The Knowledge to Decide

China accounted for 15% of the USD660 million professional Esports market in 2017. Can China cash in on this booming market before other players jump on the bandwagon? Spire’s viewpoint on Asia’s e-gaming landscape was cited in China Daily – Asia Weekly. Esports – sporting activity built around public performances of electronic game-play – is a booming industry world-wide. In comparison to other sports, Esports training does not require an actual stadium, pitch or course. All you need is stable net connectivity. Esports is set to go further at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province in Eastern China, where it will be acknowledged as an official medal sport. The growth potential in Esports is immense. The International Olympic Committee has already partnered with Chinese tech giant Alibaba to power future Olympic Games with its infrastructure services for cloud computing. Such technology infrastructure would be a powerful enabler for the Olympic Games to em

As Sri Lanka experiences demographic shifts – by 2021, 16.7% of the population could be aged 60 or above – the life insurance market is booming. The nation’s average economic growth stands at a brisk 6.2% since the end of the bitter civil war in 2009, with services and manufacturing leading the way. As Sri Lankans live longer, demand is surging for insurance products such as endowment and pension policies, with retirement planning taking a front seat. Will insurance continue to be one of Sri Lanka’s sunrise industries? For further information, click here.

Equivalent to the combined population of the Netherlands, Germany and France, Bangladesh is home to 160 million people. Although it is ranked as one of the world’s poorest of the 10 most populous countries, its economy grew by 7.1 per cent in 2016, a 30 year record. The country is starting to attract the attention of global companies. Can Bangladesh make poverty history? The story so far Bangladesh’s recent economic upturn is attributed to two major factors: its robust NGO sector and its thriving garment manufacturing industry. Bangladesh exported over USD26 billion in clothing, second only to China. Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 after a devastating war. Just prior to the war, in 1970, a massive cyclone had hit the nation, killing thousands. Today Bangladesh’s GDP per person is USD1,538 in comparison to Pakistan’s at about USD1,470 in June 2016. Some analysts assess that Bangladesh has the potential to emerge as the 23rd largest economy in

With the increase in pet ownership, healthcare and spending, Asia’s pet industry is expected to grow at 14.3 per cent annually from 2016 to 2021. Pet ownership as well as expenditure per pet is increasing. Will Asia become the next global hub for pet-related products and services? The beginning of pet ownership As of 2016, the majority of households across the globe owned a pet. Pets have been a part of human society for thousands of years. Cats and dogs were buried with humans. The ancient Romans also kept small toy dogs approximately 2,000 years ago. As of 2016, the majority of households across the globe owned a pet. Dogs are officially man’s best friend with one third of households world-wide (on average) owning a dog. Cats are not far behind, with one quarter of households (23 per cent) owning cats, making them the second most popular pet. Where do the market opportunities lie? The annual growth rate of the pet care industry in Asia between 2017- 20