8, Sep 2026
Autoliv Advances Vehicle Safety Through Virtual Testing
STOCKHOLM, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE: ALV) (SSE: ALIVsdb), the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, is advancing the development of virtual testing through its Human Body Model (HBM) Safety Suite. The platform is designed to support the development of safer vehicles, with Toyota as the first customer onboarded to evaluate its capabilities.
Virtual testing can be used for analyzing complex crash conditions that are difficult to replicate physically. It is becoming an important complement to physical crash testing in the automotive industry, driven by shorter vehicle development cycles, evolving safety requirements, and the need for earlier insights during vehicle development.
As regulations and consumer rating programs move toward greater use of virtual methods, Autoliv supports the automotive industry to meet evolving requirements, accelerate innovation, and advance protection for a more diverse range of occupants.
Autoliv Human Body Model Safety Suite
Autoliv’s HBM Safety Suite is an integrated virtual safety platform that combines an advanced Human Body Model for crash simulation with dedicated software tools for analysis, visualization, and decision-making. The Human Body Model is a detailed digital representation of human anatomy, that can provide insights into occupant response and potential injury mechanisms that are not available from physical dummies alone.
“Virtual testing is becoming an increasingly important part of how the automotive industry advances vehicle safety. Autoliv’s HBM Safety Suite provides detailed insights into how the human body may respond in a crash, helping engineers evaluate and optimize safety performance earlier in the development process. By combining advanced Human Body Models with dedicated analysis and visualization tools, we can support the development of safer vehicles and contribute to our vision of Saving More Lives,” said Fabien Dumont, Chief Technology Officer at Autoliv.
By transforming complex simulation data into clear, actionable insights, Autoliv’s HBM Safety Suite helps to evaluate safety performance in virtual environments and optimize safety solutions for a diverse range of occupants. Used alongside physical crash testing, the platform provides additional insights into occupant response and injury mechanisms to support the development of safer vehicles, while also helping reduce lead times and enabling to improve cost efficiency.
Toyota has recently started using Autoliv’s HBM Safety Suite to evaluate its capabilities as part of its virtual safety development activities. Autoliv plans to make the platform available more broadly across the industry in 2026, supporting automakers as virtual testing becomes a more important complement to physical crash testing.
For more information about HBM Safety Suite, please visit HBM Safety Suite | Autoliv.
Images and video: Media Gallery and YouTube.
Inquiries: Autoliv.com
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/autoliv-advances-vehicle-safety-through-virtual-testing-302871395.html
- 0
- By Sai Krishna
8, Sep 2026
Influence is what happens after people listen’: Ranveer Allahbadia
Hyderabad, Sept 08: “Influence is not about how many people listen to you; it is about what happens after they listen.” That was the message from prominent podcaster, content creator and entrepreneur Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, at a special session on the future of digital influence organised by FLO Hyderabad at ITC Kakatiya on Monday.
Speaking at “Beyond the Algorithm: Building Influence in the Digital Age,” Allahbadia said influence should not be measured merely by followers, views or reach, but by the ability to change perspectives, inspire action and make people believe in themselves.
The 33-year-old engineer-turned-content creator was in conversation with Seetha Reddy, Chairperson, FLO Hyderabad, before an audience of more than 400 FLO members, past chairpersons of FLO and YFLO, entrepreneurs and professionals.
One of Allahbadia’s key messages to businesses was to rethink the way they approach digital marketing. “I think it is time for enterprises to create a youth department to handle such tasks,” he said, adding that young people below 25 from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities could bring a fresh perspective to digital marketing, given their familiarity with rapidly changing platforms, trends and online behaviour.
He said algorithms are changing at an extremely rapid pace and are becoming increasingly difficult and tiring to manage, making it important for organisations to bring younger perspectives into their digital strategies.
Allahbadia also identified WhatsApp marketing as an emerging area of opportunity, saying that audiences and marketers are increasingly moving beyond conventional social media platforms into more direct and demanding forms of digital engagement.
Explaining the role of different platforms, he said X drives conversation, LinkedIn builds business connections, Instagram creates visual influence, Facebook builds communities, while YouTube establishes authority through storytelling.
On the future of podcasting, Allahbadia said the space has become increasingly crowded and that there has been some decline in podcasting.
He, however, said talk shows and long-form conversations will continue to have relevance.
His advice to aspiring podcasters was to begin with short-form content before graduating to long-form conversations.
“Political podcasting is scary,” he said, referring to the challenges and sensitivities associated with the space.
Sharing a personal insight, Allahbadia said he had learnt a great deal from Priyanka Chopra after podcasting with her.
“I want to give back to society through my work by creating more jobs. I want to spread values through my work,” he said.
Looking ahead, Allahbadia identified quantum computing as one of the technologies that could have a major impact on the future, suggesting that it could dramatically expand computing capabilities.
His comments highlighted the rapidly changing technology landscape and the need for businesses and professionals to keep looking beyond today’s dominant technologies.
Speaking about Hyderabad, Allahbadia revealed that he had tried Hyderabadi biryani in Mumbai and was keen to experience the authentic version in Hyderabad.
He also invited his followers in Telangana to send him suggestions through social media and direct messages about places he should explore in the state, saying he would like to discover more of Telangana based on recommendations from his audience.
The session examined a fundamental question of the digital era: Does visibility automatically translate into influence?
For generations, influence was largely associated with institutional positions, credentials, professional achievements and years of experience. Digital platforms have dramatically changed that equation. Today, an individual with a phone, an idea and the ability to communicate can potentially reach millions.
But, as the discussion highlighted, attention is not influence, reach is not trust, and popularity is not necessarily credibility.
Speaking about the relevance of the session, Seetha Reddy, Chairperson, FLO Hyderabad, said: “Influence today is no longer something that simply comes with a position or title. The digital world rewards speed, visibility and attention. But attention is not influence, and a large audience is not necessarily trust. The real challenge is to build relevance, credibility and staying power. Influence has to be built deliberately—through what we say, what we stand for and the conversations we create.”
She said the issue was particularly relevant for women as more women take on public-facing roles as entrepreneurs, founders, professionals, spokespersons, creators and thought leaders.
“FLO believes that the ability to communicate effectively, shape conversations and establish credibility is becoming an increasingly important component of modern leadership,” she added.
The “Beyond the Algorithm” session brought together digital influence, entrepreneurship, personal branding and leadership, encouraging women to look beyond simply being visible online and focus instead on building credibility, trust and lasting impact.
8, Sep 2026
charcha 2026: India’s largest collaborative convening returns to Delhi for its 7th edition
- To be held on 15-16th September 2026 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, charcha is curated by the*spark forum to convene samaaj, sarkar and bazaar on shared problems and coordinated action toward inclusive, resilient development.
- 40 co-hosts across government, markets and civil society, including Atal Innovation Mission – NITI Aayog, Meta, DBS Foundation, PRADAN, Mahindra RISE, SEWA Bharat, Meesho, American India Foundation, the Gates Foundation, Lend A Hand India, J-PAL, Pratham, Eternal, Central Square Foundation, YuWaah (UNICEF) among others and 200+ speakers over two days.
- Eight fronts of collective action, new participatory formats and the Bharat AI Experiential Centre, co-created with Jan AI.
NEW DELHI, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — charcha returns for its seventh edition on September 15-16, 2026, at the India Habitat Centre. Curated by the*spark forum, charcha is India’s largest collaborative convening on livelihoods. It brings samaaj, sarkar and bazaar to the same table to work on problems none of them can solve alone.
Over two days, charcha 2026 will feature 200+ speakers and 40 co-hosts across 50+ hours of programming. Programming runs along eight fronts: Philanthropy & CSR, Tech4good, Inclusive Livelihoods, Policy & Governance, Entrepreneurship & Informal Livelihoods, Rural & Agri Livelihoods, Education and Skilling, and Climate & Green Jobs.
Jerold Pereira, Managing Director, the*spark forum says:
“India’s hardest problems don’t sit inside samaaj, sarkar or bazaar. They sit in the gaps between them. These gaps do not close because one side works harder. They close only when the people who can actually act on a problem are in the same room, at the same time and are willing to do something collaboratively and differently. This room does not build itself. Someone has to convene it, and keep convening it, until convening to find collaborative solutions stops being an ‘event’ and becomes a habit.”
The 40 co-hosts span the width of the sector, with this edition drawing a deeper and more varied participation from the social sector than any before it. From government and public institutions: Atal Innovation Mission – NITI Aayog and eGov Foundation. From markets: Meta, Meesho, Eternal, Mahindra Rise and WhatsApp. From philanthropy: the Gates Foundation, DBS Foundation, Atlassian Foundation, AIF, Central Square Foundation and The Bridgespan Group. And from across civil society, research and implementation: BAIF, ek kutumb, EkStep, Generation India, GAME, IDEA, Jan AI, J-PAL, Janaagraha, Kaabil, KhushiBaby, Lend A Hand India, Magic Bus, MITTI Café, NuSocia, PCI India, Pradan, Pratham, RestoringVision, Samagra, Sattva, SEWA Bharat, Sol’s ARC and YuWaah, The/Nudge, the^delta and the*spark.
Shri Rohit Kansal IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development – Government of India, adds:
“charcha 2026 comes at a moment when technology, markets and society are being reshaped at unprecedented speed. Its strength lies in bringing policy, practice and business onto one platform. It is through such dialogue that ideas and policy can translate into partnerships, and partnerships into outcomes at scale.”
Speakers span all three sectors. From government and policy, charcha 2026 will see Hon’ble Tejasvi Surya, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha; Hon’ble Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha; Hon’ble S. Niranjan Reddy, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha; Hon’ble K.T. Rama Rao, Member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly; Rohit Kansal, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development – Govt of India, Dr. R Balasubramaniam, Member, NITI Aayog – Govt of India, and Sri Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka to name a few. From markets and business: Vidit Aatrey (Co-founder & CEO, Meesho), Anjalli Ravi Kumar (Chief Sustainability Officer, Eternal), Prabhakar L (Exec VP and Head – Social Investments at ITC Limited), Mohit Bhatnagar (MD, Peak XV) and Divya Khemani (Strategic Programs & Partnerships Lead, Meta). And from civil society, philanthropy and research: Padma Shri Renana Jhabvala (SEWA), Mekin Maheshwari (Founder & CEO, Udhyam Learning Foundation), Manu Chopra (Co-Founder & CEO, Karya), Shobhini Mukerji (Executive Director, J-PAL), Jayant Rastogi (Global CEO, Magic Bus India Foundation), Alina Alam (Founder & CEO, MITTI Café), Gaurav Goel (Founder & CEO, Samagra), Srikanth Viswanathan (CEO, Janaagraha), Azeez Gupta (Co-Founder, Rocket Learning), Madan Padaki (Managing Trustee, Jan AI) and Rathish Balakrishnan (Co-Founder & Partner, Sattva Consulting) – among more than 200 voices across the two days.
Renana Jhabvala, Chairperson, SEWA Bharat, states:
“I have spent fifty years watching what changes a poor woman’s life, and brings her onto an upward track. As a worker, as a woman, she is at the base of the socio-economic pyramid, and so to bring her up the pyramid, to flatten and make it more equal requires change of the ecosystem around her. This requires a joint effort of civil society, government and the private sector understanding the need for change, the levers of change and co-operating together towards change. That is where charcha leads.”
charcha is also its texture. The Bharat AI Experiential Centre, co-created with Jan AI, lets participants walk through one rural household’s day – a crop advisory at dawn, a symptom check in the evening – each running on intelligence infrastructure built for Bharat from the start, rather than retrofitted onto it. Laid out as thematic huts covering health, market linkages and financial access, education, employability and entrepreneurship, agri and rural livelihoods, and a village square, the Centre brings together Wadhwani AI, Piramal Foundation, ITC MAARS, Meesho, Leap 300, Noora Health, Rocket Learning, Karya, Haqdarshak | DBS Foundation, EkStep Foundation, Jan AI and the Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development, across 15+ solution exhibitions and six AI-specific sessions. Networking across the two days is curated by MASH, alongside performances, screenings and sidebar gatherings.
Vidit Aatrey, Chairman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Meesho, notes:
“Technology can be a powerful equaliser when it removes the barriers that prevent people from participating in the digital economy. The next phase of India’s growth will depend on making technology simpler, more accessible and more relevant to people, regardless of geography, language or scale. At Meesho, we have seen how expanding access can enable entrepreneurs and small businesses across India to reach customers, grow their businesses and build sustainable livelihoods. Building on this progress requires businesses, government and civil society to work together to create an ecosystem that enables broader participation. Platforms like Charcha 2026 play an important role in bringing these perspectives together and translating shared ideas into collective action.”
Since 2020, charcha has convened 15,000+ attendees and 1,000+ speakers across six editions. The 2026 edition widens that table to 40 co-hosts and eight fronts, at a moment when India’s demographic dividend peaks in 2040 and the decisions taken between now and then are the ones that compound through 2047.
ThePrint is the official media partner for charcha 2026. Teamwork Arts is the line producer. For more information and registration, visit charcha26. thespark.org.in
About the*spark forum
the*spark forum is India’s leading platform for dialogue and collaboration on livelihoods, curating cross-sector convenings that build alignment infrastructure across government, markets, and civil society, toward a poverty-free India.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/charcha-2026-indias-largest-collaborative-convening-returns-to-delhi-for-its-7th-edition-302871315.html
8, Sep 2026
Xinhua Silk Road: City marathon in NE China’s Shenyang draws running-lovers from home and abroad
BEIJING, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Shengjing Bank Shenyang Marathon 2026 kicked off on Sunday morning, attracting around 22,000 running enthusiasts from home and abroad to the increasingly international event in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province in northeast China.
The full marathon drew 10,000 runners and the half marathon 12,000, all starting from the Shenyang Olympic Sports Center early on September 6.
In the men’s full marathon, a Kenyan runner won the top honor, while the women’s race was won by an Ethiopian runner. In the half marathon races, both men’s and women’s titles were won by Chinese runners, Zhang Xiaorui and Zhao Na.
While offering a platform for speed competition, the city marathon of Shenyang also deployed 30 first-aid-certified runners to accompany elderly runners, visually impaired participants and wheelchair athletes.
Via such heartwarming accompaniment, Shenyang’s city marathon well demonstrated how a sports event can highlight the spirit of equality, courage and mutual care.
This year’s Shenyang marathon featured northeastern Chinese dialect-style slogans along the racing routes milestones, such as “Laotie never gives up”, to encourage runners to persevere.
These slogans full of local language characteristics not only presented the typical characters of northeastern Chinese such as straightforwardness, optimism, resilience and hard work, but also echoed the energetic trackside local cheering teams.
Staging heavy industry-themed dances, Yangge folk dances and other performances along the routes, the “Laotie cheering teams” meaning buddies-like cheering teams created an immersive experience of citywide cheering.
Among the multiple sites with cheering teams, a 100-meter-long “cheering corridor” on a local bridge over the Hun River impressed runners with large crowds of local citizens also basking in Shenyang’s enthusiasm.
As every participant of the event was given a local “cultural tourism passport”, they could opt for city walks to visit a dozen popular attractions in Shenyang.
Free to visit the Shenyang Imperial Palace, Zhang Xueliang’s Former Residence Museum, and Shenyang Financial Museum from September 5 to 11, the runners from China and abroad may find the “Laotie-level” tourism services there more than hospitable.
Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/352088.html
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xinhua-silk-road-city-marathon-in-ne-chinas-shenyang-draws-running-lovers-from-home-and-abroad-302871900.html
8, Sep 2026
PT Prodia Diacro Laboratories Receives Frost & Sullivan’s 2026 Southeast Asian Contract Research Organization Customer Value Leadership Recognition for Customer-Centric Clinical Research Excellence
Prodia the CRO is recognized for its reliable, integrated clinical research ecosystem, customer-centric delivery model, and commitment to quality, innovation, and long-term sponsor value across Southeast Asia.
SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Frost & Sullivan is pleased to announce that PT Prodia Diacro Laboratories (Prodia the CRO) has received the 2026 Southeast Asian Customer Value Leadership Recognition in the contract research organization (CRO) industry for its outstanding achievements in customer-centric service delivery, integrated clinical research capabilities, and operational excellence. The recognition highlights Prodia the CRO’s ability to deliver measurable customer value while strengthening Indonesia’s position in Southeast Asia’s evolving clinical research landscape.
Frost & Sullivan evaluates companies through a rigorous benchmarking process across two core dimensions: strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. Prodia the CRO excelled in both, demonstrating its ability to align its capabilities with evolving sponsor requirements while executing clinical research programs with quality, consistency, and efficiency.
“Prodia the CRO has distinguished itself by combining deep local regulatory expertise with an integrated clinical research ecosystem and internationally aligned quality practices. Its ability to bring together clinical trial management, laboratory support, site management, regulatory consulting, consumer product clinical assessment and emerging pharmacovigilance capabilities enables sponsors to simplify study execution while maintaining strong standards of quality and compliance,” said Unmesh Lal, Vice President at Frost & Sullivan.
Guided by a long-term strategy focused on integrated service delivery, capability expansion, strategic partnerships, and ecosystem development, Prodia the CRO has evolved into a one-stop clinical research partner for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, nutrition, cosmetics, personal care, and other industries. Its heritage in the Prodia Group, combined with decades of laboratory expertise, provides a strong foundation for supporting increasingly complex clinical development programs in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia.
Innovation remains central to Prodia the CRO’s approach. The company brings together regulatory consulting, clinical trial management, site management organization services, central laboratory support, consumer product clinical assessment, and pharmacovigilance capabilities. The integrated model reduces vendor fragmentation, streamlines communication, and enables sponsors to access coordinated support across the clinical research life cycle.
“At Prodia, we see innovation as a commitment to continuously improving how clinical research and relates services are delivered. As the industry landscape becomes increasingly complex and regulatory requirements continue to evolve, we continuously expand our capabilities to provide reliable, compliant, and integrated solutions. Our latest Pharmacovigilance services reflect this commitment, supporting our partners in strengthening safety management and meeting evolving regulatory requirements which further positioning Prodia as a trusted and reliable partner for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries,” said Erizal Sugiono, Director at PT Prodia Diacro Laboratories.
Prodia the CRO’s commitment to customer experience strengthens its position in the market. By providing a single point of coordination, proactive feasibility support, structured project reviews, transparent communication, and continuous improvement mechanisms, the company helps sponsors improve study execution while reducing operational complexity. Its collaboration with Prodia Laboratory, the only CAP-accredited laboratory with widest network across in Indonesia, enhances end-to-end laboratory support, from sample management, study-specific testing, and laboratory support with consistent quality and reliable data across research sites.
The company has developed a deep understanding of Indonesia’s clinical research landscape and a wide network of investigators, key opinion leaders, and research sites through sustained engagement in the local clinical research community, including the development of at least 10 clinical research units and GCP certification for more than 5,000 physicians. Its capabilities have also supported more than 110 clinical studies actively recruiting participants in Indonesia, contributing to the country’s broader clinical research readiness.
Frost & Sullivan commends Prodia the CRO for establishing a high standard in customer-centric strategy, execution, and market responsiveness. Continued investment in quality systems, laboratory capabilities, technology-enabled study oversight, strategic partnerships, and specialized services, such as pharmacovigilance, positions the company to address the increasingly complex requirements of sponsors conducting clinical research across Southeast Asia.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Customer Value Leadership Recognition to a company that demonstrates outstanding strategy development and implementation, resulting in measurable improvements in customer experience, competitive positioning, and value delivery. The recognition highlights forward-thinking organizations that are reshaping their industries through innovation, customer centricity, and growth excellence.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Recognition
Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Recognitions honor companies across regional and global markets that exhibit exceptional achievement and consistent excellence in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer experience, and strategic product development. Each recognition is the result of a rigorous analytical process in which Frost & Sullivan industry experts benchmark performance through comprehensive interviews, deep-dive analysis, and extensive secondary research. The goal is to identify true best-in-class organizations that are driving transformative growth and setting new industry standards.
Contact us: Start the discussion.
Contact:
Tarini Singh
E: Tarini.Singh@frost.com
About PT Prodia Diacro Laboratories
Prodia the CRO is an independent Indonesian Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing integrated and wide range of services. Its integrated capabilities span regulatory consulting, clinical trial management, site management, central laboratory services, consumer product clinical assessment, and pharmacovigilance services, enabling coordinated support across the clinical research lifecycle. With strong local expertise and access to the Prodia ecosystem, Prodia the CRO is committed to delivering reliable, high-quality solutions that help sponsors navigate the complexities of clinical research in Indonesia and beyond.
View original content:
8, Sep 2026
From Water to Wealth: Technology Reshapes India’s Aquaculture Growth Story
New Delhi, Sep 8: India’s fisheries and aquaculture industry is undergoing a significant transformation as advanced technologies, rising investment and growing demand for seafood push the sector towards more efficient and commercially viable production models.
Technologies such as Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and Biofloc are emerging as important tools in this transition, enabling fish farmers to produce more in controlled environments while making better use of water and other resources. The shift is also opening new opportunities for rural businesses, employment and investment across the wider fisheries value chain.
The fisheries and aquaculture sector already plays a major role in India’s rural economy, supporting the livelihoods of nearly three crore fishers and fish farmers. Its economic footprint extends well beyond primary production, encompassing feed, equipment, processing, cold-chain infrastructure, transportation, packaging, retail and exports.
India is now the world’s second-largest fish producer, contributing around 8 per cent of global production. It is also the second-largest aquaculture producer, the world’s largest producer and exporter of shrimp and the second-largest producer in capture fisheries.
Sustained public investment has helped accelerate this growth. Since 2015, more than ₹39,272 crore has been approved or announced through various government initiatives aimed at strengthening fisheries infrastructure, improving production, encouraging technology adoption, expanding market access and boosting exports.
The results are reflected in the sector’s production performance. Annual fish production has more than doubled from 95.79 lakh tonnes in 2013-14 to a record 198 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. Inland fisheries and aquaculture have been at the centre of this expansion, with output increasing 147 per cent from 61.36 lakh tonnes to 151.60 lakh tonnes over the same period.
India’s seafood export performance has also strengthened considerably. Exports rose from ₹30,213 crore in 2013-14 to a record ₹73,890 crore in 2025-26, underlining the growing importance of fisheries to India’s export economy and its integration with global seafood markets.
Technology is now expected to play a larger role in sustaining this momentum. Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), RAS and Biofloc systems are helping shift aquaculture towards controlled, intensive and resource-efficient production.
RAS relies on water treatment and recirculation, enabling farms to reuse a large proportion of their water. The systems can recycle up to 90-95 per cent of water, reducing freshwater requirements and making aquaculture possible in locations where conventional farming may be difficult. Production units can also be established closer to urban consumption centres and major markets, potentially improving supply efficiency and reducing logistical distances.
Biofloc technology takes a different approach by using beneficial microorganisms to maintain water quality and support fish growth. The system can help farmers make more efficient use of resources while creating controlled production conditions.
Under PMMSY, 9,467 RAS units and 4,573 Biofloc units have been approved, backed by an investment of ₹4,120 crore. The expansion of these systems is helping promote year-round production and extend aquaculture beyond conventional farming regions.
The economic impact could extend well beyond fish farms themselves. As technology adoption increases, demand is likely to grow for aquaculture equipment, specialised feeds, water-treatment systems, farm automation, digital monitoring, cold storage, logistics, processing and technical services. This creates space for both established businesses and new rural enterprises to participate in the emerging aquaculture ecosystem.
Technology-led production could also strengthen India’s position in high-value seafood markets. Controlled farming environments can offer greater consistency in production, improved biosecurity and better traceability, all of which are becoming increasingly important as international markets place greater emphasis on quality and food safety.
The applications are expanding across different segments of aquaculture. RAS and Biofloc systems are being adopted for premium-value trout production in cold-water regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. They are also being used in shrimp farming in saline and brackish-water areas and in ornamental fish production, creating opportunities in specialised and higher-value markets.
The next phase of the sector’s development could see aquaculture increasingly integrated with digital technologies. Artificial intelligence, real-time monitoring, drones and renewable energy solutions have the potential to improve farm management, monitor water conditions, optimise resource use and reduce operating costs.
At the same time, greater diversification towards high-value species such as shrimp, trout, seabass, tilapia, murrel and pangasius could help farmers improve returns while expanding India’s presence in international seafood markets.
For the rural economy, the transformation carries significance beyond higher fish production. A stronger aquaculture industry can generate additional income opportunities, create skilled and semi-skilled jobs and stimulate demand for businesses involved in processing, storage, transportation and marketing. It can also provide farmers with alternatives to traditional sources of rural income.
As investment, technology and private-sector participation deepen, Indian aquaculture is gradually evolving from a largely traditional activity into a more organised and technology-driven industry. If supported by skills, infrastructure and efficient market linkages, this transformation could strengthen rural livelihoods, expand the seafood export base and establish fisheries as an even more important pillar of India’s emerging blue economy.
8, Sep 2026
AcroMeta to Enter Ambient Temperature Cellular Logistics Through Strategic Partnership with Macro HRD SG Pte. Ltd.
[L-R] Signing ceremony between Mr Toh Ker How, Executive Director of AcroMeta Group Limited, and Ms Kawinyarat Mardpiratchata, CFO and Managing Partner of Macro-HRD Pte. Ltd.
SINGAPORE, Sept 08- AcroMeta Group Limited (“AcroMeta”, or the “Company”, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) today announced that it has entered into a non-binding term sheet (“Term Sheet”) with Macro HRD SG Pte. Ltd. (“Macro”), a Singapore-based provider of management consultancy services to the healthcare sector. The Term Sheet sets out the principal terms for a strategic partnership between AcroMeta and Macro-ATCLS Pte. Ltd. (“Macro-ATCLS”), the company through which Macro’s Ambient Temperature Cellular Logistics technology is being commercialised.
Mr Lawrence Toh, Executive Director of AcroMeta Group Limited, said, “This proposed strategic partnership gives us the opportunity to build a position in an industry where cell and gene therapy logistics are expected to grow at double-digit rates in the years ahead. We see this as a natural extension of our strategy to grow our portfolio beyond our core operations, and we’re excited about the potential to build a meaningful presence in bringing this technology into Southeast Asia.”
About Ambient Temperature Cellular Logistics (ATCLS)
Ambient Temperature Cell Logistics (ATCLS) is an emerging technology licensed by Macro HRD, designed to fundamentally transform the transportation and distribution of living cells and other temperature-sensitive biological materials by eliminating reliance on conventional refrigerated and cryogenic cold chains. ATCLS uses proprietary ambient-temperature preservation and reactivation technologies, supported by its proprietary Gradient Equilibrium Decision Modeling (GEDM) platform for real-time governance, chain-of-identity and process control, enabling dormant living cells to be transported at ambient temperature and reactivated at the point of use.
The opportunity addresses rapidly expanding markets including stem cells, CAR-T/immune-cell therapy, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, organ and tissue transplantation, and cell-and-gene-therapy logistics; the underlying markets cited in the project materials range from US$5.2 billion for immune-cell therapy to US$47 billion for organ transplantation, while the global cell-and-gene-therapy 3PL market is estimated at US$1.81 billion in 2025 and projected to reach US$16.95 billion by 2035 (25.1% CAGR).
Based on defined ambient-addressable segments, ATCLS estimates a Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) of approximately US$14.5 billion by 2032, positioning the technology as a potential category-creating solution capable of reducing the cost, fragility and geographic limitations of conventional cold-chain logistics. (See Footnote 1)
Proposed Exclusive Licensing Arrangement for Southeast Asia
AcroMeta will have an option to acquire an exclusive licence to deploy the ATCLS technology across agreed territories in Southeast Asia, including the right to appoint sub-licensees. The proposed exclusive licensing arrangement is intended to provide AcroMeta with the rights to develop and commercialise the ATCLS business within Southeast Asia.
This structure allows AcroMeta to secure exclusive rights across the Southeast Asian markets, together with a first right to acquire additional territories, significantly expanding the Group’s potential commercial reach for the ATCLS technology.
Building AcroMeta’s Platform Growth Strategy
The Group intends to continue evaluating strategic opportunities to support its long-term value creation for shareholders. The Board remains focused on disciplined capital allocation as the Group progresses through its next phase of development.
Footnote 1: This information was provided by Macro’s management and has not been verified by the board of directors. The directors have not audited or verified the data supplied by the company.
8, Sep 2026
MENA Fintech Association Welcomes Wise as a Corporate Member to Advance Cross-Border Payments and Global Financial Connectivity Abu Dhabi, UAE
Abu Dhabi, UAE – Sept 08 – The MENA Fintech Association (MFTA), the region’s leading not-for-profit fintech industry body and globally ranked among the top fintech associations, has welcomed Wise, the global technology company building the best way to move and manage the world’s money, as a new corporate member. The partnership brings together Wise’s global payments infrastructure and MFTA’s regional network to support the continued evolution of cross-border payments and financial connectivity across MENA.
Wise joins MFTA as international money movement becomes increasingly central to the region’s digital economy. Growing trade, digital commerce, workforce mobility, and cross-border business activity are driving demand for payment infrastructure that is faster, more transparent, and more cost-effective.
Serving around 19 million customers globally, Wise processed more than $240 billion in cross-border transactions during the last financial year, helping customers save more than $3 billion in fees. Its infrastructure connects directly to domestic payment systems across multiple markets, enabling faster international transfers while reducing complexity and improving transparency.
Beyond its consumer and business offering, Wise Platform enables banks and financial institutions to embed international payment capabilities into their own products and services. This allows financial institutions to provide faster, more transparent cross-border experiences while leveraging Wise’s global payments infrastructure.
The partnership comes at an important time for MENA, where financial institutions, fintechs, regulators, and businesses are working to modernize payment infrastructure and strengthen the region’s connection to global financial markets. As part of its engagement with MFTA, Wise will contribute its expertise to initiatives focused on payments, financial infrastructure, cross-border commerce, and digital financial inclusion.
Mohamed Mansour, CEO of Wise UAE, commented:
“Joining the MENA Fintech Association marks a key step in Wise’s continued engagement in the UAE and across the wider region. As more people and businesses live, work and trade across borders, the need for international payments that are fast, transparent and low-cost has never been clearer. We look forward to working with MFTA, regulators, policymakers and industry partners to support an open, connected and more transparent ecosystem, and to help make moving money internationally more convenient for customers across the region.”
Nameer Khan, Chairman of the MENA Fintech Association and Founder of Fils, added:
“The way money moves across borders is becoming increasingly important to the competitiveness of modern economies. As trade, talent, and capital move more seamlessly between markets, the infrastructure supporting these flows must evolve with them. Wise has demonstrated at significant global scale what faster, more transparent international payments can look like, and we look forward to bringing that expertise into our network and supporting the continued development of more connected payment ecosystems across MENA.”
As part of the MFTA network, Wise will collaborate with banks, fintechs, financial institutions, regulators, and technology providers across the region. The collaboration will support dialogue around cross-border payments, payment infrastructure, digital inclusion, and the technologies enabling more efficient global money movement.
Together, MFTA and Wise aim to contribute to a more connected financial ecosystem where businesses and individuals can move money across borders with greater speed, transparency, and accessibility.
8, Sep 2026
Guanlan AI Applications: Higher Accuracy, Lower Cost, Smarter Interaction
HANGZHOU, China, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — It’s over a year since Hikvision launched the Guanlan large-scale AI models. In a very real sense, today’s video systems ‘understand’ what they are looking at. They also know what has already been recorded and, thanks to the natural language innovations, what the user wants. These are the things that let a product fit the scenario it is deployed in – delivering operations that run more safely, at lower cost, and with less manual work.
AI detection and analysis: Alarms you can count on
Perimeter protection
The perimeter is where a wrong detection costs most. Legacy systems are easily triggered by animals, weather, and moving vegetation, burying real threats under manual assessment work.
Guanlan addresses this problem at the edge. DeepinViewX cameras run the model, cutting false alarms by 90% while detecting at twice the range of traditional cameras, with half as many repeated alarms on the same target. Whether using optical cameras for short perimeters, or thermal, radar, and fiber-optic sensing for vast distances, the AI helps reduce the noise.
Scenario-specific analytics
Beyond the perimeter, Guanlan moves past standard object detection to flag high-risk issues in specialized environments. Built for recognized operational risks, these applications typically reduce false alarms by 70% to 90%.
- Safety & compliance: Examples include Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) detection on construction sites, fall detection in care homes, and smoking detection in gas stations. In all cases, the system continuously monitors for risky behaviors and triggers instant alerts.
- Operational hazards: Examples include forklift detection in logistics parks, and early fire and smoke detection in mining sites using dual-channel thermal cameras.
- Specialized uses: Examples include animal detection for large farms and prohibited item detection at transport hubs – the latter powered by large X-ray and millimeter-wave models.
AI efficiency engine: Doing more with less
Saving storage with intelligent ROI compression
Conventional encoding treats every part of the frame as equally worth keeping. To deliver breakthrough video storage optimization, Guanlan Encoding brings the large vision model into the encoding pipeline. It uses precision Region of Interest (ROI) segmentation to preserve detail on dynamic subjects – people, vehicles, and other key objects – while applying heavier compression to static backgrounds. Storage savings average between 30% and 50%.
Searching video with just a few words
Finding a specific moment in recorded video has often been slow. An operator knows roughly what they are after and has no way to pinpoint it except by scrubbing a timeline.
AcuSeek removes that step. Built on a large multimodal model for natural language video search, it aligns image features with the meaning of a written phrase, so a description becomes a query. Results come back in seconds.
The next frontier: Software as an AI agent
Hikvision’s new HIKO AI agent, arriving on the HikCentral Professional platform and Hik-Connect app, changes the interaction entirely. It sits between the system and the user, turning complex configurations into simple conversational commands.
HIKO acts as an AI Assistant that carries out administrative instructions instantly – like setting up visitor access against a plate number or pulling an attendance report just by asking for it. It functions as an AI Guardian, replacing rule configurations with a natural language command (e.g., “Alert me when the passageway is blocked”), tagging each alarm with a written summary, and composing contextual audio warnings from the scene. Finally, as an AI Search engine, it reconstructs a person’s complete movement path – across video, door records, and ANPR reads – simply because the operator asked, “Where did the man in the blue shirt go?”
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/guanlan-ai-applications-higher-accuracy-lower-cost-smarter-interaction-302871888.html
8, Sep 2026
India’s Lithium Battery Manufacturing Sector to Create 3 Million Jobs by 2030, says Adecco India
Mumbai, 8th September 2026: India is transforming from importing and assembling lithium-ion cells to building a domestic cell-to-pack manufacturing base. The country’s battery industry is entering its most capital-intensive and employment-intensive phase, evolving from an assembly and import-dependent opportunity into a fully integrated cell-to-recycling industrial ecosystem, according to Adecco India. The sector is projected to generate 1.5 to 2 million jobs, 25% direct and 75% indirect, by 2030. Hiring is expected to grow by 25% to 30% Y-o-Y, with the next decade defined less by conventional assembly-line roles and more by specialised electrochemistry, materials science and battery process engineering capabilities across the value chain.
According to Deepesh Gupta, Director and Head of General Staffing, Adecco India, “India’s battery manufacturing journey is no longer just a policy ambition; it is now translating into plant-level capacity. Under the PLI Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cells, the Government of India has committed Rs. 18,100 crore to develop 50 GWh of domestic ACC manufacturing capacity, with an additional 5 GWh reserved for niche chemistries. A new component manufacturing incentive scheme of nearly Rs. 12,000 crore is also under consideration for cathode and anode active materials, copper foil, electrolytes and separators. With battery manufacturing capacity currently at around 60 GWh and expected to approach 100 GWh by the end of 2026, along with upcoming gigafactory investments in Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana and Telangana, the sector is moving beyond assembly and building the depth of a full industrial ecosystem. Since battery components account for more than 60% of cell cost, and India continues to depend heavily on imported lithium, cobalt and refined battery-grade materials, workforce planning must cover the entire value chain, from cell chemistry and pack integration to end-of-life recycling, not just finished-vehicle manufacturing,”
“Catalysing the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, this localisation drive, supported by the Critical Minerals Mission and India’s participation in the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework, will reduce India’s reliance on imported cells and refined materials, strengthen energy security, and support the Net-Zero target by 2070, while creating employment opportunities across both established manufacturing hubs and emerging Tier-2 and Tier-3 industrial corridors,” he added.
Lithium Battery manufacturing is expected to contribute 50% – 60% of India’s projected green manufacturing jobs by 2030, with specialised battery engineering talent commanding salary premiums of up to 35% to 40% over conventional manufacturing and electronics roles.
Gigafactory clusters continue to be the primary employment engine for the sector, concentrated in Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat and Haryana, with individual facility capacities ranging from 6 GWh to upwards of 16 GWh of cell and pack manufacturing capacity. 70% of total hiring demand is concentrated across these clusters, with 30% of new mandates expected to originate from Tier-2 and Tier-3 industrial corridors as component parks, battery recycling facilities and supplier ecosystems mature around the anchor gigafactories. State-wise, karnataka and Gujarat are expected to account for the largest share of this hiring at 24% and 22% respectively, followed by Telangana (18%) and Haryana (14%), as cell manufacturing, pack assembly and ancillary supplier capacity scales across these clusters.
The Cell Manufacturing and Battery Components segment will account for the largest share of hiring (42%-45%), extending well beyond gigafactory operators into cathode and anode active material producers, copper foil, electrolyte and separator manufacturers, and precursor chemical suppliers, as India works to localise a supply chain. Currently, China controls roughly 80% of global copper foil output and refines the majority of the world’s lithium, nickel and cobalt.
Talent planning is also beginning to look beyond lithium-ion chemistry. A 2026 CEEW assessment argues that India will need to diversify its battery chemistries as demand could reach around 1.3 TWh annually by 2047, with sodium-ion batteries emerging as a credible pathway to supporting the country’s energy transition and reducing supply-chain vulnerabilities. Several key sodium-ion battery components, including cathode materials, hard-carbon anodes, electrolytes and aluminium current collectors, can draw on India’s existing industrial capabilities in pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, textiles and chemicals, potentially enabling significant domestic value addition and opening a parallel talent pathway for chemical and process engineers already embedded in these sectors. Emerging players commercialising hard carbon made from agricultural and bio waste for sodium-ion batteries with support from the Department of Science and Technology and the Technology Development Board, point to the kind of cross-sector talent movement this diversification could unlock.
Entry-level demand is strongest across process engineering, cell testing, validation and quality functions (45%), while mid-level hiring is increasingly concentrated on Battery Management System Engineers, Process and Automation Engineers, and Materials and Electrochemistry Engineers (40%). At the senior level, demand centres on Cell Chemistry Scientists, Functional Safety Leaders and Advanced Manufacturing Heads (15%).
Battery Recycling and Circular Economy Manufacturing is emerging as one of the sector’s fastest-growing talent segments as end-of-life volumes begin to build. With India currently recycling only a small fraction of its end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, and industry estimates pointing to a recycling market opportunity of around USD 3.5 billion by 2030, alongside the Government’s Critical Minerals Mission and the KABIL joint venture working to secure upstream lithium, cobalt and nickel supply, recycling and materials recovery are becoming central to the sector’s workforce planning rather than a peripheral function. Hiring in this segment is projected to grow by 25-30%, with demand shifting towards Hydrometallurgy Engineers, Battery Diagnostics Specialists and EPR Compliance Leaders, and salary premiums of up to 30%-40% reflecting an acute skill shortage estimated at 45%.
“Despite the pace of capacity announcements, specialised battery talent availability continues to lag industry demand by 25-30% across electrochemistry, materials science, battery process engineering and functional safety. A significant share of India’s conventional electronics and automotive manufacturing workforce, skilled in mechanical and electrical assembly, is not directly transferable to gigafactory environments without structured reskilling in cell chemistry, cleanroom protocols and battery safety systems. Addressing this gap will require accelerated reskilling of the existing manufacturing workforce, deeper industry-academia collaboration with chemical engineering and materials science institutions, and sustained investment in specialised battery technical education,” Deepesh added.
Looking ahead, organisations that build layered, function-specific talent pipelines, spanning cell chemistry, process manufacturing, functional safety and materials recovery, will be best placed to lead India’s battery manufacturing ecosystem as it scales. A one-size-fits-all workforce strategy will not work for a manufacturing base this technically complex and still this early in its build-out. With deep expertise in engineering, manufacturing and specialised workforce solutions, Adecco India is well positioned to support companies in building this future-ready talent base.
The commentary is based on insights from over 30+ client base of Adecco India.
