Leading regional insurtech Igloo enters 2025 with a strong push, launching new partnerships, introducing new products with existing partners across the region, and appointing a Chief Distribution Officer to grow its embedded insurance and sales intermediaries business lines.
Sasitharan Krishnan, Chief Distribution Officer, Igloo
New and enhanced partnerships with leading brands
Building on their collaboration in 2024, Igloo and Salmon are strengthening their partnership in 2025 with the launch of Gadget Protection in the Philippines. This new offering will cover device repairs and replacements for gadgets purchased through Salmon’s platform, complementing their existing loan protection coverage, which safeguards repayments in case of unforeseen incidents.
Similarly, Igloo’s partnership with Skyro, which introduced Gadget Protection and Loan Protection last year, is expanding in 2025 with the introduction of Goods Protection. Through this new product, home furniture, clothing, auto accessories, and even toys can now be protected from the same everyday risks.
As access to credit remains a challenge in the Philippines, consumer finance platforms like Salmon and Skyro provide financial and insurance access to underbanked and unbanked segments. These platforms currently serve an estimated 300,000 Filipinos.
Igloo continues to strengthen its ties with Shopee in the Philippines, launching its fifth product, Goods Protection to its existing suite. Since 2022, the partnership has facilitated over 16.9 million protection plans across product lines with Shopee’s 56 million monthly visitors.
Underwritten by SeaInsure, Goods Protection covers eligible items purchased on the platform — such as electronics accessories, vehicle spare parts, baby gear, and office supplies — that suffer total loss or damage due to accidents like fire, collision, falls, liquid damage, or being run over.
In Indonesia, Igloo has two new partnerships under its belt — with leading fintech company Akulaku, and consumer finance platform Kredivo. With the former, gadget protection service underwritten by Victoria Insurance, covers repairs and replacements for gadgets purchased on the platform with a one-year coverage period. With smartphone users expected to reach 249.95 million by 2029, this service meets the growing demand for reliable device protection in the country’s increasingly digital market.
Igloo also continues to innovate with new offerings like Xtra Protection — its fifth product with Indonesian e-wallet platform DANA, which currently serves 200 million users. As more Indonesians move to digital payments with transactions expected to grow to US$371.6 billion in 2025, the product is timely, protecting users from lost wallet balances due to fraud.
Igloo’s collaboration with consumer finance platform Kredivo — which serves more than 10 million users, introduces Travel Domestic, covering trip cancellations, lost baggage, and more.
In Thailand, Igloo has expanded its partnership with e-payment and financial services provider True Money to include coverage for cars and motorcycles, building on the success of its health and accident insurance offering from the previous year, this new product extends protection to approximately 20.7 million registered vehicles across the country. Meanwhile, the successful collaboration with Lazada Thailand, which serves millions of customers in the country, also sees the addition of a fifth product — Flight Insurance for domestic and international trips.
“These partnerships underscore Igloo’s efforts to make insurance more seamless and integrated into everyday online transactions, and as we enter 2025, we are building on this momentum by deepening our commitment to making insurance more accessible, affordable, and seamlessly integrated into digital experiences. The slew of new partnerships — and the expansion of existing ones — within the first months in 2025 heralds our positive trajectory and highlights the continued value we provide in embedding insurance across diverse industries in Southeast Asia,” Mehta added.
Key regional hire to accelerate growth in Southeast Asia
In addition, Igloo has added to its leadership fold Chief Distribution Officer (CDO) Sasitharan Krishnan who brings over 30 years of expertise from the insurance distribution sector serving as Senior Vice President for Asia Affinity at insurance giant Sompo and Chief Officer of Digital Sales at Allianz Ayudhya Assurance.
In his role, Sasi will drive Igloo’s distribution strategy with a key focus on brokering regional deals, and increased value for Igloo and its partners through relationships with regional and local insurers. He will also bring mentorship and rigor to Igloo’s commercial organisation.
“With Sasitharan’s addition, we will make significant strides in accelerating growth,” Mehta explained. “His extensive experience in insurance distribution and digital sales will be instrumental in building new partnerships, driving value for Igloo and our partners and ensuring our products are consumer-centric, accessible, and effectively delivered across business lines.”
Learn more about Igloo, its partnerships, and technology by visiting iglooinsure.com.
About Igloo
Igloo is a regional full-stack insurtech firm headquartered in Singapore. It has offices in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia and tech centres in China and India. With a mission of making insurance accessible for all, the firm leverages big data, real-time risk assessment, and end-to-end automated claims management to create B2B2C insurance solutions for platform companies and insurance companies. Igloo’s insurance solutions enable companies to eliminate their exposure to operational risk, create new revenue streams, and optimise and enhance existing products and services. It has partnered with over 75 well-known brand names across the markets in various verticals, including insurance, telecommunications, e-commerce, hospitality, health tech and financial services. Recognized by the industry for its innovations and expertise, Igloo was named ‘Insurtech of the Year’ in the 2023 and 2024 Asia Fintech Awards.
Giftify, Inc. (NASDAQ:GIFT) (the “Company”), the owner and operator of CardCash.com and Restaurant.com, and a leader in the incentives and rewards industry, today announced that CardCash.com is offering consumers smart saving solutions for high-cost GLP-1 weight loss prescription medications like Ozempic (semaglutide) from Novo Nordisk and Zepbound (tirzepatide) from Eli Lilly.
CardCash.com, Giftify’s secondary gift card exchange platform, provides consumers with an innovative approach to reduce rising out-of-pocket expenses for increasingly popular GLP-1 medications. The strategy leverages discounted pharmacy gift cards from major retailers including CVS and Walgreens.
This program aligns with current national efforts to address healthcare affordability challenges. By providing practical tools to reduce prescription costs, CardCash.com is contributing to the ongoing public dialogue around making essential medications more accessible for all Americans, particularly as policymakers continue to explore comprehensive solutions to rising healthcare expenses.
Consumer feedback validates the financial impact of this approach. “As one Trustpilot reviewer, Corey Polk, shared, ‘I had significant savings on my Walgreens cards. I used it to buy Ozempic, and now I save about $30 a month.’ This is exactly what we aim for at CardCash — helping consumers find financial relief where they need it most,” said Carol Rosenblum, Marketing Manager at CardCash.com.
The platform’s strategy creates a multi-layered savings opportunity for medication purchasers. Users can combine CardCash’s discounted gift cards with manufacturer savings programs and prescription discount services like GoodRx and SingleCare. Additional cost reductions can be achieved through price comparisons between major pharmacy retailers including CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart.
This healthcare cost reduction initiative addresses growing market demand for GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy. By providing access to discounted gift cards that can be applied toward pharmaceutical purchases, CardCash extends Giftify’s value proposition into the healthcare sector.
“As prescription medication costs continue to rise, we’re leveraging our established gift card marketplace to create meaningful savings opportunities in healthcare,” said Ketan Thakker, CEO of Giftify, Inc. “This initiative aligns perfectly with our strategic focus on expanding our digital savings platforms into high-growth consumer markets. The increasing adoption of GLP-1 medications represents a significant opportunity to demonstrate the versatility and value of our business model.”
About Giftify, Inc.
Giftify, Inc. is a pioneer in the incentive and rewards industry with a focus on retail, dining & entertainment experiences, as the owner and operator of leading digital platforms, CardCash.com and Restaurant.com. CardCash.com is a leading secondary gift card exchange platform, allowing consumers and retailers to realize value by buying and selling gift cards at various scales. Its Restaurant.com is the nation’s largest restaurant-focused digital deals brand. Restaurant.com and our Corporate Incentives division connect digital consumers, businesses and communities offering thousands of dining, retail and entertainment deals options nationwide at over 184,000 restaurants and retailers. Restaurant.com prides itself on offering the best deal, every meal. Our gift cards and restaurant certificates allow customers to save at thousands of restaurants across the country with just a few clicks.
Press Releases may include forward-looking statements. In particular, the words “believe,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “propose,” “plan,” “intend,” and similar conditional words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the company. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof. The company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law or those prepared by third parties that are not paid by the company. Statements in this press release that are not historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Although Giftify, Inc. believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, Giftify, Inc. is unable to give any assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the company’s ability identify a suitable business model for the corporation.
South Africa has taken a big step to boost its national cybersecurity. It has adopted the National Cybersecurity Policy Framework (NCPF), which came out in December 2015. This framework gives a full plan for cybersecurity. It focuses on protecting Critical Information Infrastructure (NCII) that supports key areas like energy, banking, and telecommunications.
The NCPF aims to tackle cybersecurity issues and make the nation stronger against cyber threats. It does this by getting the government, private companies, and regular people to work together. The framework also has plans to fight cybercrime, help law enforcement do a better job, and teach people about cybersecurity through education programs. South Africa sees international teamwork as a crucial part of its online safety plan. It takes part in worldwide talks about cyber protection rules.
The NCPF aims to bring together the whole country to shield vital computer systems, lower the chance of online crimes, and give people and groups the know-how to protect their digital lives. With this plan, South Africa wants to be a top player in cyber safety in Africa. It hopes to create a safer online world for its people and companies.
Over View of the event:
The Cybersecurity Summit is a leading event that brings together top industry experts and decision-makers to tackle the evolving challenges of digital security. Taking place on 13th March 2025 at the Qurtuba Convention Centre, this summit focuses on the latest threats and cutting-edge defense strategies. It offers an in-depth exploration of how to strengthen organizational defenses and leverage emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, IoT, and cloud security. Over 200 C-level executives, directors, and heads of security will gather to share insights, discuss innovative solutions, and explore the future of cybersecurity. This event, running from 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM, provides the knowledge and tools necessary to protect against tomorrow’s risks and safeguard valuable digital assets.
Galeboe Mogotsi, Chief Information Security Officer, University of Witwatersrand.
The event will cover topics like:
Setting the Stage for Cybersecurity in Africa.
The Cutting Edge: Integrating AI in Cybersecurity with Risk Awareness.
Building Resilience: Safeguarding the Backbone of National Infrastructure.
Zero Trust in Action: Transforming South Africa’s Cybersecurity Landscape.
Implementing AI Trust, Risk, and Security Management (TRiSM) in South Africa: Safeguarding the Future.
For more information on the 25th Edition Cyber Security Summit: Link
About Exito
Exito, which means success in Spanish, embodies our commitment to the success of our customers. Each year, we host over 240 virtual and in-person conferences globally, bringing together audiences with world-class thought leaders and C-level executives across industries. Our meticulously crafted agendas, based on extensive research and valuable industry insights, facilitate business, knowledge transfer, deal flow, and impactful messaging for brands.
– Driving innovation, nurturing a new generation of SMEs – reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as a resilient international business hub
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) today announced its work focus for the 2025/26 fiscal year, which aims to strengthen Hong Kong’s competitive advantages and intensify efforts to promote Hong Kong as a resilient international business hub. Embracing opportunities arising from global development trends, the HKTDC continues to create new opportunities for Hong Kong businesses.
HKTDC Chairman Dr Peter K N Lam said: “Just two months into 2025, the HKTDC has already held a number of major events, such as the Asian Financial Forum (AFF) in January and three trade fairs, which attracted strong participation from attendees, buyers and exhibitors from around the world, a herald of a year of vibrant business activity.”
“Looking ahead, the HKTDC will strengthen Hong Kong’s role as a resilient and connected international business hub, intensify efforts to promote our city’s advantages to the global business community and promote further integration of Hong Kong into the national development framework, which highlighting Hong Kong’s unique role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Furthermore, we will drive innovation and sustainable development to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness, and nurture a new generation of SMEs and start-ups.”
In 2024, the HKTDC hosted over 40 large-scale exhibitions and conferences in Hong Kong, attracting buyers, exhibitors and attendees from over 190 countries and regions, further solidifying Hong Kong’s position as the premier hub for exhibitions and conferences in Asia. Particularly noteworthy was the increased participation from Mainland China and emerging markets, such as ASEAN and the Middle East, as well as the traditional markets of Europe and North America, with all showing robust growth compared to 2023.
In the 2025/26 fiscal year, the HKTDC will intensify efforts to actively promote Hong Kong’s advantages and opportunities to Mainland China and the global business community, further solidifying Hong Kong’s crucial role as a key global hub for two-way investment and trade.
HKTDC’s 2025/2026 major work focuses are: 1. Reinforce Hong Kong’s unique role as a resilient and connected business hub globally, and strengthen its integration into national development and role as superconnector and super value-adder Strengthen Hong Kong’s integration into national development
– Stage targeted fundraising salons in Mainland China to entice mainland enterprises to list in Hong Kong; – Organise the second edition of the Hong Kong Shopping Festival in August and launch the E-Commerce Express to help SMEs deepen their understanding of mainland e-commerce and online platforms through a series of specialised training seminars and one-on-one advisory services; – Active participation in mainland fairs, including setting up Hong Kong Image Pavilions at key mainland expos to promote Hong Kong’s advantages; organising a Hong Kong Day networking event at the China International Import Expo targeting key buyers and enriching the Style Hong Kong Pavilion offerings at the China International Consumer Products Expo to create more collaboration opportunities.
– Organise sectoral outbound mission :1) A GoGBA mission to Dongguan will be organised to help SMEs in the food processing and medical devices sectors to stay competitive amid an evolving manufacturing landscape with innovative technologies; 2) An e-tailing mission to e-commerce hotspot Zhejiang to help SMEs understand the latest developments; and 3) A Fashion Go Places mission to Guangzhou and Dongguan to connect Hong Kong fashion industry players with partners in fashion tech and beyond.
Reinforce Hong Kong’s role as superconnector and super value-adder – Build partnerships with Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) government agencies and industry multipliers to attract more RCEP businesses to leverage HKTDC trade fairs to connect with international buyers; – Launch the Hong Kong Risk Management Squad to help mainland and ASEAN companies with plans for global expansion to mitigate business risks; – Introduce the ASEAN Lifestyle Pioneer Series to increase SMEs’ market exposure in the region and facilitate opportunities; – Stage Think Business, Think Hong Kong campaign in Italy to spotlight Hong Kong’s strengths and advantages, including its service offerings; and – Organise missions, including to: 1) ASEAN to explore opportunities in the food and health supplement industry; and 2) Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with an Infrastructure Development and Real Estate-related Services (IRES) delegation to capture opportunities arising from infrastructure expansion in the Middle East.
2. Fortify Hong Kong’s competitiveness by embracing innovation and sustainable development, to support the national new quality productive forces strategy, and seize opportunities arising from global trends Support the national new quality productive forces strategy
– Strengthen the content of and recruitment for exhibitions and conferences: 1) Establish InnoEX as an international I&T exchange platform for Asia; 2) Recruit more agritech and foodtech firms sought after by investors, to join AFF Deal-making; 3) Explore collaboration with local research centres to coorganise thematic sessions at the Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH) to facilitate industry collaboration; 4) Collaborate with Hong Kong Baptist University’s Chinese Medicine Hospital and Belt & Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine at ASGH to examine Hong Kong’s role in Traditional Chinese Medicine’s globalisation; 5) Explore opportunities in the low-altitude economy at the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference (ALMAC) and InnoEX; 6) Launch the SmartHK Tech Series to showcase Hong Kong’s I&T strengths across the GBA and at mainland I&T fairs; and 7) Focus on PropTech for Building for the Future campaign, especially in the mainland, to highlight Hong Kong’s strengths in PropTech and smart city development.
– Strengthen connections and collaboration with InnoHK, the Innovation and Technology Commission cluster: 1) Strengthen ties with the Health@InnoHK cluster to better understand their business matching needs and facilitate connections with relevant business partners and investors; 2) Partner with InnoHK research centres, local universities and incubators for the International Trade Fastpass SmartBiz Series to highlight the benefits of adopting innovative tech solutions.
Seize opportunities arising from global trends – Sustainable development: 1) Launch the Hong Kong Green Team to highlight Hong Kong’s green strengths and capabilities in Hong Kong and ASEAN; 2) Invite sustainable fashion brands to promote circular fashion and a greener industry at CENTRESTAGE; and 3) Work with ESG-related multipliers to provide sustainability workshops and ESG certification courses for Transformation Sandbox (T-box) members.
Medical health and the silver economy: 1) Organise biotech missions to Europe and the US in partnership with industry multipliers to help start-ups grow and transform; 2) Invite partners and investors with expertise in geriatric medicine and elderly care to introduce ageing-related innovations at ASGH to facilitate collaboration and tech commercialisation; 3) Enhance the product line-up at Food Expo to showcase healthy food and supplements targeting the silver market; and 4) Create a thematic cluster on hktdc.com Sourcing to further highlight Optical Fair exhibitors targeting the silver market.
– Islamic business opportunities: 1) Collaborate with the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong to feature local halal food manufacturers at Food Expo PRO; 2) Strengthen participation of pavilions of countries with a large halal market to enrich the variety of halal products at Food Expo PRO.
3. Build the next generation of connected and future-ready SMEs and start-ups, and fast-track SMEs’ digital transformation Build the next generation of connected and future-ready SMEs and start-ups
– Talent matching: Leverage events, such as InnoEX and Entrepreneur Day (E-Day), to offer talent matching sessions for start-ups and I&T companies.
– Strengthen collaboration with institutions: 1) Partner with the Hong Kong Productivity Council to inform Global Tech Summit participants about the latest tech in Industry 4.0 and showcase related solutions at E-Day to help SMEs, start-ups become future-ready; 2) Partner with academic institutions and youth and community organisations to engage young individuals at our fairs to equip them with the knowledge and skills in digital transformation and sustainability; 3) Launch the CV Clinic at the Education & Careers Expo by partnering with recruitment agencies to help the younger generation with their job search; and 4) Collaborate with local universities to leverage ASGH for their entrepreneurship events and as a showcase for their biomed projects.
Fast-track SMEs’ digital transformation – Debut an AI productivity workshop series at InnoEX to help SMEs harness the power of AI tools to boost productivity; – Host dedicated sessions at MarketingPulse and eTailingPulse to educate brands on short video features on the mainland’s social media platforms; – Collaborate with leading AI service providers to provide T-box members with practical AI applications.
Media enquiries HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department: Agnes Wat Tel: (852) 2584 4554 Email: agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.org Sam Ho Tel: (852) 2584 4569 Email: sam.sy.ho@hktdc.org
About HKTDC The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With over 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today announced the appointment of a new Chairman for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).
The HKTDC welcomes the HKSAR Government’s appointment of Prof Frederick Ma Si-hang as the new Chairman of the HKTDC. Prof Ma is currently the Non-Executive Chairman of FWD Group and a member of the Chief Executive’s Council of Advisers. As the former Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development and Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, Prof Ma is well acquainted with the Council’s work in promoting Hong Kong’s strengths and advantages. His two-year term as HKTDC Chairman will commence on 1 June 2025 and will run until 31 May 2027.
Dr Peter K N Lam, current Chairman of the HKTDC, remarked: “Hong Kong’s post-pandemic economy faces numerous challenges. Over the past six years, I have been honoured to serve as Chairman of the HKTDC. I would like to express my gratitude to the HKTDC team for their continued effort and determination in overcoming challenges and driving Hong Kong’s growth. Trade and tourism are closely connected and are crucial to Hong Kong’s economic development. I will continue to contribute in my new position and work with the HKTDC to promote Hong Kong.”
Dr Lam added: “I am pleased that the HKSAR Government has appointed Prof Frederick Ma as the next Chairman. I am confident he will lead the HKTDC to new heights, creating opportunities for Hong Kong’s businesses and driving our city’s high-quality economic development.”
Ms Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “Prof Ma is a distinguished leader in the business community with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, strengthening Hong Kong’s connections with the global business world. Under his and HKTDC Council Members’ leadership and guidance, the HKTDC will reinforce Hong Kong’s eight-centre advantages to help businesses seize national development opportunities and support our city’s continued growth and development.”
Ms. Fong also expressed gratitude to Dr Lam: “Under Dr Lam’s outstanding leadership, the HKTDC has introduced many new initiatives, particularly in promoting the healthcare, innovation and technology industries, while assisting the business community in seizing new opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and global markets and facilitating the development of Hong Kong’s pillar industries and emerging industries. His wise counsel and guidance over the years have helped the HKTDC reinforce Hong Kong’s role as an international business hub, a two-way investment gateway and a leading convention and exhibition centre.”
About HKTDC The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With over 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on @hktdc and LinkedIn
The Indonesia Economic Summit (IES) 2025 officially opened today in Jakarta, attended by more than 1,500 participants from 48 countries. The two-day summit (Feb 18-19), organized by the Indonesian Business Council (IBC), offers a forum for 100 speakers representing policy makers, business leaders, experts, and academics.
Chairman of the IBC Supervisory Board Arsjad Rasjid said that IES 2025 focuses on two main topics, growth and prosperity, which are expected to be catalysts for real action in various sectors.
“We hope that IES 2025 is not just a gathering place but can be a turning point where ideas become concrete steps. We want to ensure that the discussions held at IES 2025 are able to create a significant impact in driving Indonesia’s economic growth and realizing people’s welfare,” said Arsjad.
Chairman of the IBC Supervisory Board Arsjad Rasjid
He added that high, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth can only be achieved with strong collaboration in various sectors. IES 2025 also builds closer partnerships with the government to encourage policies that are pro-investment and pro-economic growth.
IBC Chief Executive Officer Sofyan Djalil said that IES 2025 is expected to build momentum to strengthen the contribution of the private sector to encourage growth. This can be realized with the right public policies that can strengthen competitiveness and facilitate business and economic activities.
“IES 2025 bridges business leaders, economists, and policy makers to discuss strategic steps and policies to create a public policy climate that will encourage high, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth,” said Sofyan.
IBC COO William Sabandar explained that IES 2025 accommodates discussions with topics that are relevant to the economic challenges and opportunities faced by Indonesia amidst global geopolitical changes. The topics include:
1. Economic priorities and strategies to achieve economic growth, which requires a strategic vision and targeted policy priorities. 2. Monetary and financial policies to support high and sustainable economic growth, while balancing government spending and macroeconomic stability. 3. Ensuring industrial policies that encourage growth in the manufacturing sector and increase the contribution of the manufacturing industry to GDP as key to achieving sustainable economic growth. 4. Ensuring that Indonesia wins in the developing trade war, through a more active and diverse global trade strategy, including trade diversification, market expansion, and improving export performance.
ParagonCorp Co-founder and IBC member Salman Subakat, who is also a speaker at the industry session at IES 2025, expressed his support for IBC’s initiative to encourage closer collaboration between business actors and policy makers.
“We need policies that can encourage the business sector, especially the manufacturing industry, because this sector plays a major role in triggering high, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth,” said Salman.
IES 2025 has produced concrete commitments from various parties. Several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed between the government, private companies, and international institutions to support strategic projects in the fields of renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and human resource development (HRD).
One of the flagship projects announced was the development of a renewable energy center in Eastern Indonesia and a vocational training program to improve the competence of the local workforce. IES 2025 is expected to be a catalyst for the creation of real steps that can accelerate Indonesia’s economic growth in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
About the Indonesia Economic Summit (IES) The Indonesia Economic Summit (IES) is an annual initiative of the Indonesia Business Council (IBC). Initiated as a high-level forum for collaboration and innovation, IES seeks to promote competitiveness, inclusive growth, and sustainable prosperity for Indonesia. This forum reflects IBC’s commitment to advancing Indonesia’s role in the global economic arena.
About the Indonesian Business Council (IBC) The Indonesian Business Council (IBC) is an association of CEOs and business/industry leaders of leading companies in Indonesia, established in February 2023. IBC seeks to promote and strengthen Indonesia’s competitiveness, encourage collaboration, and enhance the contribution of the Indonesian private sector to economic growth and prosperity, through advocacy. https://business-council.id/.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.and CAE are pleased to announce a long-term agreement for the development and production of the next-generation mission trainer for GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian® remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS). The contract with GA-ASI includes a firm order for 11 mission trainers, with the opportunity to deliver up to 50 devices over the next five years. The agreement brings together two industry leaders to enhance the training capabilities for operators of MQ-9B and builds on the long-standing business relationship between GA-ASI and CAE.
Recognized globally as the reference in synthetic training for RPAS, CAE leverages the latest visualization technology in the development of the next-generation MQ-9B SkyGuardian Mission Trainers. The trainers will employ the CAE Prodigy Image Generator to provide a highly realistic training environment to replicate flight operations. Powered by a state-of-the-art gaming engine, CAE Prodigy elevates training standards through an enhanced immersive training environment, high-fidelity graphics, and physics-based simulation. This cutting-edge technology enhances the realism and effectiveness of the training, ensuring that operators are well-prepared for their missions.
MQ-9B is the world’s most advanced RPAS delivering exceptionally long endurance and range, with auto takeoff and landing under pole-to-pole SATCOM-only control and will be able to operate in unsegregated airspace using the GA-ASI-developed Detect and Avoid system. MQ-9B includes the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian® models, as well as the new Protector RG Mk1 that is currently being delivered to the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. The platform is building a global operator list, with procurement contracts signed with Belgium, Canada, Poland, the Japan Coast Guard, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Taiwan, India, and the U.S. Air Force in support of Special Operations Command. MQ-9B has also supported various U.S. Navy exercises.
“GA-ASI and CAE have worked together to deliver leading-edge training to our customers for more than two decades,” said Jaime Walters, vice president of International Strategic Development at GA-ASI. “Through this partnership, we will continue to enhance operational readiness and effectiveness for MQ-9B operators worldwide, and in particular, we see the new SkyGuardian Mission Trainers supporting our new Canadian customer. CAE’s comprehensive training solutions ensure that personnel are well-prepared to operate these advanced RPAS efficiently and safely.”
GA-ASI’s partnership with CAE is part of its Team SkyGuardian Canada initiative, which is focused on GA-ASI’s collaboration and investment with Canadian businesses following the Government of Canada’s selection of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian.
“This agreement underscores our commitment to advancing the capabilities of RPAS training and ensuring that MQ-9B SkyGuardian operators worldwide have access to the best training tools available,” said Marc-Olivier Sabourin, Division President, CAE Defense & Security, International. “Our knowhow, expertise, and experience put our customers on the cutting edge of training and readiness. Through our long-term relationship with General Atomics, we are proud to be the key partner of choice for training solutions involving remotely piloted aircraft systems.”
CAE is a leading provider of flight training and services and works in partnership with the world’s most advanced OEMs and defense forces to deliver integrated training solutions that ensure operational excellence and mission readiness.
About GA-ASI General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable RPA systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator® RPA series and the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar. With more than eight million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent situational awareness. The company also produces a variety of sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas.
Avenger, Gray Eagle, Lynx, Predator, Reaper, SeaGuardian, and SkyGuardian are trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., registered in the United States and/or other countries.
About CAE At CAE, we equip people in critical roles with the expertise and solutions to create a safer world. As a technology company, we digitalize the physical world, deploying software-based simulation training and critical operations support solutions. Above all else, we empower pilots, cabin crew, maintenance technicians, airlines, business aviation operators, and defence and security forces to perform at their best every day and when the stakes are the highest. Around the globe, we’re everywhere customers need us to be with approximately 13,000 employees in more than 240 sites and training locations in over 40 countries. CAE represents more than 75 years of industry firsts-the highest-fidelity flight and mission simulators as well as training programs powered by digital technologies. We embed sustainability in everything we do. Today and tomorrow, we’ll make sure our customers are ready for the moments that matter.
Goldman Sachs’ latest report on China’s biotechnology sector highlights Everest Medicines (HKG: 1952) as a company on track to achieve EBITDA break-even by the end of 2025. This outlook is driven by the accelerated commercialization of Nefecon®, which was recently included in China’s National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). The report underscores that expanded reimbursement coverage is expected to significantly boost market potential in treating IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) and address a substantial unmet medical need. Goldman Sachs notes, “Everest targeted EBITDA break-even by YE25, expecting the NRDL coverage to unleash the significant patient need in IgAN.”
Beyond Nefecon®, Everest’s BTK inhibitor EVER001 is emerging as a promising pipeline asset, with encouraging early clinical data in primary membranous nephropathy (pMN). According to Everest’s Phase 1b/2a trial results, EVER001 demonstrated quick disease remission in pMN patients, with 82% of low-dose and 86% of high-dose patients achieving clinical remission based on 24-hour proteinuria reduction, and 91% and 100% achieving immunological complete remission, respectively, based on anti-PLA2R autoantibody decrease. The data also showed clear dose-dependency across key biomarkers, reinforcing the drug’s mechanism of action. With no major safety concerns reported, EVER001 has the potential to be a best-in-class therapy for pMN.
Goldman Sachs also highlights EVER001’s global development potential, as Everest prepares for multinational clinical trials to evaluate its benefits across different ethnic populations. The report notes that while pMN is a smaller market than IgAN, it shares strong synergies in disease mechanism and treatment approaches, making it a strategically valuable addition to Everest’s renal disease franchise.
The report further emphasizes China’s evolving biotech landscape, where global licensing and partnerships are becoming key drivers of growth. Everest’s consistent execution of its renal and mRNA-focused strategy, combined with its emphasis on global expansion, positions the company well for sustained success.
Reflecting these positive developments, Goldman Sachs has raised its 12-month target price for Everest Medicines to HK$48.32, nearly doubling from the previous HK$24.50. The upgrade factors in stronger commercial visibility, EVER001’s potential in pMN, and an improved financial outlook as Everest advances toward profitability.
China Entercom’s Digital Transformation Success Case: H&H Group
CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited (CITIC Telecom CPC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (HKG: 1883) is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, China Enterprise ICT Solutions Limited (China Entercom), and H&H Group (H&H Group) has forged a successful partnership, strengthening the Belt and Road initiative and embodying the service of “CITIC, your trusted partner for Going Global and Coming to China”, deepening the company’s strategy of connecting the world and fostering ecosystem collaboration. This partnership showcases how holistic information security and agile connectivity are achieved through a strengthened digital infrastructure, demonstrating how enterprises can excel in the global market by harnessing digital capabilities and embarking on a successful digital journey.
An Unbreakable Bond: From Biostime to a Globally Diversified Brand Established as Biostime, H&H Group has overcome challenges and matured through various developmental phases, and more importantly, it has achieved remarkable digital transformation leveraging a suite of innovative technologies. In 2015, the Group strategically acquired Swisse, an Australian supplement brand, and therefore unlocked unprecedented opportunities for its development in the global market.
Amidst transformative shifts, China Entercom has excelled as the digital service partner of H&H Group since Biostime’s listing in Hong Kong in 2010, offering a comprehensive “Cloud-network-security” full-stack service that encompasses a mature network architecture and cloud resources. Leveraging international experience and reliable technical capabilities, China Entercom provides H&H Group with crucial ICT infrastructure. Over the years, China Entercom and H&H Group have laid a solid foundation for domestic and international global coverage, including the seamless connection of its digitized platforms, private line service and cloud voice service, enhanced the network architecture to ensure efficient collaboration and service stability of its global team.
Joe Liang, IT Operations and Information Security Head, H&H Group
Joe Liang, IT Operations and Information Security Head of H&H Group, stated that the Group faces challenges such as global expansion and ensuring information security in its digital transformation journey. However, leveraging China Entercom’s extensive ICT resources, global service expertise, robust network operation and maintenance, as well as in-depth industry insights, China Entercom successfully established a reliable platform for the Group’s businesses and facilitated its entry into the international market.
Joe emphasized that besides being a trusted service provider, China Entercom is also a partner working hand-in-hand with the Group. The partnership marked a new era in digital transformation, transcending technical level and delved into strategic planning, cost reduction, efficiency enhancement and other aspects. This profound partnership infused boundless momentum and dynamism into the globalization and diversification journey of the H&H Group.
Taking Cooperation to the Next Level: From Single Private Network to SD-WAN and IP-Guard In today’s era of globalization, numerous Chinese enterprises have proactively set sail for the overseas market. As a leading company of the industry, H&H Group has also been steadily expanding its market abroad. Despite its successful expansion, challenges such as global management of operating systems, data interaction efficiency, system stability have emerged, prompting the H&H Group team to actively address these issues with determination.
Acknowledging the immediate needs of H&H Group, China Entercom customized a comprehensive solution that upgraded the single private network to SD-WAN and IP-Guard together with its parent companies, CITIC Telecom CPC and CITIC Group. This solution delivered exceptional results for the Group that fulfilled its goal of global business expansion with unparalleled security, stability, reliability, flexibility, scalability and highly efficient cross-cultural management capability. China Entercom empowered H&H Group to overcome various challenges during business expansion – from introducing systems and applications across different regions to enhancing data interaction and unified management, ultimately raising the operation efficiency and market competitiveness in the globe. Today, H&H Group has been thoroughly immersed in globalization and firmly rooted in the whole-family nutrition and wellness market.
“Zero Trust” Reinforcement: Building Globalized Security Frontier H&H Group and China Entercom have established a nearly 15-year closely bonded partnership from 2010 to 2025. In the next phase, this partnership will mark a new milestone with Zero Trust. According to Joe, Zero Trust can be illustrated in three ways. First of all, ensuring data uniqueness is paramount, any unauthorized endpoint accessing the Group’s network, system or SaaS platform may pose a severe risk of data breach. The second concern is hackers may use illegal terminals to invade the network, which will constitute significant security vulnerabilities and require urgent response and remedial measures from the Group. At last, due to its notable market share and profitability of e-commerce in the world, especially in North America, there is an increasing demand for data security capabilities in the online business of the Group. With Zero Trust being the key technology, the partnership with China Entercom is expected to build a more solid security protection for the Group in terms of operation and maintenance.
Sam Guo, Sales General Manager, South China, China Entercom
Sam Guo, Sales General Manager of South China, China Entercom, further explained the integration of “Zero Trust” into the SASE solution, making it the cornerstone of TrustCSI™ 3.0, as China Entercom pioneers Zero Trust MSP (Managed Service Provider) services. The solution has 2 key features, first of all, by implementing Zero Trust technology, it significantly enhances the efficiency of users’ access to enterprises’ resources; secondly, through continuous monitoring measures, it effectively reduces cybersecurity risks and minimize operational downtime and financial loss resulting from security incidents. As for H&H Group, the day-to-day challenge lies in enhancing access efficiency and strengthening security defenses in its North American and interstate operation. Meanwhile, the pivotal role of security stakeholders in steering corporate growth and operation and development remains prominent.
Securing “Going Global” through Digital Intelligence Empowerment With the ever-increasing threats of information security around the globe, enterprises going overseas like H&H Group are seeking to cope with the challenges and enhance their security protection level by improving intelligentized capabilities. The potential attack surface broadens as the globalization of enterprises accelerates, it underscores the increasingly symbiotic relationship between security and development.
Adan Zhan, Senior Director of Data Science and Innovation of China Entercom, underlined that China Entercom has implemented TrustCSI™ 3.0, a holistic protection solution focusing on defense and attack strategies to address the challenges faced by H&H Group. To enhance its defense capabilities, China Entercom continuously optimizes its intelligent algorithms for precise threat detection, leveraging anomaly detection technology, big data models and AI to combat evolving threats such as zero-day attacks, enabling AI-driven human-machine collaboration that surpasses AI in global security operations. In terms of attack strategy, adhering to the principle of “Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated”, China Entercom strategically deploys AI to automate the penetration testing tools, scanning enterprises’ threat and attack surface from various aspects. Conducting precise penetration test for in-depth analysis of existing assets is critical in addressing potential security vulnerabilities. By integrating attack and defense strategies with red-blue cybersecurity practices, China Entercom is committed to providing comprehensive security solutions for enterprises amidst the global digital transformation.
Win-Win Alliance: Striving together for New Opportunities in “Belt and Road”
In the ever-changing global market environment, it is a must to navigate the business with holistic planning and execution of corporate strategies, while combining digitization and innovation to power the engine. As a healthcare industry pioneer, H&H Group overcomes challenges and thrives.
During the journey of business expansion and globalization, H&H Group has been supported by China Entercom’s premium services that have achieved highly efficient network connection, stable operations and reliable protection of information security. Joe pointed out that the partnership between China Entercom and H&H Group is poised to tackle diverse global challenges, as H&H Group is a private enterprise with extensive international experience and global resources. In addition, this partnership is made possible not only by a solid technical foundation, but also on mutual recognition of each other’s brand and global reputation. Lastly, Joe suggested that enterprises interested in joining the “Belt and Road” Initiative should gain a clear insight into their own businesses in terms of the current IT operation and development needs, and partner with a well-established service provider such as China Entercom, achieving a win-win strategy.
To facilitate the “Belt and Road” Initiative, Guo proposed the following suggestions: carrying out in-depth research into the legal systems, policies, cultural characteristics and social needs of the targeted markets for a smooth project implementation; strictly complying with international standards and local laws and regulations by strengthening compliance and security management; proactively perform social responsibility in terms of environmental protection and community contribution; forming a network of information technology application innovation industry (ITAI) to collaborate with top-class worldwide partners, and fostering growth and development through resource sharing and complementary strengths. He believed that the best practices of these suggestions are fully manifested in the partnership between China Entercom and H&H Group. In the future, this partnership will continue to accelerate the “Belt and Road” Initiative and sustainable development.
About H&H Group H&H Group is a global health and nutrition company. Dynamic, courageous and ambitious in its mission to make people healthier and happier, the Group strives to inspire wellness while contributing positively to the needs of society and the planet. The Group has three business segments – Baby, Adult and Pet Nutrition and Care – supporting whole-family health and happiness, with premium brands providing nutrition and wellness solutions backed by science.
Consumer brands include Biostime, Swisse, Zesty Paws, Solid Gold Pet, Dodie, Good Goût and Aurelia London. For details, please visit www.hh.global
About China Entercom China Enterprise ICT Solutions Limited (“China Entercom” or “CEC”), a subsidiary of the CITIC Group. With solid global knowledge, diversified industrial experience, successful cases and top-notch expertise, as well as incorporating extensive ICT resource coverage, global-local capabilities and world-class solutions, China Entercom stands as the trusted partner for comprehensive solutions, addressing customers’ specific ICT requirements and fostering their development along the “Belt and Road” and around the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.china-entercom.com/En/.
About CITIC Telecom CPC We are CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited (CITIC Telecom CPC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (HKG: 1883), serving multinational enterprises the world over by addressing their specific ICT requirements with highly scalable tailored solutions built upon our flagship technology suites, comprising TrueCONNECT™ private network solutions, TrustCSI™ information security solutions, DataHOUSE™ cloud data center solutions, and SmartCLOUD™ cloud computing solutions.
With the motto “Innovation Never Stops,” we leverage innovative technologies, embracing AI, AR, Big Data, IoT, and other cutting-edge emerging technologies to transform technical potential into business value for our customers. As an enterprise digital transformation partner, we strive to help our customers achieve industry-leading positions, high agility, and cost-efficiency through digitalization.
With our Global-Local capabilities, we are committed to providing our customers with one-stop-shop ICT solutions with superior quality. Having a worldwide footprint across nearly 160 countries and regions, including Asia, Europe and America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, our global network resources connect nearly 170 points of presence (POPs), 60+ SDWAN gateways, 21 Cloud service centers, 30+ data centers, and three dedicated 24×7 Security Operations Centers (SOCs). We are certified with a series of international certifications, including SD-WAN Ready, ISO 9001, 14001, 20000, 27001, and 27017, to ensure our services compliance with international standards and resources for enterprises. We offer local professional services, superior delivery capabilities as well as exceptional customer experience and best practices through our global presence and extensive industry know-how, becoming a leading integrated intelligent ICT service provider to enterprise customers. For more information, please visit www.citictel-cpc.com
GoDaddy, a global leader in empowering entrepreneurs, unveiled GoDaddy Airo®, an innovative AI-powered experience set to transform small and medium-sized businesses sector. This groundbreaking new AI-powered experience enables entrepreneurs to establish a comprehensive online presence within minutes, bridging the gap between vision and digital reality.
Selina Bieber, Vice President for International Markets at GoDaddy, emphasized the new experience’s significance, “GoDaddy Airo® provides accessible AI-powered tools for Asian entrepreneurs and business owners to realize the benefits of using AI technology to help build and grow their digital brands together effortlessly.”
The AI-driven features include instant brand creation, digital marketing tools, Search Engine Optimization, and a user-friendly interface that allows navigation of advanced features without technical expertise. GoDaddy Airo® generates custom logos, websites, and email addresses in moments, develops targeted social media calendar aligned with local events, and enhances online visibility with built-in email marketing campaigns.
Many small business owners feel they face challenges in leveraging new technologies, primarily due to high implementation costs and lack of in-house technical expertise. GoDaddy Airo® eliminates these obstacles by providing cost-effective solutions accessible to businesses of all sizes, an intuitive design requiring no specialized skills, and comprehensive support and resources to confidently embrace AI technology and realize its benefits to their business operations.
With the purchase of a domain name, GoDaddy Airo® leverages the power of AI to make it easy to start a business and take it to the next level with a user-friendly online interface that requires no technical expertise.
Key features include:
Logo Creation – Building a compelling visual identity is essential for any business but can be time-consuming and expensive. With GoDaddy Airo® entrepreneurs can generate unique, professional logos in minutes, providing a solid brand image without needing design expertise.
Instant Website Development – One of the platform’s standout features is its ability to generate complete websites instantly. Entrepreneurs can publish a functional site with personalized content within minutes, simplifying digital presence creation without technical skills.
Automated Search Engine Optimization – GoDaddy helps businesses enhance their search rankings by providing suggestions to optimize their websites with targeted keywords and descriptions. AI analyses and recommends improvements, increasing visibility in search engine results and helping small businesses attract more customers.
Professional Email Services – A company domain-based email not only builds customer trust but also promotes the brand with every message sent. Additionally, it is backed by advanced email security through Microsoft 365, with features such as proactive protection, email backup, archiving, and seamless migration.
“GoDaddy Airo® can offer business owners new opportunities, while saving valuable time, so they can focus on building their brand, engaging with their customers and growing,” added Bieber.
For more information on how GoDaddy Airo® can help your business, visit.
About GoDaddy
GoDaddy helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services, and accept payments. GoDaddy Airo®, the company’s AI-powered experience, makes growing a small business faster and easier by enabling them to get their idea online in minutes, drive traffic and boost sales. GoDaddy’s expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.
