5, Sep 2026
Archaea As Flexitarians: Ammonia-Oxidizing Microbes Also Feed on Amino Acids
Sep 05: Symbiotic ammonia-oxidizing archaea in marine sponges are not strict specialists, but true “flexitarians”: A team led by microbiologists Bettina Glasl and Katharina Kitzinger from the University of Vienna, in collaboration with partners from Australia, has shown that these microbes dine not only on ammonia but also on amino acids such as valine, leucine, and isoleucine – and presumably do that to communicate with their animal host. The findings shed new light on one of the oldest animal-microbe symbiotic relationships on Earth and point to a previously underestimated role played by archaea. The study was published in the prestigious journal Science Advances.
For decades, scientists assumed that ammonia-oxidizing archaea had a strict diet, feeding exclusively on ammonia, and to some extent, on the simple nitrogenous compounds cyanate and urea, to fix CO2. A new study led by researchers from the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science at the University of Vienna, in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Marine Science, shows that symbiotic ammonia-oxidizing archaea, unlike their free-living relatives studied thus far, are actually “flexitarians”. They use amino acids, such as valine, leucine and isoleucine, as additional food sources. This finding also suggests that these symbiotic microbes may have an unknown ability to communicate with their animal hosts.
An ancient symbiosis
Marine sponges are among the oldest animals. Their simple bodies are teeming with microbes. This partnership, also called symbiosis, is vital for the sponge’s survival in the oceans. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea are key symbionts in marine sponges. They are renowned as the sponge’s microscopically sized sanitation crew as they remove toxic ammonia, a metabolic waste product.
Until now, it was assumed that they are strict “chemolithoautotrophs”: They derive energy from inorganic compounds, in this case ammonia, and use CO2 as their carbon source.Hints that symbiotic ammonia-oxidizing archaea might be more flexible came from their genomes. Unlike many free-living ammonia-oxidizing archaea, they carry genes encoding transporters for branched-chain amino acids. The new study provides the first direct experimental evidence that symbiotic ammonia-oxidizing archaea actually are mixotrophs, capable to use CO2 and amino acids as a carbon source.
Zooming in on individual microbes’ activity
The researchers studied the coral reef sponge Ianthella basta, also called elephant ear sponge, and its ammonia-oxidizing archaeal symbiont Nitrosospongia ianthellae. Using a cutting-edge combination of advanced chemical and microscopic imaging techniques, including NanoSIMS, they were able to watch the dietary habits of individual symbiont cells in their sponge host.
“The real challenge was to prove which specific cells were consuming the amino acids within the sponge,” says Katharina Kitzinger, co-lead author and specialist in single-cell analysis. “We could literally see the labeled amino acids being incorporated into individual symbiont cells, linking a cell’s identity to its function rather than relying on genome predictions alone.”
From waste disposal to microbial communication
The discovery has implications beyond the microbes’ diet. As they can both consume and produce branched-chain amino acids, symbiotic ammonia-oxidising archaea may influence the availability of these essential amino acids within their ancient animal host.
“We used to think of these symbionts primarily as a waste disposal service for the sponge” says Bettina Glasl, co-lead author and expert in sponge–microbiome interactions. “By producing and consuming these amino acids, the symbionts can potentially modulate important signalling molecules for the sponge. This could be a form of communication between microbes and animal hosts with deep evolutionary roots.”
The researchers propose that this metabolic activity could even influence the mTOR signaling pathway, a conserved regulator of cell growth and metabolism that responds to branched-chain amino acid availability.
“This work would not have been possible without the tight collaboration of many people in Austria and Australia, and the generous support from the FWF for the Cluster of Excellence ‘Microbiomes drive planetary health'” says Michael Wagner, head of the FWF-Cluster and last author of the study.
- 0
- By Neel Achary
5, Sep 2026
Utah researchers join NSF center that studies how robots and people learn to work together
Sep 05: A new National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center, led by the University of Texas at Austin, will study what happens when assistive robots leave the lab and move into the real world to live and work alongside humans.
The Center for Human and Robot Co-Adaptation will bring together 39 researchers from six universities and multiple industry partners to establish a new science of “human-robot co-adaptation”—how people and robots learn from one another and adjust their behavior over long periods in everyday settings that will include homes, hospitals and assisted-living residences.
The University of Utah will play a central role in the new center under the leadership of Daniel Brown, assistant professor in the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering’s Kahlert School of Computing. The Utah contingent of researchers has expertise spanning human-AI alignment and safety, robot learning and manipulation, human-centered computing and human factors.
“A lot of research into robotics research today focuses on whether a robot can successfully complete a particular task,” Brown said. “Through this center, we want to dive deeper and understand what happens when a person and a robot live and work together for weeks, months or even years.”
“This kind of long-term study of co-adaptation is really only possible with the kind of large-scale effort afforded by the center,” he said. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to get the research we’ve been developing in the lab into hospitals, dormitories, museums and care facilities to better understand how to create human-robot interactions that benefit and empower people.”
Other Kahlert faculty involved with the 5-year collaboration, which is funded by a $30 million NSF grant, include Tucker Hermans, Jason Wiese and Kenneth Marino, along with Frank Drews, a Utah professor of psychology.
The University of Utah will also provide one of the center’s most important real-world proving grounds. Through the Human Environment with Robots Facility Network, robots will be deployed at University of Utah Health sites, including the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital and the planned One U Residential Center, designed to support independent living for people with complex physical injuries.
Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital is a leader in patient-facing technology and innovation, providing a clinical environment to develop and test new technologies that can increase patient independence, improve rehabilitation outcomes and support care teams. The project builds on a longstanding collaboration between Jason Wiese; Dr. Jeffrey Rosenbluth, Vice Chair of Innovation and Community Programs at Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital; James Gardner, who coordinates the development of new patient-facing technology at Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital; and Brent Eliesen, Health Innovation Team Lead with University of Utah Information Technology.
Their work includes the hospital’s 75 smart patient rooms, where assistive technologies are integrated into patient care and studied in a clinical setting. This established infrastructure and experience provide a strong foundation for expanding this work into assistive robotics.
These real-world settings will allow researchers to study how patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals and robots adapt to one another during extended, real-world interactions—moving robotics research beyond short laboratory experiments toward technologies that can safely support rehabilitation and independent living. Utah will also contribute to the center’s education and outreach efforts through collaborations with the Utah STEM Action Center.
“This project gives us a chance to study robotics where the technology really matters: alongside people in their everyday environments,” Wiese said. “We want to understand how robots can adapt to individual needs and support greater independence.”
Partner universities include Indiana University Bloomington, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, and Yale University. Industry collaborators include Amazon, Apptronik, Diligent Robotics, Google DeepMind, Hello Robot, MassRobotics, NVIDIA and Robust AI.
5, Sep 2026
New ESG Framework Maps Key Risks and Growth Opportunities Across India’s FMCG Sector
Mumbai, Sep 05: Aspire Circle and Aspire Impact have launched “Fast Moving Consumer Goods: An ESG Performance Framework,” a new research publication under the Impact Future Project, a thought-leadership initiative supported by Capgemini. The publication brings together 19 senior ESG, sustainability and business leaders to develop a sector-specific approach to measuring ESG performance and assessing ESG risks and opportunities.
India’s FMCG sector generated USD 245.4 billion in revenue in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 615.9 billion by FY2027, touching more than 1.4 billion consumers. The framework moves beyond a single blended ESG score by assessing ESG Risk and ESG Opportunity separately, providing companies, investors and other stakeholders a clearer view of vulnerabilities and potential for sustainable value creation.
The framework combines sector-agnostic KPIs with FMCG-specific indicators across Personal Care, Household, Food Products and Diversified FMCG. The assessment covers Environment, Social and Governance issues including emissions, energy, water, packaging, product lifecycle, responsible sourcing, employee health and safety, customer impact, governance and ethical conduct.
Key ESG risk areas include packaging waste, water stress, energy-intensive manufacturing, supply chain traceability, sustainable sourcing, product quality and safety, responsible marketing and natural resource stewardship. Opportunities include circular packaging, renewable energy, refill and reuse models, ethical sourcing and regenerative agriculture. The essence of the framework is that clearer identification of material ESG risks, combined with measurable opportunities, can help FMCG companies build consumer trust and brand equity, anticipate regulatory and market shifts, and drive innovation and responsible growth, ultimately contributing to stronger long-term business performance and stakeholder outcomes.
The framework integrates Risk and Opportunity assessments through a 2×2 Risk–Opportunity quadrant. The framework integrates Risk and Opportunity assessments through a 2×2 Risk–Opportunity quadrant, where the respective scores position a company within the quadrant and provide a clear view of its current ESG risk–opportunity profile and direction of travel. This goes beyond a single embedded score by showing where a company stands, where it should aim to move, and whether progress is being driven by reducing risk, strengthening opportunities, or both.
Amit Bhatia, Founder, Aspire Circle and Aspire Impact, said,
“India’s USD 245 billion FMCG sector reaches over a billion consumers every day, giving it a unique ability to turn everyday choices into large-scale climate and social impact. Our ESG framework, with separate Risk & Opportunity ratings and both sector-agnostic and sector-specific KPIs, lets FMCG companies benchmark themselves against peers and translate ESG intent into measurable, comparable action.”
Prabha Narasimhan, Managing Director & CEO, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, said,
“As the FMCG sector touches billions of lives every day, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to make sustainable choices more accessible and impactful. At Colgate-Palmolive India, our experience of embedding ESG across our products, operations and communities has shown us the value of clear, measurable goals and collective action. Through our 2030 SMILE Strategy, we are advancing climate action, circularity, oral health and community impact..”
The publication is the latest in IFP’s planned series of 12 sector-specific ESG performance frameworks, following frameworks covering industry-agnostic ESG KPIs, Financial Services, Healthcare, Information Technology and Utilities. The Working Group members for the FMCG publication included Amit Saha, Founder & CEO, Pro India, Ex Chief Sustainability Officer, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages; Dr. Ankur Chaturvedi, Assistant Vice President Operations & ESG Lead, Emami; Burzin Dubash, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer, Ankur Capital; Dipanwita Chakraborty, Founder Advisory at Visible Growth Inflection Points; Former Regional Director – Corporate Responsibility & Sustainable Development, Asia Pacific, Cargill; Gagandeep Singh Sethi, Senior Vice President, Integrated Operations, Sustainability & Responsibility, Pernod Ricard India; Gayatri Divecha, Senior Advisor, Gayatri Divecha Consulting; Former Head, Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility, Godrej Group; Kanika Pal, ISB-BIPP Visiting Fellow; Milind Datar, VP Manufacturing and EHSS, Tilak Nagar Industries; Nehit Vasavada, Deputy General Manager, Operations Management and Food Safety Management Systems, Amulfed Dairy; Prachi Singh, Senior Vice President, INI Farms; Saloni Malhotra, CEO, Aspire Impact Assurance; Former CEO, MIPL; Sanskriti Kapoor, Vice President, ESG & Impact, Omnivore; Shilpashree Muniswamappa, Director, ESG & Communications, Colgate-Palmolive; Sreemoyee C. Bhattacharyya, Lead, Sustainability, Marico; Srinidhi S. Rao, Head Sustainability, Diageo India; Tannya Garg, Director, Impact, Partnerships & New Initiatives, FarMart; and Dr. Taruna Saxena, Former Director Sustainability & Societal Initiatives, Nestlé.
Capgemini continues its association with the Impact Future Project. Anurag Pratap, VP & CSR Leader, India, Capgemini, said,
“We believe the time has come to mainstream the principles of an Impact Economy. The Impact Future Project is playing a significant role in accelerating this vision by fostering greater awareness, encouraging collaboration, and bringing together diverse stakeholders to drive meaningful action towards a more sustainable and inclusive future.”
The framework is also supported by IKOO World, Aspire Impact’s digital platform for ESG, Sustainability and Impact Assessments and benchmarking, with data for more than 750 organisations.
Harpreet Kaur, Chief Knowledge Officer, Aspire Impact, said,
“The publication ultimately seeks to make ESG measurement more useful for companies, investors, regulators and other stakeholders by combining a common set of industry-agnostic indicators with FMCG-specific KPIs, separating ESG Risks from ESG Opportunities, and moving ESG assessment beyond broad sustainability claims towards more measurable, comparable and actionable insights.”
5, Sep 2026
SAIL Achieves Record August Steel Production, Sales Jump 13 percent as Borrowings Fall by Rs 870 Crore
State-owned steel giant Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has delivered one of its strongest monthly performances in recent years, posting record production and double-digit sales growth in August 2026. The Maharatna PSU achieved its highest-ever August output of hot metal, crude steel and saleable steel, while robust domestic demand and improved retail sales helped push overall sales volumes to 1.87 million tonnes. The performance further strengthens SAIL’s position as one of the key drivers of India’s expanding steel consumption story.
SAIL’s production numbers reflected strong operational momentum across its integrated steel plants. Crude steel production increased 8% year-on-year to 1.68 million tonnes, while hot metal production rose 9% to 1.78 million tonnes. Saleable steel production also edged up to 1.69 million tonnes, marking a new August record for the company. The growth comes as India’s infrastructure, construction and manufacturing sectors continue to generate healthy demand for domestically produced steel.
The company also reported an impressive commercial performance during the month. Overall steel sales surged 13% year-on-year to 1.871 million tonnes, compared with 1.654 million tonnes in August last year, supported by strong demand across Tier-1 and Tier-2 retail markets. Cash collections jumped 23%, reflecting better customer realisations and disciplined commercial execution. SAIL also recorded its highest-ever August sales in value-added steel products, including cold rolled, galvanized and alloy steel, while reducing inventory levels through faster supply-chain movement and improved market servicing.
SAIL’s growth was also visible in its supplies to the railway sector, a major consumer of long steel products. Rail supplies to Indian Railways increased 5% to 1.23 lakh tonnes, while supplies of long rails touched an all-time monthly high of 1.12 lakh tonnes, registering 11% growth over the corresponding period last year. On the financial front, the company reduced its borrowings by ₹870 crore compared to its position on March 31, 2026, strengthening its balance sheet and improving financial flexibility.
The strong performance extended beyond August. During the April-August 2026 period, SAIL’s cumulative steel sales reached 7.71 million tonnes, up 5.6% over the same period last year despite global market volatility and fluctuating steel prices. Higher sales of finished and processed steel, an improved product mix and wider regional market penetration helped sustain growth during the five-month period.
Commenting on the company’s performance, Dr. A.K. Panda, Chairman and Managing Director, SAIL, said the results demonstrate a strong alignment between operational efficiency, commercial execution and financial discipline. He added that ongoing expansion projects, improving domestic demand and India’s long-term infrastructure push position SAIL to accelerate growth while making a significant contribution to the country’s rising steel consumption and manufacturing ambitions.
4, Sep 2026
Malaysian Palm Oil Exports Slip as Indian Demand Cools in August
Kuala Lumpur, Sep 4: Malaysia’s palm oil exports weakened in August as softer demand from India weighed on shipments, highlighting growing pressure on the world’s edible-oil market even as palm oil prices remain close to a two-year high.
Pic Credit: Pexel
Malaysia is estimated to have shipped around 1.3 million tonnes of palm oil in August, about 8 per cent lower than in July. At the same time, inventories are estimated to have risen nearly 6 per cent, reaching their highest level since January.
The decline in Indian purchases is significant for the global market because India is among the world’s largest edible-oil importers. A prolonged slowdown in buying could leave Malaysian exporters with larger inventories and increase competition for overseas markets.
For India, weaker palm oil imports could also influence the sourcing decisions of refiners and food companies. If palm oil remains expensive, businesses may increasingly compare it with alternatives such as soybean and sunflower oil, depending on relative prices and availability.
Palm oil prices have gained around 7 per cent in the third quarter and are trading near their highest levels in about two years. The price strength comes despite weaker exports, reflecting concerns that global supplies could tighten in the months ahead.
Weather remains a key risk. The possibility of an El Niño pattern affecting palm production has raised concerns about future supplies, while Indonesia’s expanding use of palm oil for biofuel production could reduce the amount available for international trade.
Higher palm oil prices could also raise input costs for food manufacturers, particularly companies producing packaged foods, snacks, bakery products and other items that use vegetable oils. For consumers, any sustained increase in edible-oil costs could eventually add pressure to household food budgets.
The combination of weaker Indian demand and rising Malaysian inventories may create some short-term pressure on the market. However, potential production disruptions and stronger biofuel demand could limit any significant decline in prices.
Market participants will now watch Indian buying, Malaysian inventory levels and weather conditions closely. The direction of these factors will determine whether the current weakness in exports develops into a broader slowdown or proves to be a temporary pause in demand.
4, Sep 2026
Second Point S campus to help workshops manage growth in a changing automotive industry
For the second consecutive year, Point S welcomes young automotive leaders from nine countries to France. • Building on the success of the inaugural programme, the campus continues to prepare the next generation of family business leaders for a rapidly evolving automotive industry. • This year’s programme focuses on managing growth across people, teams, and business performance.
Sept 04: Independent tyre dealers and mechanical workshops will descend upon France for an exclusive conference aimed at preparing future leaders to manage growth in an automotive aftermarket shaped by technological change, evolving customer expectations, and increasing market competition.
Following the success of its inaugural event in 2025, Point S International is bringing together the next generation of automotive entrepreneurs with the second Next Generation Campus, taking place from 31st August to 4th September in Provence, France.
This year, the campus is centred around the theme of growth management, helping participants develop across four key areas: My Growth, Team Growth, Business Growth, and Brand Growth. Through a series of interactive sessions, attendees will strengthen their leadership and managerial capabilities, learn how to motivate and develop high-performing teams, improve customer satisfaction, monitor commercial and financial performance, and enhance the local digital visibility of their businesses to complement wider national and international marketing initiatives.
Participants from Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Norway, Slovakia, South Africa, and the UK will come together to share experiences and learn from industry experts while building lasting international relationships
Fabien Bouquet, CEO of Point S International, commented: “The independent sector, like many others, is undergoing an age of rapid digital transformation. New technologies, digital tools, and AI are changing the way workshops operate and engage with customers, but sustainable success depends on much more than technology alone. Strong leadership, motivated teams, good commercial management, and an exceptional customer experience remain the foundations of every successful business. Our role is to help the next generation develop the skills to grow across all of these areas with confidence.”
The campus is Point S International’s bespoke response to one of the industry’s most significant long-term challenges – preparing the next generation of family business leaders to succeed during a period of unprecedented technological and commercial transformation. While previous generations were able to build on relatively stable business models, today’s emerging leaders must navigate workforce shortages, changing customer expectations, digitalisation, electrification, and rapidly evolving vehicle technologies, while continuing to grow profitable, resilient businesses.
Participants represent three stages of the leadership journey: students preparing to join the family business, employees developing towards future leadership roles, and recent successors who have already taken over day-to-day management. Building on the foundations established during the inaugural campus, this year’s programme places greater emphasis on developing practical management skills that help leaders drive employee engagement, improve business performance, and support sustainable long-term growth.
The campus also continues to strengthen the growing community of young leaders across the Point S network. Alongside the formal programme, participants will build relationships through team activities, networking opportunities, and shared experiences, creating an international peer network that will continue long after the event concludes. Professional translation services will once again support collaboration across languages, ensuring participants can exchange ideas freely regardless of their country of origin.
Fabien Bouquet added: “Last year’s historic inaugural campus demonstrated the value of bringing together the next generation of leaders from across our European network. The challenges facing our industry continue to evolve, making it more important than ever that young business leaders develop the skills, knowledge, and connections needed to lead with confidence. By investing in their development today, we are helping ensure that our members remain strong, innovative and successful for generations to come.”
The second edition of the Next Generation Campus reinforces Point S’s long-term commitment to supporting its members beyond day-to-day business operations. By equipping future leaders with the leadership, commercial, and operational skills needed to manage growth, alongside an international network of peers, Point S is helping to safeguard the continued success of its independent tyre dealers and automotive service providers while preserving the entrepreneurial values that have defined the network for generations.
4, Sep 2026
When Architecture Becomes Furniture: Yuvraj Vohra Launches Villaro Design Studio in MG Road, Delhi
Sep 04: Furniture designer Yuvraj Vohra has unveiled the new Villaro Design Studio on MG Road, Delhi, introducing a furniture brand shaped by an architectural way of thinking. Trained in architecture, Vohra approaches furniture not as standalone objects but as elements that influence how a space is experienced. His transition from designing buildings and interiors to designing furniture stems from a belief that furniture plays a defining role in shaping the character, function and atmosphere of a room.
“Architecture taught me to think about proportion, materiality and the relationship between objects and space,” says Vohra. “That thinking continues in every piece we create at Villaro. Furniture should not simply occupy a room; it should belong to it.” This philosophy forms the foundation of Villaro’s design language.
The collection brings together furniture that explores the relationship between architecture and material. A marble fireplace is treated as a sculptural architectural element. Sofas incorporate stone within their arms, creating a dialogue between soft and solid materials. Hand-fluted stone surfaces introduce texture and depth, while seamless corners allow forms to appear clean and uninterrupted. Across the collection, materials such as stone, marble, wood, metal and upholstery are used not merely as finishes but as integral components of the design. Shades of ivory, black and Calacatta Viola further define the visual language, allowing the character of each material to take centre stage.
Rather than following trends, the focus remains on material expression, construction and proportion. Every piece is developed with consideration for the architecture around it and the way it will be used within a space. Alongside its design philosophy, Villaro places significant emphasis on transparency during production. Before manufacturing begins, every piece undergoes a full kitting process, where materials, components and specifications are reviewed and approved. Quality checks are conducted at multiple stages of production, and clients receive QC reports throughout the making of their furniture, providing visibility into the journey from concept to completion. In an industry where manufacturing often remains hidden from the client, Villaro’s approach seeks to create greater confidence and accountability throughout the process.
The studio has also been envisioned as a resource for architects and interior designers seeking furniture solutions for residential and commercial projects. Beyond customisation of dimensions and finishes, the Villaro team supports professionals with furniture presentations, shop drawings, 3D files for project models, material samples, and digital and physical mood boards. The objective is to integrate furniture into the design process from an early stage, ensuring alignment between architecture, interiors and product development.
From concept discussions and technical detailing to manufacturing and installation, Villaro works closely with design professionals to help translate ideas into finished pieces. The new MG Road studio presents the collection through complete settings that allow visitors to understand furniture within a spatial context. However, the focus remains firmly on the pieces themselves, their materials, detailing, construction and relationship with the spaces they inhabit.
For homeowners, the studio offers an opportunity to explore furniture tailored to individual lifestyles and architectural requirements. For architects and interior designers, it serves as a collaborative environment where ideas, materials and technical solutions can be developed together.
With the launch of Villaro Design Studio, Yuvraj Vohra introduces a furniture brand that draws from architecture while remaining rooted in furniture design. Through material-driven design, production transparency and close collaboration with the design community, Villaro presents a considered approach to contemporary furniture for modern Indian homes and projects.
4, Sep 2026
US Trade Deficit Widens to Dollar 88.6 Billion in July as Imports Surge
Washington, Sep 4: The US trade deficit widened sharply in July as imports increased while exports declined, highlighting the impact of strong domestic demand and higher purchases of technology-related goods.
The goods and services trade deficit rose 24.4 per cent to $88.6 billion in July from a revised $71.2 billion in June, according to data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis and the US Census Bureau.
US imports increased 2.8 per cent to $399.3 billion, while exports fell 2.1 per cent to $310.7 billion during the month. The goods deficit alone widened to $119.6 billion, while the services surplus stood at $31 billion.
A key feature of the July data was the strong rise in imports of capital goods. These imports reached a record $140.3 billion, with computers, computer equipment and semiconductors among the products driving the increase. The trend reflects continued investment in technology and artificial intelligence-related infrastructure.
The US also recorded a $5 billion goods trade deficit with India in July, keeping the India-US trade relationship in focus amid ongoing changes in global trade and tariff policies.
For India, the US remains an important export market. Indian shipments to the US have remained significant across engineering goods, electronics, pharmaceuticals, textiles and other manufacturing segments. Strong US demand therefore remains important for Indian exporters, even as changing tariff and trade policies create a more challenging global environment.
The wider US trade gap also comes as the global economy adjusts to changing supply chains, tariff measures and shifting patterns of business investment. The surge in technology-related imports suggests that demand for capital equipment remains strong, particularly around the expansion of artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.
The July figures underline the changing nature of US trade, with strong import demand continuing to shape the country’s external balance even as export growth remains under pressure.
4, Sep 2026
Akasa Air commences operations in Vietnam; Strengthens footprint in Southeast Asia
Sep 04: Akasa Air, India’s fastest-growing airline, today commenced operations in Hanoi, Vietnam, connecting it with Mumbai with four weekly direct flights. The inaugural flight departed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, at 0535 hrs IST arriving at Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi, at 1200 hrs ICT. This marks Akasa Air’s seventh international destination and expands the airline’s presence in Southeast Asia while strengthening connectivity across region’s one of most high demand travel corridors.
In an event held at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to flag off the maiden flight, a special boarding pass was presented to the first passengers and a ceremonial lamp was lit in the presence of Anand Srinivasan, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, and Bhavin Joshi, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President – Strategy, Akasa Air, along with Mr. Trinh Minh Manh, Ambassador of Vietnam to India, Mr. Le Quang Bien, Consul General of Vietnam, and attendees from Adani Group, CISF, customs, and immigration.
The new service responds to the growing interest among Indian travellers in Vietnam, driven by its distinctive culture, diverse cuisine, scenic landscapes and value-led travel experiences. With direct connectivity from Mumbai, Akasa Air will provide customers with greater choice and accessibility, while supporting the expanding flow of tourism and commerce between India and Vietnam.
Akasa Experience
Akasa Air’s empathetic and youthful personality, employee-friendly culture, customer-service philosophy, and tech-led approach have made it the airline of choice for millions of customers. Since its inception, Akasa Air has redefined flying in India with its multiple industry-first and customer-friendly offerings. Its brand-new fleet provides ample legroom and enhanced comfort and comes with USB ports in the majority of aircraft, allowing passengers to charge their gadgets and devices on the go. Café Akasa, the airline’s onboard meal service, offers an assortment of healthy and delectable meals, including festive menus and industry-first options such as Kombucha, to offer customers an indulgent gourmet experience in the skies. Akasa Air offers over 25+ ancillary products to deliver on its promise of exceptional customer service, such as Akasa GetEarly, Seat & Meal Deal, Extra Seat and Akasa Holidays, which offer personalisation that is second to none. Consistently enhancing the cabin experience for its customers, Akasa has launched several industry-firsts such as SkyScore by Akasa, SkyLights and QuietFlights.
4, Sep 2026
Stronger Won Signals New Business Shift for South Korean Companies
Seoul, Sep 4: South Korea’s strengthening currency is creating a mixed business environment, offering relief to importers and companies dependent on overseas inputs while putting pressure on exporters as the won climbs to its strongest level in more than a year.
The won closed at around 1,350.4 per US dollar on Friday, its strongest level in 14 months, after falling into the 1,340-won range during intraday trading. The currency has gained significantly from its recent lows as the dollar weakened and market expectations around US interest rates shifted.
For Korean businesses that import raw materials, energy and equipment, a stronger won can reduce the local-currency cost of overseas purchases. This could provide some relief to companies facing higher input costs and help improve margins if the currency remains firm.
Export-oriented companies, however, face a different challenge. A stronger won can make Korean products relatively more expensive in overseas markets and reduce the value of foreign earnings when they are converted back into the local currency. This is particularly important for major exporters in sectors such as electronics, automobiles and machinery.
At the same time, South Korea’s technology sector continues to benefit from strong global demand. The country’s recent export performance has been led by semiconductors, with demand linked to artificial intelligence providing significant support to chipmakers and the wider technology supply chain.
Investor confidence has also improved. The benchmark KOSPI rose 1.64% to 6,687.21 on Friday, while foreign investors remained active buyers of Korean equities. Semiconductor companies were among the major beneficiaries of the improved market sentiment.
The currency’s gains also come against the backdrop of substantial foreign-exchange activity linked to SK Hynix. South Korean authorities reportedly purchased about $20 billion of dollars repatriated by the chipmaker following its US listing, highlighting the scale of capital flows influencing the won.
For businesses, the direction of the won will therefore remain important in the coming months. A stable currency could support import costs and business confidence, while a rapid appreciation could become a concern for exporters competing in global markets.
With semiconductor demand remaining strong and foreign investment flowing into Korean assets, the stronger won is emerging as an important factor for corporate earnings, trade competitiveness and investment decisions across South Korea.
