Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Leading Philippine conglomerate Alturas Group has unveiled a bold new vision for development on the island of Bohol with the launch of Panglao Shores, a 50-hectare mixed-use project that marks sustainability, community and local culture as its guiding principles. Hope Uy, Managing Director, South Palms Resort Panglao, Bohol shares more with us on what we can expect from Panglao Shores and how they managed to not lay off anyone during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

From EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue and UK's PM Rishi Sunak visiting US President Joe Biden in Washington.  Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics, ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

India’s retail scene is at the heart of our conversation, with the country being the fifth largest global destination in the retail space and expected to reach US$2 trillion in value by 2032 based on an analysis by the Boston Consulting Group. So how do international brands get a slice of the booming Indian market? Well perhaps the answer lies in licensees who operate and manage the brand in their place.  Our guest for today is Ace Turtle is a tech-native retailer who holds the exclusive licences to brands such as Lee, Wrangler, Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us for India. What is unique about the firm is that it adopts a vertical retail model, where it controls the entire supply chain of brands, from design, manufacturing to distribution, both online and offline.  This has helped it respond to customer needs more efficiently and effectively, and we will find out whether that is the company’s secret sauce to being able to sink its roots in the Indian retail scene.   On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Ervin Lim, Chief Strategy Officer, Ace Turtle to find out more about the opportunities in the Indian market and how Ace Turtle is positioning itself to seize them. 

There are various methods of app monetization in the mobile gaming industry. Understanding users through efforts, such as analyzing player profiles, allows developers to target these adds to specific demographics. We speak to Valentina Petrova, Head of In-App Partnerships, Asia, Yandex more about this.

Singaporeans expect app makers to protect them from all cyber-security threats, no matter what type. Consumers who feel protected are more likely to become advocates for those brands as well. With this strong link between cyber-security and loyalty, it is all the more important for companies to invest in efforts to counter cyber threats. We speak to Jan Sysmans, Mobile App Security Evangelist, AppDome more about this.

Singapore shares started today on a muted, albeit positive, note following overnight gains on Wall Street and in Europe. The Straits Times Index (STI) was up 0.04 per cent to 3,191.34 points in early trade after 33 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  Elsewhere, investors continue to keep their eyes on a number of key developments including China’s latest export numbers and the impact on its high-tech industries.  On Market View, the Drive Time team dived into the details with Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research at ANZ. 

Pita Limjaroenrat's continues taking efforts on his road to becoming Prime Minister. PAS' Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang continues to push for Malay-Muslim superiority in Malaysia. A revival of the KL-Singapore High Speed Rail is in the offing. Lastly, Myanmar's military regime will let 'loyal' citizens carry weapons, with certain political agendas in mind. We speak to Dr. Felix Tan, Political Observer, Nanyang Technological University more about this.

Can you imagine that it has been about three-and-a-half-years since the pandemic started and when all of us had to work remotely from home using video conferencing tools?  As the dust settles and as face-to-face meetings resume, we want to find out what’s next for companies providing video conferencing solutions, such as Zoom.  Speaking of Zoom, the company seems to be betting big on AI and enterprise customers for post-pandemic growth, with its venture arm Zoom ventures investing in Google-backed Anthropic to build reliable AI systems. It also recently launched key features of its next generation AI smart companion called Zoom IQ, which help users generate summaries or even emails based on the content discussed in meetings. But to what extent will a focus on AI help position the company for future growth?  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these burning questions to Ricky Kapur, Head of Asia Pacific, Zoom.

Singapore shares opened lower this morning following overnight losses in the global markets.  In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) was down 0.3 per cent to 3,180.09 points after 46.5 million securities changed hands. Within Singapore, Reits continue to be in focus after Mapletree Industrial Trust announced that its third-largest tenant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US.  Elsewhere, from Saudi Arabia raising crude prices to Apple’s new Vision pro headset and Japan’s real pay falling for the 13th month – global developments continue to make the headlines today.  On Market View, the Drive Time team dived into the details with Jeff Ng, Senior Currency Analyst, MUFG.

From 18 May through September, Singapore Art Museum (SAM) at Tanjong Pagar Distripark will present three new contemporary art exhibitions by local and international artists that will invite unique art encounters for all. Kenneth Tay, Assistant Curator, Singapore Art Museum (SAM) shares with us more details of these exhibitions.