanli’s net tangible assets and earnings per share over its five-year duration. Sanli’s CEO, Sim Hock Heng, expressed that securing this contract is a “defining milestone” in the company’s growth journey, highlighting the trust and confidence placed in Sanli by public sector clients. He added that the collaboration with China Railway will leverage both companies’ strengths and expertise to ensure the project’s timely and efficient completion.

Founded in 2006 and listed on the SGX-Catalist in 2017, Sanli specialises in water and waste management engineering. The company aims to continue pursuing large-scale projects that align with its growth strategy, further expanding its order book and delivering new value propositions to its customers.

Giti Tyre has successfully issued S$150m in Sustainability Notes, a move facilitated by DBS Bank Ltd., Deutsche Bank, and HSBC. The five-year notes are designed to bolster Giti Tyre’s commitment to environmental sustainability, marking a significant step in the company’s ongoing efforts to integrate eco-friendly practices into its operations.

The issuance of these notes is part of Giti Tyre’s broader strategy to enhance its environmental credentials and support sustainable development goals. By securing this funding, Giti Tyre aims to finance projects that reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable resource management within its manufacturing processes.

A spokesperson from Giti Tyre stated, “The completion of this issuance underscores our dedication to sustainability and our commitment to aligning our business practices with global environmental standards.” This initiative reflects the growing trend among corporations to prioritise sustainability in their financial strategies, responding to increasing demand from investors for environmentally responsible investments.

The collaboration with major financial institutions like DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, and HSBC highlights the confidence these entities have in Giti Tyre’s sustainability agenda. This partnership not only provides financial backing but also reinforces the company’s reputation as a leader in sustainable practices within the tyre manufacturing industry.

Looking ahead, Giti Tyre plans to continue its focus on sustainability, leveraging the funds raised to implement innovative solutions that further reduce its environmental impact. This move is expected to set a precedent for other companies in the sector, encouraging a shift towards more sustainable business models.

Kingsmen Xperience, a subsidiary of Kingsmen Creatives Ltd., and Choom Pte. Ltd. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to globally expand the CHOOM Project, a K-pop Kiosk–Social Media concept. This collaboration aims to explore new business opportunities and co-marketing initiatives, including public relations campaigns, roadshows, and pop-up exhibitions across international markets.

The CHOOM Project is designed to offer immersive, interactive experiences through physical kiosks and a digital platform, allowing K-pop artists to grow their fan base globally. The initiative is set to debut in Singapore later this year, featuring launch events and promotional activities targeting youth, families, and K-pop enthusiasts.

Anthony Chong, Group Chief Executive of Kingsmen, stated, “Our collaboration with Choom reinforces Kingsmen’s focus on designing experiences that transcend boundaries.” Corey Redmond, Senior Executive Vice President of Kingsmen Xperience, added, “CHOOM represents a new generation of cultural experiences, interactive, dynamic, and deeply rooted in community.”

James Hong, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Choom, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting Kingsmen’s extensive network and experience as pivotal for the project’s global expansion. The initiative aims to begin its international rollout from Singapore, targeting neighbouring countries before extending worldwide.

This strategic collaboration promises to bring K-culture to a broader audience, leveraging Kingsmen’s expertise in location-based entertainment and Choom’s innovative vision. The CHOOM Project is poised to offer unique engagement opportunities within the K-pop community, fostering cultural connections on a global scale.

CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI) has entered a three-year partnership with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to enhance healthier living across its retail and workspace ecosystem in Singapore. This strategic collaboration, announced on 21 October 2025, leverages CLI’s extensive network of malls and workspaces alongside HPB’s public health programmes to offer accessible wellness opportunities for individuals and communities.

The partnership will see the implementation of various health and wellness programmes, including HPB’s Healthy Workplace Ecosystem Programme, Health Promoting Mall Programme, Health Coaching at Malls Programme, and Healthier Dining Programme. These initiatives aim to benefit shoppers, tenants, and the broader workspace community by providing a range of healthy living activities.

CLI’s annual Live It Up! Initiative will also receive support from HPB, focusing on holistic well-being through physical activity, mental wellness, and nutrition. The collaboration targets engaging up to 45,000 participants each year.

Ervin Yeo, Group Chief Strategy Officer and CEO of Commercial Management at CLI, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We are excited to deepen our partnership with HPB to bring health and wellness initiatives even closer to where people live, work and play.”

Koh Peng Keng, Deputy CEO of HPB, highlighted the alignment with HPB’s vision, saying, “Our collaboration with CLI aligns with HPB’s strategic vision to harness the built environment in promoting healthy living.”

This partnership builds on a longstanding collaboration between CLI and HPB since 2010, with previous initiatives engaging over 40,000 individuals through CapitaLand’s retail and workplace ecosystem.

HSBC and Juspay have announced a strategic partnership to develop a pioneering acquiring platform designed for digital-first, global merchants. This collaboration merges HSBC’s extensive global network with Juspay’s advanced payment infrastructure to create a comprehensive, full-stack solution. The platform promises to streamline the payment process by consolidating the entire payment value chain into a single, unified stack, offering merchants improved payment success rates, cost savings, and enhanced reliability.

The new platform is set to provide merchants with access to multiple payment methods through a single provider, significantly simplifying the management of various payment options. Lewis Sun, Global Head of Domestic and Emerging Payments at HSBC, stated, “The acquiring platform we’re building with Juspay is a full-stack, future-ready solution that meets the fast-changing needs of today’s payments landscape.”

Sheetal Lalwani, Co-Founder and COO of Juspay, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, noting, “Together, we are building a platform that bridges institutional scale with the agility of modern technology.” The platform is engineered for speed, flexibility, and reliability, offering features such as native and customised checkout UI, smart routing, risk and fraud management, and transaction processing.

This collaboration marks a significant step in the evolution of acquiring services, setting a new benchmark for how banks and fintech companies can co-create high-performance infrastructure. The platform is expected to empower digital merchants to scale their operations more efficiently, focusing on business growth rather than payment complexities.

The Julius Baer Family Barometer Report 2025, in collaboration with PwC Switzerland, highlights a significant shift among Asia’s ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families. The report, which surveyed nearly 2,500 experts globally, reveals that these families are increasingly prioritising legacy building over traditional succession planning amidst geopolitical turbulence and digitalisation.

The findings underscore a generational change, with families integrating wealth, governance, and educational planning across borders. This shift is facilitated by the rise of family offices, particularly single-family offices, which have surged in popularity in Singapore and Hong Kong. Over 2,000 family offices were established in Singapore by 2024, marking a 43% increase year-on-year, whilst Hong Kong hosts more than 2,700.

Key family-related topics in Asia now include succession planning, individual and family growth opportunities, and building a family legacy. Investment priorities focus on geopolitical diversification, inflation protection, and real estate. Societal concerns such as taxation, intergenerational wealth transfer, and political stability also rank highly.

The report notes that cost and complexity remain barriers to establishing dedicated family offices, prompting interest in hybrid models. Additionally, Asia leads globally in outsourcing cybersecurity, with 48% of families opting for external solutions.

As Singapore and Hong Kong continue to attract UHNW individuals with their robust infrastructure and regulatory clarity, the region’s wealthy families are redefining their priorities to ensure their wealth strategies are resilient and aligned with shared values. This evolution reflects a broader trend towards professionalisation and strategic continuity in wealth management.

A recent study by Tarifica reveals a stark contrast in broadband pricing between Singapore and the United States. Whilst Singaporean households can access 10 gigabit fibre broadband for as low as US$22 per month, American consumers face prices up to US$195 for similar services. This disparity is attributed to differing market structures and regulations, not technological differences.

Singapore’s wholesale open-access model, established in 2008, allows internet service providers to lease capacity from a shared fibre network, fostering a competitive market. “In Singapore, the effects of this structure are easy to see,” said Soichi Nakajima, Vice President of Data and Analysis at Tarifica. “Multiple ISPs compete vigorously, prices adjust quickly, and very high speeds are treated as standard for households.”

In contrast, the US market is dominated by vertically integrated operators, limiting competition and allowing broadband to be marketed as a premium service. This results in American consumers paying significantly more per gigabit than their Singaporean counterparts.

Tarifica’s findings suggest that broadband affordability will increasingly influence digital inclusion and national competitiveness. As demand for high-speed internet grows with advancements in technology, the ability to offer affordable broadband will determine how quickly consumers and businesses can adopt new services. The study underscores the importance of market design in shaping access to digital resources, with Singapore’s model promoting widespread connectivity and the US model maintaining broadband as a luxury.

The Singapore Index of Inflation Expectations (SInDEx) survey, conducted by Singapore Management University (SMU) and co-sponsored by DBS Group Research, reveals a decline in Singaporeans’ inflation expectations. The survey, led by Dr. Aurobindo Ghosh, shows that the One-year-Ahead headline inflation expectations fell to 3.3% in September 2025, down from 3.5% in June 2025. This marks the lowest level since December 2021.

The survey, which includes responses from around 500 Singaporean households, indicates that the overall aggregated Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation expectations also dropped significantly to 3.2% in September 2025 from 4.9% in June 2025. Dr. Ghosh noted, “The decline in inflation expectations across all categories signals that despite geopolitical and policy uncertainty, consumers expect price increases to be muted over the next 12 months.”

The Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) recent data supports these findings, showing a modest rise in the CPI-All Items by 0.8% between January and August 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The MAS Core Inflation Measure stood at 0.3% year-on-year in August 2025.

The survey also highlights that Singaporean consumers anticipate a slight negative impact on the country’s economic growth due to global economic developments. Despite this, respondents believe their household financial situation will remain stable over the next year. The survey’s findings suggest a mix of cautious optimism and uncertainty among Singaporeans regarding future inflation trends and economic conditions.

ST Engineering has announced the creation of its Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CoE) to accelerate the development of agentic AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. Supported by Digital Industry Singapore and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, the CoE will enhance ST Engineering’s cybersecurity capabilities, foster talent, and drive innovation in the sector.

The CoE will initially employ 26 specialists, expanding to a team of 81, focusing on AI, 5G, operational technology (OT) cybersecurity, threat response, and security testing. This initiative aims to bolster cyber defence across enterprise IT, 5G, and OT/IoT systems, addressing advanced threats.

Building on ST Engineering’s expertise in Security Operations Centres (SOCs), the CoE will advance agentic AI applications in next-generation SOCs, digital forensics, and incident response. These autonomous solutions promise broader coverage and independent decision-making, positioning ST Engineering at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation.

Goh Eng Choon, President of Cyber at ST Engineering, stated, “With AI and quantum computing, cyber threats are evolving faster and becoming more sophisticated. The Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence will bring together talent, research and advanced AI to strengthen our capabilities to develop cyber defences that are smarter, faster and more adaptive to new threats.”

The CoE will also nurture future cybersecurity talent through labs and training programmes at institutions such as Republic Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic. This initiative will prepare students to thrive in AI-assisted cybersecurity environments.

Philbert Gomez, Executive Director & Head of Digital Industry Singapore, remarked, “The CoE will be a vital hub for developing autonomous AI solutions that will directly empower cybersecurity practitioners and enhance our capability to detect and combat sophisticated cyber threats at scale.”