The Knowledge to Decide

What do you do if you are an Indian who fancies a Gucci bag or eyes those red Jimmy Choo shoes? A trip abroad is not necessary when all these luxury brands are now accessible in India. Now that luxury spending in China and Japan is slowing down, big brands are eyeing the Indian luxury market, which continued to grow at 30 per cent in 2013 to reach USD8.5 billion. It is expected to hit USD14 billion by 2016. Is this just a fad or will India’s luxury sector continue to power ahead? India – The next hub for luxury? India accounts for close to one per cent of the global luxury market. India’s luxury market is far from insignificant. According to one report, it was worth USD7.6 billion in 2012 . This contrasts with a figure of USD 18.7 billion for China (from a different source), and a global market of USD 1.1 trillion for luxury goods and services. India accounts for close to one per cent of the global luxury market. Luxury sales are currently seeing a slow-down in China

Britain still attracts substantial investment from Asia. Many Asian firms have established European Head Quarters in the country. How hard will Brexit hit Asian markets? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. Brexit will impact companies from Asia with operations in the UK, since they will no longer benefit from any of the EU’s Free Trade Agreement’s (FTA) with non-EU countries. Britain will need to replace these with bilateral FTAs – and fast. Perera noted that beyond the short-term effects on foreign exchange markets and global capital, the effect will be to depress the long-term outlook for the UK. Having said that, Brexit may induce portfolio managers to divert funds to Asia. This could strengthen Asian asset prices and currencies. What remains to be seen is if any city can replace London as the financial center of the EU. https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/how-will-br

As use of mobile wallets grows across Asia, digitalized financial services are transforming consumer behavior. In this context, Informa Business (IBC) organized the 4th Annual Mobile Wallet Conference to discuss key industry trends, opportunities and challenges in Jakarta, Indonesia. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Spire Research and Consulting group, was honored to be a guest speaker at this event. In his presentation, Bahar highlighted key facts about the mobile wallet ecosystem in Asia with focus on consumer trends, growth drivers and acceptance of digital currency. Bahar mentioned the rise mobile wallet payments is due to faster transactions (71%), ease of use (55%) and the need to have cash on hand (47%). There are more opportunities for organizations, regulators and startups due to the convergence of multi-channel integration, integrated IT infrastructure, digital currencies and Big data analytics, to name a few trends. The Philippines beca

With ASEAN rail infrastructure expenditure projected at USD8 to10 trillion from 2010 to 2020, lack of funding could put the brakes on growth. Despite an ASEAN railway development policy – albeit a non-formal agreement – member states are under no obligation to comply and not all countries have financial capacity to pay. Is there an alternative for funding of stalled multi-billion projects? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. Inadequate funding of rail projects at the regional level mean regional connectivity is yet to be established. Projects such as the construction of the planned high-speed Singapore to Kuala Lumpur rail line is yet to begin mainly due to negotiations on cost sharing. At the same time, China’s USD9.7 billion rail agreement with Thai Government (in December 2015) and an USD5.5 billion deal with Indonesian state-owned companies (in October 2015) are among many that have b

Since 1998, Indonesia has become one of the most dynamic and successful democracies in Southeast Asia today. Though it has navigated the global financial crises of the past five years relatively unscathed, infrastructure bottlenecks and regulatory hurdles have held back the country’s economic potential. How will the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections impact the Indonesian economy and the companies operating in it? Indonesia may become the world’s 7th largest economy by 2030. A growing young population, bountiful natural resources along with an expanding consumer base will help sustain growth. Indonesia’s 2014 elections have been touted by some observers as the country’s most important since 1955. What is at stake? 1. Economic growth Elections do have the ability to kick-start growth by boosting business and consumer confidence in ways that defy normal economic calculations. Witness the surge in confidence that accompanied the election victory of Japan