Corporate Earnings
Hyundai Motor Reports Record Operating Profit of $12 Billion
Hyundai Motor posted record operating profit of 16.1 trillion won ($12 billion) for 2025, fueled by premium SUV demand in North America and rapid growth in India.
Publisher
Infrastructure
Thai Government Unveils $15 Billion Eastern Economic Corridor Phase 2
Thailand launched the $15 billion second phase of its Eastern Economic Corridor, targeting EV manufacturing, semiconductor packaging, and biotechnology investment.
GDP
India Overtakes Japan as World's Fourth-Largest Economy
India surpassed Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy, with nominal GDP of $4.27 trillion compared to Japan's $4.19 trillion in calendar year 2025.
Technology
Chinese Tech Giants Report $40 Billion Combined AI Investment for 2026
China's four largest tech companies committed a combined $40 billion in AI capital spending for 2026, doubling their 2025 investments as the race for AI self-sufficiency intensified.
Infrastructure
Philippines Launches $9 Billion Manila Metro Rail Expansion
The Philippines broke ground on a $9 billion Manila metro rail expansion comprising two new subway lines and extensions, financed by JICA and the Asian Development Bank.
Semiconductors
SK Hynix Overtakes Samsung in HBM Market Share for First Time
SK Hynix claimed 53% of the global HBM market in Q4, overtaking Samsung as Nvidia's primary supplier for AI accelerator memory modules.
GDP
ASEAN GDP Growth Projected at 5.1% for 2026 as Region Outperforms
ASEAN economies are projected to grow 5.1% collectively in 2026, outpacing the global average on strong domestic consumption, infrastructure spending, and manufacturing FDI inflows.
Technology
Alibaba Cloud Launches Southeast Asian Data Center Expansion
Alibaba Cloud committed $2.8 billion to build data centers in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, intensifying competition with AWS and Microsoft Azure in Southeast Asia.
Central Banks
RBI Cuts Repo Rate by 25 Basis Points to 6.0% as Inflation Cools
The RBI cut its repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.0% as headline inflation fell to 4.2%, providing relief to borrowers and supporting economic growth momentum.
Supply Chains
Foxconn Plans $3 Billion India Expansion for AI Server Manufacturing
Foxconn announced a $3 billion investment to build AI server manufacturing capacity in India, diversifying its production base beyond China and Taiwan.
Real Estate
Tokyo Office Vacancy Rate Falls to 4.8% as Companies Return to In-Person Work
Tokyo's Grade A office vacancy rate dropped to 4.8%, the lowest since early 2020, as major Japanese corporations mandated three-to-five-day in-office attendance policies.
Trade
US-China Trade Tensions Escalate as New Tariffs Target AI Chips
Washington expanded semiconductor export controls targeting China, adding mid-range AI inference chips to the restricted list and tightening enforcement on third-country transshipment.