The Brief: Asia's economy, 30 September 2026

Economies

RBI Publishes Advisory Report on State Government WMA Limits: India's central bank today released findings from a committee reviewing financial accommodation facilities and Ways and Means Advances (WMA) limits for state governments.

US Fisheries Agency Plans Looser Domestic Fishing Rules: The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries released 34 priorities on 2 September, intending to reduce restrictions on where, when and how fishers operate.

Markets

Anthropic targets US$2 trillion IPO, warns of AI economic shift: The artificial intelligence firm's confidential prospectus, reviewed by Reuters, asserts that AI will reshape the global economy more profoundly than past industrial revolutions.

Reserve Bank of India's Overnight Reverse Repo Auction Undersubscribed: The Reserve Bank of India accepted ₹33,770 crore in its one-day variable rate reverse repo (VRRR) auction today, significantly less than the ₹1,00,000 crore offered.

India Gold, Silver Prices Drop Amid Global Economic Concerns: Futures contracts for gold and silver in India saw a sharp decline on Tuesday, with international bullion tumbling 4% to a seven-week low, influenced by elevated energy costs and Federal Reserve rate hike expectations.

Shein Shares Dive 6% on 67% Profit Slide in Hong Kong: The fast-fashion retailer's adjusted net profit fell to US$228 million in the second quarter, pushing its margin to 2.1% amid rising freight costs.

US Dollar Nears Two-Month High as Fed Hike Odds Rise: The dollar index reached 101.2 on Tuesday, recording its best monthly performance since June, as Treasury yields climbed and markets priced in over 70% chance of an October Federal Reserve rate increase.

Banking & Fintech

Deutsche Bank appoints Philippines country chief, corporate head: Vikas Arora assumes leadership as Philippines Chief Country Officer, succeeding Dino Siason in the Manila-based role for the German lender.

SFA, KPMG: Governance Slows Asia RegTech Cloud Adoption: A new report from the Singapore FinTech Association and KPMG reveals operational and accountability issues, not technology, slow financial institutions scaling cloud-based RegTech in Asia-Pacific.

Industries

Mercedes-Benz, ProLogium Boost Solid-State Battery Development: Taiwan's ProLogium Technology grants Mercedes-Benz priority access to Gen4 solid-state cells, deepening their partnership for electric vehicle power units.

Philippine Fuel Prices to Fall for a Week from September 29: The Philippine Department of Energy announced a week-long reduction in Metro Manila pump prices, effective September 29, attributing the shift to easing global oil prices.

Samsung Group commits $1bn to KKR-backed AI infrastructure firm Helix Digital: The investment, split across Samsung Electronics and affiliates, supports Helix Digital's global AI infrastructure expansion, adding to over $10 billion already pledged.

City Developments Shares Drop After Strategic Review Outlines S$6 Billion Asset Sale: Shares of the Singaporean property developer, controlled by Kwek Leng Beng, fell 6.3% intraday after its new three-year strategy detailed plans to divest S$6 billion in assets and target S$5 billion in fresh investments.

Phu My Hung Unveils 297-Unit Triton Crown in HCMC: Phu My Hung's Triton Crown, a 297-unit luxury apartment and commercial podium development, launched on 26 September in Ho Chi Minh City's central Phu My Hung urban area.

Wealth

Asia's Wealthy Underprepared for Longevity, Index Shows: Affluent families in mainland China and Hong Kong score 62/100 on a new longevity readiness index, despite US$5.8 trillion in regional asset transfers expected by 2030.

Wealth Co., FundsIndia Warn on Fund Overlap Risk: The Wealth Company's Debasish Mohanty and FundsIndia's Jiral Mehta explain how common holdings can create unintended concentration for investors.