Journalist
Park Sujeong
psj2014@ajunews.com
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Godrej Industries Aims for $6 Billion Market Capitalization by 2031 Godrej Industries Group, a diversified Indian conglomerate, announced on May 7 its goal to achieve a market capitalization of 5 trillion rupees (approximately $6 billion) by 2031 through new strategies and brand identity initiatives. This target represents nearly a threefold increase from its market capitalization of $20 billion (about 3.13 trillion yen) as of the end of March this year. The group plans to list two of its subsidiaries over the next five years. Godrej Industries has recorded an annual growth rate of over 20% in revenue and net profit over the past five years. For the next five years, the group aims for an annual revenue growth rate of more than 15% and a 20% increase in earnings per share (EPS). Each business segment is expected to achieve a return on equity (ROE) of over 18%. The group also plans to increase its listed companies from the current three to five. Currently, its publicly traded subsidiaries include Godrej Consumer Products (FMCG), Godrej Properties (real estate development), and Godrej Agrovet (agriculture). Through these efforts, the group anticipates reaching a market capitalization of 5 trillion rupees within the next five years.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-11 16:24:26 -
Taiwan FamilyMart Begins Accepting Yamato Transport Parcel Drop-Offs FamilyMart Taiwan operator FamilyMart Co. (全家便利商店) said on the 28th it began accepting Yamato Transport parcel shipments the same day. Customers can drop off Yamato Transport room-temperature and refrigerated parcels at more than 4,400 stores across Taiwan, including outlying islands. Shipping labels can be entered and printed at in-store “FamiPort” terminals, or customers can book online via the FamilyMart app, Yamato Transport’s LINE account or its official website and then scan a code in stores to print the label. Delivery fees within Taiwan’s main island are 130 Taiwan dollars (about 657 yen) for room-temperature shipments up to S60 size (total of length, width and height of 60 centimeters or less), and 160 Taiwan dollars for refrigerated shipments. The company said it plans to add a parcel pickup service later.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-30 11:45:32 -
Sega Signs MOU With Thailand’s CP Group to Explore Entertainment Collaboration Japan’s game company Sega said it signed a memorandum of understanding on the 27th with Thailand’s CP Group (Charoen Pokphand Group) to explore entertainment collaboration in Thailand and nearby areas. The companies aim to combine Sega’s intellectual property and content-creation capabilities with CP Group’s broad business ecosystem to offer new, locally rooted entertainment in the region. The review will proceed in stages. In the initial phase, the companies will examine business development using Sega IP such as “Sonic” and “Angry Birds,” and consider a collaboration framework aimed at sustained growth. Later, they plan to pursue wider cooperation, including joint IP development targeting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, business expansion using merchandise licensing and distribution networks, and potential expansion beyond Thailand. Sega President Haruki Satomi said in a statement, “Through this collaboration, we will further accelerate the global rollout of Sega IP and create new entertainment experiences for the ASEAN region and the world.” 2026-04-29 16:05:21 -
Singapore Logistics Firm Eneco Energy to Buy Union Steel Unit Fastweld Singapore logistics company Eneco Energy said on April 27 it agreed to acquire Fastweld Engineering Construction Pte Ltd from Singapore-based Union Steel Holdings, which is involved in metal recycling and engineering. Fastweld, a unit of Union Engineering under Union Steel, provides procurement, maintenance and construction services. Through its investment holding company Eneco Singapore, Eneco Energy will buy all shares of Fastweld for S$4.3 million (about 536 million yen). Because Union Steel holds a 25% stake in Eneco Energy, the deal is considered a related-party transaction and requires approval at an extraordinary general meeting, Eneco Energy said. Union Steel said in February it had reached a basic agreement to sell Fastweld to Eneco Energy as part of a group restructuring and a shift of management resources to its core businesses. 2026-04-29 15:54:07 -
Ajinomoto Breaks Ground on New Plant in Tarlac, Philippines Aboitiz Group’s industrial park unit said on the 27th that Ajinomoto has started construction of a new plant at the TARI industrial park it operates in Tarlac province, north of Metro Manila. The facility is expected to reach full operation by April 2028. A groundbreaking ceremony was held locally on the 22nd. Ajinomoto will invest about 9.1 billion pesos (about 23.8 billion yen) to build the plant on a 16-hectare site. The new facility will handle manufacturing and packaging of locally popular products including the flavor seasoning “AJI GINISA” and chicken powder “Crispy Fry.” Aboitiz Economic Estates, which develops and operates the TARI industrial park, said a combination of proximity to demand centers, supply-chain responsiveness and room to expand has become decisive for manufacturers choosing new production bases. It added that Central Luzon, including Tarlac, is strengthening its position as a leading industrial base that could replace the existing manufacturing cluster in the Calabarzon (Southern Tagalog A) region. 2026-04-29 15:43:36 -
Malaysia Semiconductor Association Hosts Networking Session for Multinationals and SMEs The Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association, or MSIA, held a networking session on April 28 in Kuala Lumpur to narrow perception gaps between foreign-owned companies and local small and medium-sized enterprises, and to encourage cooperation. MSIA President Wong Siew Hai said the semiconductor industry is becoming more advanced and complex, creating differences in understanding between multinational firms and SMEs. He said the event would help both sides broaden their understanding so they can work together more effectively. Representatives from U.S. companies including Micron Technology, Intel, Texas Instruments, SanDisk and Lam Research took the stage to outline business opportunities, procurement requirements and market-entry processes. The program also included a session on advanced packaging, with talks covering market analysis, technology trends and challenges.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 15:31:12 -
India’s L&T Enters Industrial Electronics Manufacturing With Coimbatore Plant India’s construction and engineering company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) said on the 24th it has entered industrial electronics manufacturing, with two production lines beginning trial operations at its plant in Coimbatore in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The company plans to supply industrial electronic products in India and overseas. The business will be run through a newly established unit, L&T Electronic Products & Systems (LTEPS). Manufacturing will be based in Coimbatore, while LTEPS’ headquarters functions will be located in Bengaluru in southern India. Building on expertise developed in strategic electronic equipment for defense and government customers, LTEPS will develop and manufacture products in areas including power electronics, mobility, industrial robots and automation systems, communications platforms, and electronic system design and manufacturing, known as ESDM. LTEPS said it will expand the business in stages. It plans to build out the full industrial electronics value chain at its Coimbatore site, covering about 40 acres (about 16.2 hectares), from research and development and product development to ESDM, contract manufacturing, design and engineering support, procurement and testing.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 15:20:54 -
Japan-Style Math App Mathmaji Launches Pilot Program at Indonesian Islamic Private School Mathmaji, which develops the Japan-style global math learning app “Mathmaji,” said on the 28th it will start a pilot program at an Islamic private school in Indonesia. It is the first time the app will be used at an elementary education facility in the country. The app will be introduced at Sekolah Qur'an Savaty in Makassar, South Sulawesi, which provides integrated education from daycare and kindergarten through elementary school. Students learn math through an original curriculum based on Japan’s national teaching guidelines while also studying “English to become stronger with numbers.” Because the app is displayed in English, the company expects it to help improve proficiency in both math and English. Mathmaji President Yasunori Hirose said he wants to use the program’s results as a basis for a full-scale entry into Indonesia’s elementary education market.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 11:57:48 -
Vietnam’s Sun Group Breaks Ground on Phan Thiet Airport Civilian Facilities Vietnam real estate and resort developer Sun Group began construction April 27 on the civilian-use portion of Phan Thiet Airport in central Lam Dong Province. Total project costs are expected to exceed 3.9 trillion dong (about 23.5 billion yen), with completion projected in 2028. Phan Thiet Airport will be a joint military-civil facility. Sun Phan Thiet Airport Co., a Sun Group unit, is responsible for developing the civilian section. The company will build an airport meeting the International Civil Aviation Organization’s “4E” standard on about 75 hectares in the Mui Ne area. The passenger terminal, a 13-story domed structure with 18,000 square meters of floor space, will incorporate cultural elements of the Champa Kingdom, which is believed to have flourished from the 2nd to the 15th centuries. Sun Group aims to complete the civilian section within two years and to reach annual passenger capacity of 2 million by 2030. Phan Thiet Airport will be Lam Dong Province’s second airport after Lien Khuong Airport. Once it opens, travel times to Lam Dong are expected to be significantly reduced from major domestic cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, as well as key tourist destinations including Phu Quoc Island, boosting visitor numbers to the province.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 11:48:16 -
China’s March Smartphone Shipments Fall 6.3%, Down for Fourth Straight Month China’s domestic smartphone shipments in March 2026 fell 6.3% from a year earlier to 20.087 million units, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a think tank under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The pace of decline narrowed by 6.3 percentage points from the previous month, but shipments fell for a fourth consecutive month. Total mobile phone shipments, including smartphones, dropped 7.1% to 21.15 million units. Domestic brands accounted for 84.1% of the total, down 1.4 percentage points from the previous month. Shipments of models compatible with fifth-generation, or 5G, networks rose 1.3% to 19.667 million units, returning to growth and making up 93.0% of the total. Mobile phone models launched domestically in March plunged 70.3% to 19, including a 68.8% drop in smartphone models to 15. The number of 5G-compatible models released fell 60.6% to 13. For January through March, domestic smartphone shipments fell 11.6% from a year earlier to 57.04 million units. Total mobile phone shipments, including smartphones, declined 12.7% to 60.805 million units, of which 5G-compatible models fell 9.1% to 55.468 million units. Over the same period, 79 mobile phone models were launched, down 30.1%. Smartphone models released fell 22.6% to 65, and 5G-compatible models dropped 23.8% to 48.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 11:33:00