The Brief: Asia's economy, 11 August 2026

Economies

NACC, OECD Advance Thailand's Anti-Bribery Standards Push: Thailand's anti-corruption efforts moved forward with a joint NACC and OECD seminar, focusing on legal reforms to align with international anti-bribery standards. The initiative aims to boost investor confidence and competitiveness.

AOSIS Negotiator: Climate Finance Key for Island Economies: Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are weary of wealthier nations' climate change hypocrisy, according to Angelique Pouponneau, lead ocean negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). She advocates for significant emissions reductions and accessible climate finance.

Markets

India Gold Declines, Silver Gains on 10 August as US Inflation Data Looms: Indian retail gold prices saw a marginal decline on 10 August, while domestic silver gained. Global spot gold eased as markets awaited crucial US inflation figures and reacted to geopolitical comments.

US Dollar Nears Two-Month Low as Jobs Data Cools Fed Hike Bets: The US dollar traded near a two-month low against major currencies on Monday. Recent US jobs data has reduced Federal Reserve interest rate hike expectations. Investors now watch for July inflation figures, seeking fresh policy direction.

India IPOs: Dhoot Transmission, Shiprocket Seek ₹7,681 Crore: Nine Indian firms will launch initial public offerings (IPOs) this week. Dhoot Transmission and Shiprocket are among them. They aim to raise a collective ₹7,681 crore. This sum covers both mainboard and SME segments.

India’s RBI to Auction ₹15,300 Crore State Bonds Tomorrow: Six Indian states will offer ₹15,300 crore (US$1.84 billion) in State Government Securities (SGS) tomorrow. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) manages this auction process.

Reserve Bank of India to Conduct ₹2,00,000 Crore Reverse Repo Auction: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) scheduled a 7-day variable rate reverse repo (VRRR) auction for ₹2,00,000 crore. This operation, set for August 10, 2026, aims to absorb excess liquidity from the Indian financial system. The auction will reverse on August 17, 2026, influencing short-term money market conditions.

Banking & Fintech

SBI Q1 FY27 Profit Up 10% on Margin Growth, Credit Expansion: State Bank of India (SBI) reported a 10% increase in Q1 FY27 net profit, reaching ₹21,121 crore. Stronger net interest margins and credit expansion drove the earnings. While asset quality remains sound, the bank's current valuation requires sustained returns for further share price appreciation.

LuLu Exchange Streamlines Multi-Currency Cards with Stitch Platform: UAE-based LuLu Exchange adopted Stitch’s unified platform to manage its multi-currency card programme. This move simplifies transaction processing, foreign exchange, and settlement, addressing complexities driven by rising cross-border payments.

APAC Firms Want AI Traceability, Most Lack Audit Trails: Nearly all Asia-Pacific companies seek to trace artificial intelligence (AI) decisions to human accountability. However, a Sumsub report reveals only 38% possess tamper-proof audit trails for this purpose, creating significant regulatory and operational risks for businesses deploying AI.

Industries

Philippines BCDA Targets $70 Billion Investment, 190,000 Jobs For New Clark City AI Hub: The Philippines' Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) plans a 30-year buildout for its Pax Silica artificial intelligence (AI) hub in New Clark City. The project targets up to $70 billion in investments and 190,000 direct jobs, focusing on secure AI and semiconductor supply chains.

Nvidia Commits $2 Billion to Lancium for Stargate Data Centre Power Infrastructure: Nvidia will invest an initial US$2 billion in Lancium, a power infrastructure developer for the Stargate data centre campus in Texas. A further US$1 billion could follow, with Lancium eyeing an IPO in 2027.

Fujiyama Power Systems Boosts India Power Electronics Capacity to 4.2 GW: Fujiyama Power Systems commissioned a new 2 GW power electronics facility in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh. This expansion increases its total power electronics manufacturing capacity to 4.2 GW, supporting India's growing rooftop solar market.

San Miguel Food & Beverage H1 Earnings Drop 4% to P22.1 Billion Amid Inflation: Philippine conglomerate San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. (SMFB) reported a 4% decline in net income for the first half of 2026, reaching P22.1 billion. Inflation, slower economic expansion, and geopolitical disruptions impacted consumer spending and export markets.

Wealth

X Replaces Creator Payouts with Original Content Rewards Programme: X (formerly Twitter) is replacing its Creator Revenue Sharing Programme with a new Original Content Rewards Programme. This global shift prioritises unique posts and expertise, changing how digital creators monetise their work worldwide, including in Asia.