Category Archives: Business

Edmund Sze-Wing Tse to Retire as AIA Group Board Chairman, to Be Succeeded by Sir Mark Tucker on 1 October 2025

HONG KONG, 6 June 2025 – AIA Group Limited (“AIA” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) announces that Mr. Edmund Sze-Wing Tse, Independent Non- executive Chairman and Independent Non-executive Director, has informed the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) of his intention to retire from his positions with the Company effective 30 September 2025.
The Board is delighted to announce that Sir Mark Tucker, who previously served as Group Chief Executive Officer and President of AIA between 2010 and 2017, has, subject to regulatory approval, been appointed Independent Non-executive Chairman and an Independent Non- executive Director of the Company effective from 1 October 2025. Sir Mark has also been appointed as the Chairman of the Nomination Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee, effective 1 October 2025.

Sir Mark has more than 40 years in-depth experience in the financial services industry, including in Asia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Africa. He will complete his tenure as the Non-executive Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings plc (“HSBC”) on 30 September 2025.

 Edmund Tse said: “It has been the greatest honour of my professional life to serve AIA, both as an executive and as the first Independent Non-executive Chairman. Throughout more than six decades with AIA, I have benefited from the support of outstanding colleagues, and I would like to thank all of them, past and present, for their unwavering support and dedication.

 “I would also like to thank my Board colleagues for their outstanding support during my 14 years as Board Chairman. AIA is very well positioned for continued and lasting success. I am immensely proud of all that we have accomplished together, and I know that, with Mark leading such an august board, AIA will continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead.”

Mr. Tse, who led the appointment process, added “Mark’s significant contributions to AIA during his tenure as the Group Chief Executive and President have been substantial and enduring. His experience and expertise, both as a Group Chief Executive and more recently his role as Group Chairman of one of the world’s largest financial institutions ensures that AIA will benefit from his strong leadership. I am truly delighted to welcome Mark to the Board.”

 Lee Yuan Siong, AIA Group Chief Executive and President, said: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to express my profound appreciation to Edmund. AIA owes him a great debt for his unparallelled contributions over a remarkable career. His leadership, through a host of increasingly senior roles as an executive and more recently as the Group’s first independent Chairman, has enabled the Group to put in place a strong and solid foundation.

 “Edmund’s vision and ambition have been instrumental in shaping AIA into the leading franchise it is today. Under his guidance, we have achieved remarkable milestones including excellent growth, expansion into new markets and pioneering innovations that support our communities. He retires with an enduring legacy, having played a pivotal role in advancing the sustainable development of our industry across Asia. For all of these reasons, the Board has unanimously chosen to confer upon Edmund the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus for AIA Group, reflecting the high esteem in which we will continue to hold him and honouring his unmatched legacy at AIA.

“We are delighted to welcome back Sir Mark Tucker as our Independent Chairman. Sir Mark worked closely with Edmund in leading the Company through its initial public offering during which he laid the foundations for AIA as a world leading independent listed group. Sir Mark’s very strong international reputation has only grown in the intervening years, and we look forward to benefiting from his deep experience in financial services and his passion for Asia as he leads our Board forward.”

Sir Mark said, “I have known Edmund for many decades and have admired him as an executive, a fellow Board member and as a friend. He has done a remarkable job at AIA, and I wish him all the very best for a happy and fulfilling retirement.

 “I am deeply honoured and excited to be taking on the role of Independent Chairman of one of the world’s largest insurance companies. AIA plays a critical role in protecting the financial wellbeing of millions of families across Asia, enabling them to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. I look forward to working with the Board, Yuan Siong, the Executive team, colleagues, agents and partners across the region to build on the Group’s success.”

Dynatrace Powers the Future of Agentic AI

WALTHAM, Mass., June 6, 2025 – Dynatrace, the leading AI-powered observability platform, is accelerating the generational shift in enterprise software development by extending the Dynatrace platform with agentic AI capabilities. Designed to predict and prevent disruptions, protect systems and data, and optimize operations autonomously, these advancements mark a new era of productivity and agility, fundamentally redefining how businesses manage digital transformation.

Enterprise organizations are significantly increasing investment in AI to enhance productivity, particularly in software development. Despite these efforts, developers still spend up to 80% of their time securing, debugging, and optimizing digital systems in production. Dynatrace leverages agentic AI to address this challenge by enabling enterprises to transition from manual oversight to autonomous, AI-driven workflows that streamline operations and foster innovation.

“We anticipated the growing complexity of digital systems outpacing the capabilities of traditional observability solutions reliant on human intervention,” said Bernd Greifeneder, Founder and CTO, Dynatrace. “This is why we built the next generation of our platform to help customers leverage advanced AI to offload work and unlock entirely new possibilities. By unifying observability, security, and business data in a revolutionary data lakehouse architecture, we’ve created the foundation for AI to deliver real-time insights and act autonomously in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago.”

The core of Dynatrace is a purpose-built foundation for agentic AI, seamlessly unifying observability, security, and business data in a schema-free, indexless data lakehouse. This foundation empowers intelligent decision-making and autonomous action, enabling enterprises to transition from human oversite to intelligent, self-operating systems. Together, the platform serves as the knowledge, reasoning, planning, and actioning framework of agentic AI, delivering trustworthy precision and adaptability.

• Grail, an indexless, schema-free data lakehouse, hot/hot by design, provides real-time access to petabytes of data in context, eliminating the inefficiencies of re-indexing and rehydration, to address the complexity and scale of agentic AI systems.
• Smartscape, a dynamic, real-time topology discovery, maps causal dependencies across complex digital ecosystems, enhancing the platform’s ability to deliver precise insights and automation, fueling Dynatrace AI for fact-based reasoning.
• Davis AI combines causal, predictive, and generative AI techniques to analyze unified data, deliver trustworthy insights, and intelligently plan actions to minimize hallucinations, maximize precision in insights and answers, and adhere to responsible AI practices and compliance requirements.
• AutomationEngine executes autonomous tasks and integrates seamlessly with first-party and third-party AI agents, driving differentiated efficiency and adaptability, all in a safe and privacy-protected manner for controlled agentic AI actions.

Through sustained innovation, Dynatrace provides the intelligence and autonomy developers, business leaders, and organizations need to tackle digital complexity and achieve extraordinary outcomes.

“These innovations provide the transparency, automation, and agility enterprises need to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technology landscape. The result is a platform capable of autonomously preventing potential issues, optimizing resource use, and adapting to unforeseen challenges,” Greifeneder added. “Agentic AI represents a fundamental transformation in enterprise technology. Our platform not only delivers insights but actively enables businesses to anticipate challenges, adapt to changing conditions, and achieve their boldest ambitions. This evolution embodies our long-standing vision to empower organizations through trustworthy automation and actionable intelligence.”

Panasonic partners with MeitY Nasscom Centre of Excellence to accelerate innovation in Smart Residential Living

Bengaluru, 6th June, 2025: Panasonic Life Solutions India (PLSIND), a leading diversified technology company, today, in collaboration with the MeitY Nasscom Center of Excellence (CoE), convened an industry-academia roundtable – Ignition Bridge Innovation – at the Nasscom’s CoE facility in Bengaluru. The strategic dialogue platform brought together senior leaders from industry, academia, and startups to discuss the co-creation of the future of smart residential living spaces in India. The initiative is part of Panasonic’s broader vision to catalyse innovation with a focus on energy efficiency, automation, health, wellness, and safety.

Mr. Manish Misra, Chief Innovation Officer, Panasonic Life Solutions India, said, “At Panasonic, we believe the future of smart living lies at the intersection of technology, collaboration, and purpose-driven innovation. With that in mind, we’d initiated the ‘Ignition Challenge’ i.e., a corporate accelerator programme aimed at improving the lives of Indian consumers through tech breakthroughs. The Ignition Bridge Roundtable is an extension of this initiative that further bolsters our mission. Here, in association with Nasscom CoE, Panasonic is fostering innovation through collaborations with high-potential startups, academic institutions, and public-private partnerships to advance air quality, energy solutions, and smart residential initiatives. These efforts include research partnerships, smart home cluster deployments, and scalable community pilots to drive sustainable living. Our goal is to translate these innovations into accessible, affordable, and scalable experiences for Indian consumers.”

The roundtable featured insightful discussions on a wide range of themes, including smart surveillance, air quality monitoring, AI-based home automation, predictive safety systems, and sustainable energy management. Senior leadership from Panasonic, institutions such as IIT Madras, IIT Tirupati, IIT Hyderabad, IISc Bangalore, and BITS Pilani, along with deeptech startups from the Nasscom CoE network, explored collaborative models to co-develop and pilot smart home solutions that are scalable and tailored for the Indian market. Startups such as Bolt.Earth, Charzer, Biomoneta, The Energy Company, Devic Earth, and Inxense showcased innovations ranging from AI-powered security cameras and air purification systems to intelligent battery management and EV charging infrastructure.

Shri. Sanjeev Malhotra, CEO, Nasscom CoE, said, “At Nasscom CoE, we believe that the future of smart living will be shaped by collaborative innovation that bridges industry, startups, and academia. Our partnership with Panasonic is a powerful step toward this vision – bringing together cutting-edge technology, domain expertise, and entrepreneurial agility to address critical needs in residential energy, automation, and wellness.”

Over the years, Panasonic India’s Innovation Centre (IIC) has been instrumental in shaping the company’s India-led innovation strategy. Flagship initiatives include the Miraie platform—Panasonic’s connected living ecosystem that integrates smart appliances via a unified app interface; the launch of India’s first Matter-enabled air conditioner, showcasing interoperability and smart home readiness; and the Ignition – corporate innovation program that fosters partnerships with high-potential startups in collaboration with T-Hub and Beyond Next Ventures (BNV). The IIC also led the commercialisation of Nessum, a next-generation wired communication technology that enhances device connectivity within homes. Through these initiatives, PLSIND is committed to building a robust innovation ecosystem that not only delivers seamless and sustainable smart living experiences for Indian households but also contributes meaningfully to the country’s digital and energy transition goals.

BDR Pharmaceuticals co-sponsors Suryakumar led Triumph Knights Mumbai North East for T20 Mumbai League Season 3

Mumbai, June 6, 2025: BDR Pharmaceuticals, a leading name in India’s pharmaceutical landscape, is proud to announce its association with Mumbai T20 League Season 3. As Co-Sponsor of the Triumph Knights Mumbai North East, BDR strengthens its commitment to community engagement and promoting local talent through the spirit of sport.

The Triumph Knights Mumbai North East, led by the dynamic Suryakumar Yadav as the team’s impact player, are set to enthral fans with electrifying performances at iconic venues like Wankhede Stadium and Dr. DY Patil Stadium. With a strong roster of emerging talent supported by the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, the team is poised for a thrilling playoff campaign.

Mr. Raheel Shah, Director, BDR Pharmaceuticals, expressed his enthusiasm for the association, stating, “Cricket in India is not just a sport, it’s a celebration of unity, talent, and unstoppable spirit. At BDR, we are passionate about driving impact in every field we enter, and this partnership with Triumph Knights Mumbai North East is a natural extension of that ethos. I am excited to have been invited to do the coin toss for the match. We look forward to an exciting season ahead and wish the Knights great success.”

This association underscores BDR’s belief in promoting sports and community engagement, while continuing to make a difference in the health and well-being of millions across the country.

The T20 Mumbai League, known for showcasing local talent and high-octane cricket, provides a unique platform for brands to build deeper connections with fans and city-based franchises. The Triumph Knights Mumbai North East’s ongoing T20 Mumbai League matches promise unforgettable moments of cricket action, and BDR Pharmaceuticals is proud to be cheering them on from the frontlines.

TVS Motor Company Begins a New Era in Indian Motorsport as Official Supplier of Race-Tuned Machines for INMRC 2025

Bengaluru, June 6, 2025: In a landmark moment for Indian motorsports, TVS Motor Company has become the official race machine provider for the National Championship Pro Stock 200 class at the 2025 Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (INMRC), which is scheduled from 6-8th June at MIC, Chennai. This marks the first time in the history of Indian motorsports that a brand has been entrusted to design, develop, and supply race-tuned motorcycles specifically for the National Championship, reaffirming TVS Motor’s leadership and commitment to racing excellence. This breakthrough paves the way to democratize two-wheeler racing, making it easier and more affordable for independent racers to participate, reflecting FMSCI and MMSC’s vision of expanding competitive motorsport.

The National Championship Pro Stock 200 at INMRC 2025 is a new and exciting format introduced by the MIC to elevate competition and support independent racing teams. As part of this development, TVSM will provide race-tuned TVS Apache GP200R motorcycles to independent teams, who will engage their racers to compete in this championship class. Additionally, PETRONAS TVS Racing team will provide complete technical support and machine service and maintenance to ensure peak performance throughout the season. With 20 years of TVS Apache’s racing heritage behind it, this milestone marks a powerful step forward in Indian motorsports. The selection process for participating teams and racers was recently concluded at the Madras International Circuit on May 28, 2025. Seven teams and twelve racers have been selected for this dynamic new class.

Vimal Sumbly, Head – Premium Business, TVS Motor Company said, “At TVS Motor Company, our racing DNA drives us to innovate and lead from the front. We are proud to be the first two-wheeler manufacturer in Indian motorsport history to supply race-tuned machines for the National Championship. This landmark development, supported by the vision of the Madras International Circuit makes it easier and more affordable for independent teams to participate and compete at the highest level. This year holds even greater significance as we mark two decades of our flagship performance brand, the TVS Apache – a true embodiment of our ‘Track to Road’ philosophy. As we charge into the new season, we aim not just to race, but to raise the bar for motorsports in India once again.”

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE RACE-TUNED TVS APACHE GP200R

The race-tuned TVS Apache GP200R is engineered for performance and agility, delivering significantly enhanced output and handling. It features:

· Cubic Capacity: 200 cc

· Bike Weight: 105 kg

· Maximum Power: 40% increase over stock engine

· Top Speed: 155+ kph

Key highlights of the race-tuned TVS Apache GP200R include:

· Modified cylinder head for higher volumetric efficiency, high lift camshaft, high compression ratio, advanced ECU with closed-loop control, quickshifter and data logging capabilities, fine-tuned induction and exhaust system.

· Adjustable front and rear suspension, aerodynamic bodywork, lighter racing wheels, aluminum subframe, and higher braking power.

PETRONAS TVS RACING TEAM FOR INMRC 2025 PRO STOCK 300-400CC CLASS

With legendary 11-time national champion Jagan Kumar retired from competitive racing, he will continue to serve as a rider coach for the PETRONAS TVS Racing team. Joining the team this year are two young and skilled racers, Rakshith Dave and Alwin Sundar. They will be joined by ARRC ace rider Sarthak Chavan, along with top performer, Chirant V and the first ever Indian rider to participate as a wildcard entry in world Moto3, KY Ahamed. The team is focused on achieving peak performance and continuing TVS Racing’s legacy of excellence in this competitive class.

BIKE MODIFICATIONS FOR THE 300-400CC CLASS

For the 2025 season, the Pro Stock 300-400cc race bikes will benefit from several enhancements, including engine refinement based on the 2024 season learnings, planned new aerodynamic bodywork from mid-season, and modifications to the rear suspension to enhance handling and performance.

OVER FOUR DECADES OF RACING DNA

For over 43 years, TVS Racing has been at the forefront of Indian motorsports, continuously pushing the boundaries of racing excellence. This commitment to innovation and performance extends beyond the racetrack into TVS Motor Company’s flagship motorcycle brand—TVS Apache, which celebrates 20 years of engineering excellence this year. The TVS Apache series embodies TVS Racing’s ‘Track to Road’ philosophy, integrating race-derived technology into high-performance motorcycles. Spanning 160cc, 180cc, 200cc, and 310cc models, the lineup features segment-first innovations, from ride-by-wire technology to race-tuned fuel injection.

With over 400,000 riders in the Apache Owners Group (AOG), TVS Apache has built a passionate global community, bringing the thrill of racing to streets and track enthusiasts alike. As it enters its next chapter, TVS Apache remains dedicated to offering cutting-edge performance, redefining what it means to ride with power and precision.

Oratrics Launches ‘The Future Human Program to Equip Children with Real-World Skills for the 21st Century

Delhi, India – 6th June 2025 — Oratrics, The Personality School, an emerging global platform in youth personality development, has announced the official launch of its flagship initiative, The Future Human Program™. Aimed at children aged 6 to 18, the program is designed to provide a comprehensive set of life and leadership skills that go beyond conventional academic learning.

The Future Human Program™ addresses a growing need in education today, preparing children not just for exams but for the demands of a dynamic, digital, and interconnected world. While most traditional education systems continue to focus on rote learning and curriculum-based evaluation, this program shifts the focus to communication, confidence, and critical thinking.

At the heart of the program is a curated learning ecosystem that covers key skills such as public speaking, creative writing, emotional intelligence, leadership, cybersecurity, financial literacy, artificial intelligence, and modern content creation formats such as podcasting, vlogging, and entrepreneurship. These diverse modules are brought together in a unified structure to ensure consistent progress and real-world readiness.
Oratrics’ Future Human Program is a human operating system upgrade that combines live mentor-led classes with personalised AI feedback, gamified challenges, and interactive peer engagement. The platform has been developed to offer a more holistic and practical approach to learning, blending traditional oratory methods with contemporary digital tools.

Speaking on the launch, Samad Shoeb, CO-Founder & CEO of Oratrics, shared that the program was created in response to a simple but powerful question: “What should children be learning today to thrive tomorrow?” With this initiative, the company aims to bridge the gap between education and application, offering an affordable and accessible way for families across geographies to access future-ready learning.

To mark the launch, Oratrics will host a global student showcase, featuring a range of activities including speeches, debates, and innovation challenges. The event aims to demonstrate the kind of transformation the program hopes to bring about in young learners.
Oratrics operates in more than 15 countries and continues to expand its digital footprint across the US, UK, Canada, India, UAE, and other education-forward regions. The company is committed to building a generation of young individuals who are not just academically strong but also equipped with the skills and mindset needed to navigate real-world challenges with confidence.

Adidas and Real Madrid Celebrate Home and History with 2025/26 Home Jersey

New Delhi, June 6th, 2025 – Today, adidas and Real Madrid proudly present the Home Jersey for the 2025/26 season, designed to celebrate the history of the Bernabéu Stadium and the DNA of the most successful club.  Keeping its original location, the Bernabéu Stadium has evolved to become a city landmark and the cradle of football for Real Madrid fans. Shapes and colours from the former and current Bernabéu Stadium link the past to the future in this clean, elegant and modern kit where subtlety is reflected through the metallic details and textures of the jersey.  A hallmark of the Real Madrid crest sees the club identity is present on the yellow bold piping coming from the colour of the crest, linking to the shared identity of the club that spans eras.

Finishing off the jersey design is a clean-cut crew-neck colour that lends the silhouette a modern, athletic look, with bespoke ribbing on the cuffs completing an overall aesthetic fitting of the Real Madrid legacy. The jersey will be paired with white shorts and white socks, both finished with dark grey trim, for a regal head-to-toe look.

Crafted for performance and to help provide world-class players with the confidence to play under pressure, the lightweight jersey features the latest in adidas technology. The on-field version of the jersey is constructed using advanced materials to maximize air flow to keep players feeling cool, while the fan version uses sweat-wicking and absorbent materials to keep the body feeling dry.

Celebrate Father’s Day with Thoughtful, Timeless Gifts

This Father’s Day, honour the remarkable men in your life with gifts that embody love, strength, and appreciation. Whether you’re celebrating a father, grandfather, or father figure, thoughtful gifting is a meaningful way to show your gratitude.
From timeless classics to bold essentials, explore a curated selection of gifts that reflect his unique style and character—pieces he’ll treasure today and for years to come.
Make this Father’s Day truly unforgettable with gifts that celebrate his wisdom, resilience, and individuality.
Featured Styles:

1. SWATCH

LION’S MANE – SSCU09R100

A striking combination of matte white Bioceramic with shiny transparent red biosourced material. Features a bold red dial, bezel, and strap complemented by white glow-in-the-dark indexes for perfect nighttime visibility.

BLACK SEA NETTLE – SSCU09B100

Sophisticated matte black Bioceramic case with shiny transparent black accents creates a sleek, modern aesthetic. Gray indexes and white numerals provide contrast against the all-black design.

EGG YOLK –SSCU09J100

Filled with energy, this model pairs matte white Bioceramic with transparent yellow elements. The vibrant yellow dial, bezel, and strap make it bold for an adventure-seeker.

2. BATEEL

Midas Gift Set

The refined leatherette finish and brilliant bronze tones make the Midas Collection a versatile, elegant gift for any occasion

Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Bar

Elevate her snack time with a premium bar featuring 44% Dominican Republic milk chocolate, layered with the crunch of pistachio and kunafa.

World Environment Day: Hindustan Zinc turns 3.32 times Water Positive Company

Udaipur, 6th June 2025: On World Environment Day, Hindustan Zinc Limited, India’s only and the world’s largest integrated zinc producer, announced that it has turned 3.32 times water positive. This leap from the previously certified index of 2.41 demonstrates the company’s continued commitment to responsible water stewardship. The milestone has been independently verified by DNV Business Assurance India Pvt. Ltd., following a comprehensive on-site and data-based audit.

Operating in Rajasthan, one of the India’s most water stressed regions, Hindustan Zinc reinforces its position as a water positive and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) company. Aligning with the UN SDG 6 (Sustainability Development Goals) of clean water and sanitation, the company has maintained a zero liquid discharge approach that ensures process water & effluent is treated, recycled, and reused, significantly reducing its reliance on freshwater while eliminating liquid discharge.

On World Environment Day, Hindustan Zinc also announced its ambitious 2030 Sustainability Goals. The goals cover ambitious targets spanning various thematic areas such as climate action, water stewardship, biodiversity conservation, safety & wellbeing at workplace, responsible sourcing, circular economy, workforce diversity and social performance. The company has committed to reducing its freshwater consumption by 50% by 2030 across its operations from the 2020 baseline, thereby contributing to increased freshwater availability for communities within the shared watershed. Additionally, the company has also committed to secure 100% low-quality water for its smelting operations.

Speaking on the occasion, Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson – Hindustan Zinc Limited, said, “As the world’s most sustainable metals & mining company, we believe that water is not just a resource – it is a shared legacy and a critical enabler of sustainable development. Today, as a 3.32 times water-positive company, we are proud to go above & beyond – actively replenishing water sources, restoring ecosystems, and building long-term resilience for the communities around us. By integrating responsible water management across every facet of our operations, we are not only safeguarding this vital resource but also setting a benchmark for sustainable metal production. With our Sustainability Goals 2030, we are reinforcing our pledge to create long-term value through sustainable business practices that shape a resilient future for all.”

Earlier this year, the company inaugurated a 4,000 kilolitres per day (KLD) Zero Liquid Discharge plant at Rampura Agucha (Rajasthan), home to the world’s largest underground zinc mining operations.

Commemorating World Environment Day, Hindustan Zinc kicked off a mass plantation drive and pledged to plant over 1.5 lakh saplings across its business units in year 2025, reinforcing its commitment to fostering environmental stewardship across its operations and beyond. The company organized a week-long series of engaging activities such as environment quizzes, sapling distribution and competitions like waste to wealth, resources revival challenge, ecofriendly cricket tournaments, aimed to foster environmental awareness and climate action among its stakeholders.

Notably, Hindustan Zinc was the first Indian company in the metals & mining sector to secure validated Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) targets, aligning with the ambitious 1.5°C global warming threshold. Further establishing its strong commitment to sustainability, the company’s extensive product portfolio is Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) verified thus providing comparable data on the product’s environmental footprint. The company has also received the prestigious Leadership Band (A-) designation from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) for its exemplary efforts in water security and climate change in FY23.

SPP Taps Hitachi for AI-Driven Power Grid Reliability and Flexibility

INDIA, June 6, 2025 – Hitachi, Ltd. and Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP) today announced a strategic partnership to solve critical and imminent problems slowing the modernization of U.S. energy infrastructure. The partnership will produce an integrated AI-based solution that accelerates generator interconnection (GI) by reducing study analysis times by 80% while also informing faster, higher-quality decision-making by GI customers. This will markedly improve SPP’s ability to facilitate the addition of its 14-state region’s generating capacity to keep pace with increasing demand for electricity.

 U.S. energy demands are rising by 2 to 3 percent annually, driven by data center growth, expanding manufacturing, and electrification. Data centers alone are projected to consume up to 12 percent of U.S. electricity by 2028, versus 4.4 percent in 2023. Such trends drive an alarming supply and demand gap as generating capacity margins in the SPP footprint could decline from 24 percent in 2020 to just 5 percent in 2029 unless an intervention occurs.

 That intervention starts with end-to-end technical innovation, first at the point of generator interconnection. Currently, the U.S. generates 1.28 terawatts of power. More than twice that generated amount waits in a queue as unusable backlog caused by today’s grid interconnect process. The long wait times are due to exhaustive, time-consuming analysis and simulation studies required to ensure that new energy source introductions don’t compromise existing grid reliability, stability, or performance.

 To address this gap, the three organizations will combine their industry and technical expertise. The partnership draws on multiple Hitachi competencies for a complete solution: Method’s design services; GlobalLogic’s software engineering services; Hitachi Energy’s energy portfolio management asset modeling solutions; Hitachi R&D’s AI-based energy grid algorithm; and Hitachi Vantara’s integrated storage and compute platform Hitachi iQ, built on NVIDIA accelerated computing, networking, and AI software.

 As the regional transmission organization (RTO) framing the project, SPP will guide the integration of these technical solutions and services, leveraging its deep expertise in energy grid optimization. As a reliability coordinator prioritizing operational and customer experience improvements, SPP’s input will also ensure the project outcomes align with industry-wide requirements and regulations.

 “Our nation’s demand for electricity has risen sharply in recent years following a long period of slow growth. Our industry has struggled to keep up with this sudden and significant shift,” said SPP President and CEO Lanny Nickell. “There are a lot of would-be power producers out there waiting to connect to the grid, but yesterday’s systems and technology haven’t been sufficient to enable us to bring incremental capacity online fast enough. It’s time to fix that, and SPP is proud to work with Hitachi and NVIDIA, two AI industry leaders who have the means to help realize a vision of a better energy future for our nation.”

 The integrated solution is an industrial AI system differentiated by its advanced proprietary AI algorithms and high performance enabled by Hitachi iQ’s enterprise AI solution stack which sit at its core. Ultimately, dynamic AI-driven technologies will be applied to various study areas, such as:
· Process automation
· Predictive analysis
· Communication systems integration

 The partnership with Hitachi and NVIDIA runs parallel to other improvements underway at SPP, including a from-the-ground-up reimagining of its transmission planning processes to align them with current and future industry needs. Together, these technological and process innovations are expected to set high-water marks in the electricity industry for generator interconnection, mid- and long-term planning, long-term forecast accuracy, analysis and deployment of additional grid-enhancing technologies, and more.

 “This initiative is about reimagining the electricity production and distribution process through the lens of modern AI technology,” said Frank Antonysamy, Chief Growth Officer, Hitachi Digital. “Real-time data access is needed to create truly realistic scenarios caused by new generator introductions. The AI solution we’re all developing will provide that data, among other advantages. SPP can then make significantly quicker, better-informed decisions that will increase overall ROI while better serving the nation’s population with accessible power. We’re proud to be a part of this important three-way collaboration addressing such a crucial problem.”

 “Interconnection process acceleration is critical to meet the unprecedented demand on our grid,” said Marc Spieler, Senior Managing Director of the Global Energy Industry at NVIDIA. “Using advanced NVIDIA accelerated computing and AI, Hitachi and SPP are helping speed interconnection studies to bring essential infrastructure online faster.”

 The project’s phase one milestones are expected to be completed by winter 2025/26. They include initial systems acceleration, data management processes optimization, and the introduction of AI-augmented simulation modeling among other goals.