The Week Ahead: Asia, week to 11 October 2026

Economies: the week just gone

Southeast Asia FDI Climbs to US$226 Billion, Singapore Attracts Record US$143 Billion: Foreign direct investment into the region grew 8% in 2024, driven by new manufacturing and digital economy projects, according to the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Indonesia Mandates Travel Spending Cuts Amid Budget Pressure: Indonesia's government has ordered ministries to reduce unspent travel allocations by 30%, facing a budget deficit that widened to 1.24% of GDP by end-September due to rising energy costs.

Goldman Sachs sees higher Thai H1 2026 growth, no BOT rate hike: The investment bank projects Thailand's first-half 2026 GDP growth could rise to 2.9% from 2.4%, driven by expanded manufacturing data coverage, but cautions against immediate monetary tightening.

Telangana Approves Two Dearness Allowance Hikes for State Staff: The move includes 3.64% and 2.73% revisions, with payments for employees and pensioners scheduled to be disbursed on 1 November.

ASEAN Trade Expo to Feature 200+ Women-Led Enterprises in Manila: The "Way of the Weave" themed event, hosted by the Philippines from November 10–12, 2026, aims to link regional craftsmanship with international buyers and investors.

Markets: the week just gone

Indian Sensex, Nifty Snap Eight-Week Losing Streak: India's benchmark equity indices recovered last week, ending their longest decline in 25 years, driven by gains in technology and consumer goods stocks.

RBI to Provide Dollars Directly to State Oil Firms: The Reserve Bank of India will sell US dollars to Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum, and Bharat Petroleum from October 12, 2026, to cover their full daily import needs.

Crypto Industry Must Protect Investors From Violent Crime: The cryptocurrency sector must address the rising threat of physical violence, known as “wrench attacks,” against digital asset holders, according to Singapore's Asia Academy of Digital Economics.

South Korea KRX Halts Delistings, Eight Stocks Remain Frozen: The Korea Exchange paused further delisting procedures for companies failing market capitalisation rules, but trading for eight firms remains suspended after court injunctions cited procedural flaws.

India's Nifty 50 Recovers; Analyst Picks SBI, HCL Tech, Eicher Motors: Sumeet Bagadia of Choice Broking noted improving short-term sentiment in India's Nifty 50 after benchmark indices ended an eight-week losing streak, despite underlying weakness.

Banking & Fintech: the week just gone

UOB, AWS Partner for ASEAN Hybrid Cloud Banking, AI Skills: The collaboration will establish a dedicated Singapore cloud environment, enhancing UOB's operational resilience and regulatory compliance across five Southeast Asian markets.

Temasek’s Seviora to Merge Three Asset Managers by 2027: Seviora, a Temasek-owned firm, plans to consolidate Azalea Investment Management, SeaTown Holdings International, and Seviora Capital under a single platform by January 2027.

Swift names HSBC, Citi, JPMorgan execs to new supervisory board: The financial messaging cooperative establishes a two-tier governance structure, including a management board and a 25-member council, to guide future technology strategy.

Anchorage Digital Singapore, StanChart Launch 24/7 Institutional USD Accounts: The partnership offers eligible institutional clients round-the-clock US dollar accounts and SWIFT transfers, integrating fiat and digital asset management on a single platform.

Bakai Bank gains Hong Kong licence, first for Central Asia: The Kyrgyz Republic's fourth-largest lender received regulatory approval to establish a Hong Kong branch, becoming the first Central Asian bank to facilitate trade and capital flows with Asia-Pacific.

Industries: the week just gone

LG Electronics boosts US premium appliance presence: The South Korean firm expands its Signature brand's retail access and AI-powered offerings, marking its tenth year in the market.

Singapore Casinos Penalised S$175,000 for Ad Rule Breaches: Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa received fines from Singapore's Gambling Regulatory Authority, detailed in its annual report for the financial year ending March 2026.

Phu My Hung Unveils Ho Chi Minh City Urban Transformation Plan: Phu My Hung is investing hundreds of millions of US dollars to transform its 34-year-old urban area in Ho Chi Minh City, with a US$150 million mixed-use complex and a US$30 million art centre among key projects.

Nvidia in talks for Reflection AI acquisition or expanded investment: The chipmaker previously invested $800 million in the software development automation firm, which launched its Beam model on 7 October.

Singapore F1 hotel rates triple, occupancy lags 2025 record: Wyndham Singapore reported average daily rates for F1 weekend lead-in rooms between S$1,000 and S$1,200, with occupancy tracking five percentage points below last year.

Wealth: the week just gone

Gen Z Art Spending Doubles, China, Hong Kong Drive US$60 Billion Market: New Art Basel and UBS data shows younger wealthy collectors spent over twice as much as older generations last year, pushing global art sales to nearly US$60 billion.

Indian Investors Adjust to New Dividend Tax Rules for FY2026-27: New tax provisions for the financial year 2026-27 mean investors can no longer deduct expenses incurred to earn dividend income, pushing focus towards growth-oriented assets.

India Home Loan Tax Breaks Not Automatic for Under-Construction: Indian homebuyers must verify eligibility for principal and interest deductions, which depend on property completion, payment type, and tax regime under the Income-tax Act, 2025.