A new book, “How To Talk To Strangers” by Kerrie Phipps, launched to help people decrease anxiety, build confidence, and heal the pandemic affected world

A new self-help book, How To Talk To Strangers by Kerrie Phipps, was launched globally along with the co-authors of the book, reaching over 1000 people through the event was aired live on Facebook and Youtube. The book is an invitation to think more deeply about how you connect with others, so you don’t overlook essential connections or risk missing opportunities to impact people and the chance to change your own life in the process.

Kerrie Phipps, the Author and publisher, says, “Stories of the kindness of strangers are so moving, the impression they have on people, and the power of encouragement in our lives – strangers or friends, family, colleagues, and it was vital to share some in a book.”

At the launch, Coen Tan, Director of Ministry of Influence, said, “I grew up as a socially awkward child who was often bullied in school. I was even referred to the Institute of Mental Health for treatment for depression. However, over time, I’ve developed my speaking and social skills and now, I train and coach leaders internationally to inspire through their stories. I hope that my stories in this book will inspire people, that like me; they too can find their voice and connect confidently with strangers.”

Krescendo Communications, Founder, and Global Goodwill Ambassador for Singapore, Malaysia and India, Ganesh Somwanshi, one of the contributors, quips, “I am fascinated with connecting with people since I am in the business of communications. This book is the manifesto of connecting with strangers, a work of light amid dark times. Let us embrace the new normal; let us connect with the world with an open heart and mind. Together we can we shall.”

Cathy Johnson, Authentic Leadership Coach, shares, “It’s so beautiful to read (and hear) stories of how a stranger can build your confidence – and they often have no idea they’re doing it! Let’s keep coming together and building our relationships with each other.”

Conor O’Malley, Executive Coach, Author of “Trust – Begins and Ends with Self”, adds, “I feel I have talked to strangers all my life, however never really seen it that way. I see strangers as real people with a story to share. I hope my stories in this book serve you well when it comes to having a conversation with someone or trusting yourself to reach out to a stranger.”

Anupama Singal, Fashion & Technology Entrepreneur, Speaker, Creator & Co-author of SYZYGYmoments, notes, “This book is all about how talking to strangers can sometimes be a life-changing experience and how you could find meaningful connections with strangers. It feels great to be a contributor and share some memorable experiences from my life.”

Brandhood Media Founder and Thought Leadership Brand Specialist Nathan Shooter, “When you push beyond your fear, to enter the world of others, you’ll discover those small conversations can create big change. People are looking to you for hope and connection, now more than ever.”

The insightful Foreword by Masami Sato concludes with, “I invite you to ponder on the power of human connection with me and with us – no matter whether you think you are an extrovert or an introvert. Surprisingly, it starts with just one conversation, one smile, one interaction. That is all it takes – a look, a smile and a conversation. It’s powerful. And it really can change our world.”

Click https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0994157347/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4 to buy the book in digital or print format. Kerrie’s other books include DO Talk To Strangers – How To Connect With Anyone, Anywhere and the sequel, DO Talk To Strangers Travel Toolkit.

For media queries contact:
Ganesh Somwanshi
(+65) 9779 1286

JWD to acquire 20% stake in ESCO, sealing partnership with PSA

  • Becoming a major international shipping port operator, extending Multimodal Transportation
  • Partnering with fellow ESCO shareholder PSA Singapore, world’s largest terminal operator

JWD InfoLogistics PLC (JWD), specialized in ASEAN logistics and supply chain solutions, announces a major investment, when on July 23 it agreed to acquire a 20% stake in ESCO, a Thai shipping container port operator and supply chain operator, with PSA Singapore, the world’s largest port operator by equity-weighted throughput, as ESCO shareholder.

With the acquisition, JWD will become a major international container terminal operator at Laem Chabang Deep-Sea Port and inland container depot (ICD) service provider at Ladkrabang, increasing its capability for multimodal transportation services, by land, sea and rail.

JWD InfoLogistics (SET: JWD), ASEAN top specialist in supply chain solutions, will acquire up to 20% of ESCO, the operator of international container terminals at 3 locations within Thailand’s Laem Chabang deep-sea port.

Mr Charvanin Bunditkitsada, Executive Committee Chairman and CEO of JWD, said “This investment is in line with our 5-year strategic plan to increase capability for multimodal transportation services. On July 23, our Board of Directors authorized JWD Transport (Thailand) Company Limited, a subsidiary of JWD, to acquire 20% of the shares in Eastern Sea Laem Chabang Terminal (ESCO), a major international container terminal operator at Laem Chabang Deep-sea Port in Chonburi Province and an inland container depot (ICD) service provider at Ladkrabang. With the share acquisition, JWD also becomes a business partner of PSA, manager and operator of Singapore’s world-class transshipment hub, as PSA is also a shareholder in ESCO.

“We consider this significant investment a major undertaking this year, to be funded by the recent issuance of debentures as well as from operating cash flow. Initially, JWD Transport will take a 15% effective share in ESCO, with an option to increase to 20% within the next 6-12 months,” Mr Charvanin said.

ESCO currently operates international container terminals at 3 locations within the Laem Chabang Deep-Sea Port; i) ESCO (B3), where ESCO directly develops and manages a concession from the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT); ii) LCB1 (B1) terminal and iii) LCMT (A0) terminal, with ESCO a shareholder of the company that holds the concession to operate both terminals. In 2020, the three cargo terminals handled about 2 million twenty foot-equivalent units (TEUs), or 20% of the total throughput processed at the Laem Chabang Deep-Sea Port. The demand for services at the international container terminals is expected to grow continuously with the recovery of the world economy following improvements in the pandemic situation in the USA and Europe.

ESCO is also one of 6 inland container depot (ICD) service providers at Ladkrabang handling container traffic for various shipping lines not located within Laem Chabang Port, helping reduce lead time and transportation cost. Revenue is derived from the operation of the container yard and import and export warehouses, along with Customs clearance services, and furbishing and transporting containers by land and rail – which will increase opportunity for JWD’s freight business and offering additional services to users of Ladkrabang ICD Station.

“JWD expects to realize its share of capital gains from ESCO no later than October,” Mr Charvanin added. “The investment in ESCO will serve as an extension of our international freight port operations in Laem Chabang. With our stake in Transimex, a major logistics provider from Vietnam, incoming international shipping port service business will empower us to provide multimodal transportation services, connect a wide range of freight services including by car, rail, water, and increase the opportunity to expand our customer base from container port service and ICD Ladkrabang station service to provide a full range of logistics services.

“JWD is already providing multimodal transportation services, such as transportation and transfer of general cargo, vehicles, hazardous cargo and chemicals, the transportation of cargo from Bangkok to the international container terminal at Laem Chabang, the lifting and transport of containers by rail from the Northeast, from the Eastern Economic Community (EEC), as well as the industries from Rayong Province to Laem Chabang Port. Therefore, this investment will help to expand our customer base as well as both our Bangkok-to-Laem Chabang and ICD Ladkrabang-to-Laem Chabang transportation services. Also significant is the provision for using the cargo traffic data from Laem Chabang international port to further develop our logistics capabilities,” Mr. Charvanin concluded.

Visit: JWD InfoLogistics PLC (SET: JWD); Bloomberg: JWD.TB, Reuters: JWD.BK; https://jwd-group.com/en/.
Media: Yuttachai Praikanahok, MT Multimedia for JWD, T: +66 9 1736 2866, E: yuttachai.p@mtmultimedia.com

Habitat for Humanity’s ShelterTech accelerator ends with bold vision for affordable housing

A Global Summit held on July 14 topped off Habitat for Humanity‘s ShelterTech accelerator in Southeast Asia, the 10 startups pitched their work and progress to date, while investors and ecosystem partners wrapped with a critical reflection on innovation in affordable housing markets today. Launched in 2017 with accelerator programs in Mexico, India and Kenya, ShelterTech has grown into a global platform connecting ideas, products and services in affordable housing, with a special focus on solutions that work in a COVID-19 context. ShelterTech aims to make affordable housing a top impact investment category.

Ten SE Asian startups pitched their housing solutions following seven months of support and mentorship by leaders in the technology and impact investment sectors. Hosted by Villgro Philippines & Global Urban Village, 7/14/21. (Habitat.org)

Startups from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore were selected for the program in late-2020. In addition to an initial catalytic grant of US$10,000, the ventures completed a seven-month acceleration process, which included learning laboratories, masterclasses on housing and business topics, dialogues with regional investors and one-on-one mentorship with experts from global corporations including Hilti, Dow and Autodesk.

During the pitches, the startups recounted their growth journey since joining ShelterTech and their plans to bring affordable housing products and services to millions of low-income families in the region.

CUBO Modular, which is based in the Philippines and manufactures modular homes out of bamboo, has sold out units of their award-winning homes for the remainder of the year. Sampangan’s proprietary “magic box” turns waste into activated carbon which is used to create building materials. This Indonesian startup secured new contracts with the government and is now the largest startup in Indonesia to create more long-lasting products out of waste materials.

“ShelterTech works across sectors, industries and geographies to bring together the most impactful and cutting-edge innovations, to improve housing conditions for low-income families across the globe. We chose 10 startups in the Southeast Asia cohort because we believe they will make significant contributions to addressing the global housing deficit,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity, at the opening of the Summit. Launched in Southeast Asia in July 2020, the accelerator attracted more than 100 ventures, vying for a chance to be part of the world’s leading platform for affordable housing innovation.

Reckford’s message was echoed by Marco Meyrat, chairman of the Hilti Foundation board of directors, who said “ShelterTech puts housing entrepreneurs at the centre of a highly connected ecosystem, and collaborators who share a passion for revolutionary solutions in affordable housing. This is well-aligned with the Hilti Foundation’s commitment to helping identify and catalyze innovative technologies for housing that lay the groundwork for a better future.”

Following the Global Summit on July 14, ShelterTech will continue to provide recognition and growth opportunities to startups, while developing its close-knit ecosystem of ventures and partners including national and regional accelerators, in fields including PropTech and smart cities, integrating affordable housing tracks into these programs. To date, ShelterTech has supported more than 60 startups and scaleups worldwide.

ShelterTech is supported by a network of key partners, including Autodesk Foundation, Dow, the Hilti Foundation and the Keith V. Kiernan Foundation, while the Southeast Asian accelerator was run from Manila in partnership with Villgro Philippines and Global Urban Village.

About ShelterTech
ShelterTech is a global innovation platform advancing entrepreneurial housing solutions that radically improve the lives of low-income families. Supported by Habitat’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter and its partners, ShelterTech puts entrepreneurs at the center of a highly connected ecosystem of mentors, investors, peers, alumni and technical experts who share a passion for revolutionary ideas in affordable housing. For more information and opportunities, visit www.habitat.org/sheltertech.

About Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter
The Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, a unit of Habitat for Humanity International, works with housing market actors to expand innovative and client-responsive services, products and financing, so that households can improve their shelter more effectively and efficiently. The goal of the Terwilliger Center is making housing markets work more effectively for people in need of decent, affordable shelter, thereby improving the quality of life for low-income households. To learn more, visit www.habitat.org/tcis.

About Habitat for Humanity
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on an interracial community farm in the U.S.A., and has grown to become a leading global nonprofit, working across 70 countries. In Asia-Pacific since 1983, Habitat for Humanity has supported millions of people to build or improve a place they can call home. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit www.habitat.org/asiapacific.

Notes to Editors:
For interviews, photos or additional information, contact Rutuja Powle, +91 7718089122, rpowle@habitat.org or Michele Soh, +65 92331544, msoh@habitat.org.

ZALL Makes Headway in Global Digital Trade with New Strategic Rebrand

ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL), Asia’s largest B2B e-commerce group, looks to become the world’s leading global digital trade platform with its new strategic rebrand. It aims to create an open and interconnected B2B trading ecosystem between China and ASEAN, and to drive the rapid growth and development of industries and businesses through the use of new trading methods and advanced technologies.

With the strategic rebrand, ZALL aims to create value through its global intelligent services across B2B transactions, supply chain services and digital cloud services, transforming industrial value chains across the region and enabling businesses to improve overall efficiency. ZALL currently serves around 30 B2B platforms in China, the United States and Singapore, to millions of SMEs worldwide. It has also been investing heavily in the development of next-generation intelligent trading platforms to help empower seamless data exchange across platforms integrating information, logistics and capital flows across wholesale and commodities, retail trade and logistics industries in China and Singapore.

Testament to their hard work and effort, ZALL and its Singapore-based international trading platform, Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), were recently conferred the prestigious Gold and Silver Awards at the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards during the virtual awards ceremony held on 14 July 2021. It is a major achievement for the teams as it highlights ZALL’s dedication towards transforming global trade and supply chains since its strategic rebrand.

Peter Yu, Executive Vice President of ZALL Smart Commerce, Singapore, shared, “As the world continues to adapt and rise up to the challenges posed by the pandemic, we wanted to focus our efforts on digital innovation, creating an even more resilient and sustainable global trade and supply chain ecosystem. This can be done by incorporating data and digital technologies into every part of the industrial value chain, from both the demand to the supply side. With our expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Blockchain, we believe we are well-positioned to help businesses worldwide adopt innovative technologies to succeed in the new digital world order.”

On the back of its strong technology research and development capabilities, ZALL was also ranked 58th in the ‘2020 Global Blockchain Invention Patent Ranking’ published by the incoPat Innovation Index Research Center. ZALL’s research institute was granted more than 200 intellectual property rights last year, namely in the fields of blockchain, artificial intelligence and big data. Recognising the complexity and difficulty of adopting blockchain for many enterprises, ZALL recently launched ‘Z-Block Gateway’, a blockchain Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) solution that is both low-code and easy to operate and deploy across various industries and mainstream cloud servers.

Alongside ZALL, CIC has also launched “CORP INFO” that offers “Know-Your-Counterparty” and “Credit Info” services to help SMEs manage their business risks by being able to verify and conduct due diligence on prospective business partners and counterparties before engaging in official dealings. Companies will have access to a range of essential business information such as business registration, historical background, holding companies, shareholders, legal and financial activities, lawsuits and related risks of more than 200 million companies and 2.1 billion trade records in Singapore, China and other parts of the world to help businesses better identify their counterparties.

About Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC)

The Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) is a global trading platform for physical commodities including Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals, Chemicals & Plastics, Oil & Petroleum, and Agri Commodities. Officially launched in Singapore on 12 Oct 2018, CIC is a Joint Venture between China-based ZALL Smart Commerce Group, Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) to build trade connectivity through digital marketplaces and to grow a vibrant trading ecosystem in Singapore.

CIC aims to revolutionise commodity trading and facilitate cross-border trade through deal matching, trade finance, supply chain logistics, track and trace and global trade compliance. Since its establishment in October 2018, CIC has achieved a GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) of more than US$13.4 billion (S$17.6 billion), with over 5,800 registered users covering markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China, among other countries in Asia. For more information, please visit https://www.cic-tp.com/.

About ZALL Smart Commerce Group

ZALL Smart Commerce Group is a leading Chinese B2B e-commerce group (Fortune” China Top 500 list in 2020) with a global footprint across the world and its entities are listed on three exchanges on HKSE, NYSE and SSE. ZALL Group develops and operates Asia’s largest B2B offline-to-online trade ecosystem in China and Southeast Asia, including Singapore, with more than 30 B2B platforms in China, US and Singapore, and a GFA of more than 10 million sqm of wholesale trade centres in China. In 2018, ZALL Group achieved a GMV of more than RMB 600 billion (US$85.2 bn), serving over 1 mil SME customers worldwide. ZALL has also obtained a virtual banking licence and currently operates Z-Bank in China since 2017, one of China’s Top 5 digital banks that has supported more than 5.5 million SME and individual customers.

Since 2018, ZALL has invested in five projects in Singapore, including the Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), Singapore’s first physical commodity eTrading platform (B2B) powered by blockchain technology; ezbuy.sg, Singapore’s leading global online shopping platform; ZMA Smart Capital, an online trade finance company; ZALL Chain Technology, a blockchain solutions company. For more information, please visit http://en.zallcn.com/

SMI signs MOU with The9 for the development of a cryptocurrency cloud-mining platform

The Board of Singapore Myanmar Investco Limited (“SMI”) is pleased to announce that it has entered a comprehensive non-binding memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) yesterday with NASDAQ-listed Internet company The9 Limited, to launch a cryptocurrency cloud mining business.

Focusing initially on three types of cryptocurrencies – Bitcoin (BTC), Filecoin (FIL) and Chia (XCH) – the mining business will be hosted in a range of facilities across Canada, US, Central Asia and the ASEAN region to serve customers. This business is expected to commence in Q4 2021 and will be subject to regulatory approval.

Following the MOU, SMI has also entered into a cooperation and support agreement yesterday, which includes a range of technical support services to be provided by NHASH (Hang Zhou Suan Li Technology Co Ltd), a cryptocurrency cloud mining Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) company, for an initial five year term, and with an option to extend for another five years, subject to mutual agreement.

This agreement also presents SMI with the option to purchase up to 4,000 crypto mining machines, including models such as the Antminer S19j, and the Whatsminer M31S+, for a consideration to be further agreed on by both parties. Any payment through shares will be subject to the approval of SMI’s shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting to be convened in the later part of the year.

SMI, The9 and NHASH are committed to best practices in reducing the environmental impact of cryptocurrency cloud mining operations.

“SMI is delighted to embark on this initial range of mining products and services, making it easier for customers in our region to participate in cryptocurrency mining. We will continue to work with The9 and other partners to bring a range of other leading digital products and services to market, as we pivot SMI away from its traditional businesses,” said Mark Bedingham, President and CEO of SMI.

This latest move follows SMI’s entering into a subscription agreement with The9 for new shares in SMI, as announced by SMI on 21 June 2021.

About Singapore Myanmar Investco

Singapore Myanmar Investco Limited (“SMI”) is an investment and management company focused on the high-growth emerging economy of Myanmar. SMI adopts a diversified business model to capitalize on the strong trends in consumer spending, international tourism and infrastructure investment.

On June 30 2021, SMI announced its intention to pivot the company in a new direction encompassing cryptocurrency, SaaS and other high technology platforms subject to approval of SGX-ST, and SMI’s shareholders at a general meeting to be convened in the later part of the year (“EGM”), for a diversification of SMI’s core business. SMI is also looking to work with other partners in the areas of gaming, digital entertainment and robotics.

Listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Stock Exchange, SMI has a highly capable and experienced management team with proven track record in finance, business development and emerging markets.

For media queries, please reach out to:
Ashley Tan
Financial PR
E: ashley@financialpr.com.sg
T: (+65) 6438-2990

Shrinath Bolloju, Managing Director, CitiBank, India Joins KGiSL

KG Information Systems Private Limited (KGiSL), a global IT Products, Solutions, and Services provider, today announced the appointment of three banking leaders with impeccable leadership and track record, to support its growth and strategic vision. These senior finance professionals, with considerable expertise and a wealth of global banking experience, will significantly help in driving this critical phase of KGiSL’s growth strategy of reaching INR 1000 crore turnover in the next three years.

Shrinath Bolloju joins KGiSL as Chief Strategy Officer, Ramesh Nagesh as Chief Operating Officer, and Noor Hayati Ahmad as Senior Vice President & Country Head, KGiSL Singapore.

Welcoming the three banking stalwarts, Dr. Ashok Bakthavathsalam, Managing Director, KGiSL said, “The addition of these three well-established, seasoned leaders to the existing vibrant leadership of KGiSL supports our vision and strategy to become a strong player in the BFSI segment, especially in the banking domain. Their experience will help the accelerated growth plan we have, for the next 3 years.”

Commenting on the new additions to the leadership team, Prassadh Shanmugam, Director & Chief Executive Officer, KGiSL, said, “We are really fortunate to have all three of them join the leadership team at KGiSL: Shrinath with a proven track record in the banking industry is probably at his peak of his career; Ramesh, known for his technology & Operation skillsets in the banking Industry, probably has not even reached his peak yet and Hayati, a seasoned banking veteran has deep connections in the industry in Singapore and globally. The three of them could have continued what they were doing, or could have chosen any number of BFSI opportunities. Instead, they chose to join us, believing in the vision, strategy, and execution strength of KGiSL. This really adds momentum to our goals.”

An accomplished business leader with close to three decades of experience in financial services, Shrinath Bolloju joins KGiSL as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). Shrinath’s experience straddles sales, product management, technology, operations and governance in different geographies, and banking and financial products. He most recently served as Managing Director and South Asia Operations & Technology Head at Citi Bank. Previously, he has been part of the leadership team with Deutsche Bank and RBL Bank, driving transformation and digitization. As CSO at KGiSL, Shrinath will be based out of Mumbai, India. In this role, Shrinath will work closely with the senior leadership at KGiSL to drive sustained and accelerated growth across key markets and sectors.

Ramesh Nagesh joins KGiSL as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and will be based in Bangalore, India. He comes with over three decades of experience in managing regional and global operating units. He joins KGiSL after serving as COO of the Anglo Gulf Trade Bank, Abu Dhabi where he was involved in setting up the world’s first digitally-enabled, data-driven Trade Bank from the ground up. Ramesh has been part of the leadership team with top multi-national banks like Deutsche Bank, ABN-AMRO Bank, ANZ, Standard Chartered and RBS.

Noor Hayati Ahmad  joins KGiSL as  Senior Vice President & Country Head, KGiSL Singapore. She brings in over 35 years of experience, including 25 years of international banking, particularly in Global Transaction Banking, Money Markets, FX, Finance, and Retail. Having worked with global banks and leading technology organizations in Singapore, she understands the local market, technology trends and functional needs of the financial services sector. She has previously been part of the senior leadership teams at Deutsche Bank, Hatstand, Sonic, and Kashtec Technology Pte Ltd.

On his appointment, Shrinath Bolloju, Chief Strategy Officer, KGiSL, said “KGiSL has a proven track record of building robust products and solutions that have ensured long-lasting engagements with clients. I am delighted to join this seasoned and committed team, and look forward to work with them to scale up our offering, while continuing to operate as a trusted solutions provider to our clients, worldwide.”

Further to his new engagement, Ramesh Nagesh, Chief Operating Officer, KGiSL, said, “KGiSL is truly a unique and talented organization with deep-rooted capabilities in building top class products and solutions. I am honoured to work with such a culturally diverse, committed, and seasoned talent pool, and I look forward to collaborate with the team to unlock their full potential and enhance delivery capabilities.”

Noor Hayati Ahmad, Senior Vice President & Country Head, KGiSL Singapore, said, “I am truly excited to be a part of KGiSL, Singapore and I look forward to working with this highly professional team to further accelerate our ambitious growth strategy. Today, Singapore is among the top three financial hubs in the world, behind London and New York, and it is imperative that we showcase our products and services in the banking and financial sector and grow our presence in this area.”

About KGiSL: www.KGISL.com/gss

KG Information Systems Private Limited (KGiSL) is a global IT Services, Consulting and Business Solutions provider in the BFSI space. KGiSL offers Software Products, Solutions and Services in Intelligent Automation, ERP (SAP), CRM, Business Intelligence and Analytics, Quality Engineering, IT Infrastructure Management and Application Development. KGiSL has offices in India, US, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Thailand.

KGiSL is part of the $750 million business conglomerate KG Group with interest in Textiles, Engineering, Healthcare, Education, Real Estate, Entertainment, Software and Business Support Services. The Group employs over 25000 people and is known for its philanthropic services to the community for over 8 decades.

For further information, please contact:

KGiSL: Sampathkumar S | sampathkumar.s@KGISL.com | +91 9940069884

Adfactors PR (India):
Bhargav TS | bhargav.ts@adfactorspr.com | 9884883350
Shamitha Hegde | shamitha.hegde@adfactorspr.com | 9003107361

Adfactors PR (Singapore):
Namrata Sharma | namrata.sharma@adfactorspr.com | +65 8138 3034

CropLife Asia Echoes FAO Call to Transform our Food Systems

With the release of the United Nations (UN) 2021 State of Food Security & Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, CropLife Asia highlighted the need for the region’s food value chain stakeholders to work together in transforming our food systems to better enable food security, improved nutrition, and affordable healthy diets for all.

The challenge of achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 of ‘zero hunger’ globally by 2030 has grown even more complicated with the broad impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this latest UN report, it is estimated that the number of people affected by hunger worldwide in 2020 was between 720 and 811 million people. This is a marked increase of over 100 million more people than in 2019. The prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) has also climbed up to around 9.9 percent in 2020 compared to 8.4 percent the previous year. This new report also confirms a sadly familiar refrain for Asia: our region is failing to deliver food security for far too many – particularly among the more vulnerable parts of society. Asia continues to be home to the greatest number of undernourished people with 418 million suffering from hunger in 2020.

“The challenge of feeding Asia and the world requires us to explore all possible solutions. This can only be achieved through greater collaboration with others, as multi-stakeholder approaches are crucial for transformation of our food systems,” said Dr Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director, CropLife Asia. “The plant science industry champions innovation in both crop protection and plant biotech, as well as precision and digital agriculture solutions to benefit both people and the planet.”

“The innovative technologies of the plant science industry have a key role to play, but it is only one part of the solution,” Dr Tan added. “Ensuring that an ample supply of affordable and nutritious food reaches those who need it most is a shared responsibility. Farmers’ access to innovation is an increasingly crucial component to combatting food insecurity in Asia and around the world.”

Global crop losses due to pests and disease are a major contributor to global food loss and waste. These losses would be twice as high without the use of crop protection products. Crop losses can be further reduced through more effective crop protection stewardship practices. Without innovations such as crop protection products and plant biotechnology, global pre-harvest crop losses could double. Meanwhile, biotech crops are developed with improved traits such as increased yield, better resistance to pests and/or improved nutrition, among others. These traits are crucial tools that enable farmers to produce more food using fewer resources to feed our growing world.

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by six-member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.

For more information please contact:

Duke Hipp
Director, Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships
CropLife Asia
Tel: +65 6221 1615
duke.hipp@croplifeasia.org

Sri Trang Group accelerates Covid inoculation program

As the Sri Trang Group races towards its goal of 100%, highlighting  commitment to staff welfare and ESG to achieve business sustainability

Pressing ahead with its campaign to provide inoculation to all Southeast Asia based employees of the Sri Trang Group of Companies against Covid-19 with Sinopharm vaccine, provided by the Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) PCL (SET: STGT) reached its goal of 100% jabs for its entire workforce of 11,000 employees in production plants and Southeast Asia offices.

The second jabs will be given at the end of July. Other companies in the group will continue their inoculation programs where permitted until the goal is achieved, demonstrating the group’s commitment to employee welfare.

Most recently, Veerasith Sinchareonkul, Executive Director of Sri Trang Agro-Industry PCL (STA), and Jarinya Jirojkul, CEO of Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) PCL, pledged to implement the group’s ESG policy, which pays special attention to sustainability in business while treating employees with fairness in accordance with human rights and transparency principles. The companies have launched the Covid-19 vaccination program for all Southeast Asia based employees and their family members as well as select employees of suppliers and trading partners.

At the same time, the Sri Trang Group will earnestly continue to acquire additional doses of alternative vaccines for its employees and families in Thailand and abroad, as well as select members in its supply chain, to build confidence for all concerned and to help these countries overcome the current Covid-19 crisis as soon as possible.

For more information, visit Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) PCL at https://www.sritranggloves.com/en.
Released by Public Relations Dept., MT Multimedia Co., Ltd. for Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) PCL
Wasana “Jeab” Wongsiri, Tel: +66 84 359 0659, wasana.w@mtmultimedia.com
Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) PCL (SET: STGT) (SGX: STGT)
Sri Trang Agro-Industry PCL (SET: STA) (SGX: STA)

Shippit Inks Three New Deals with Leading Logistics Providers Janio, FedEx and Qxpress to Strengthen Domestic and International Capabilities

Today, fast-growing e-Commerce fulfillment tech company Shippit announces it has signed three new delivery partner deals with integrated logistics solutions provider Janio, global logistics player FedEx, and e-Commerce logistics expert Qxpress. These deals come as part of Shippit’s efforts to rapidly scale up its operations in Southeast Asia following its A$30 million Series B fundraise in December 2020.

Apart from strengthening Shippit’s domestic delivery network in Singapore and Malaysia, Shippit’s new partnership with Janio will allow Shippit to open up its delivery lanes with special rates in Southeast Asia, China, and the US. This enables merchants access to ship to more countries than before at lower costs. The partnership with Qxpress will help Shippit improve reliability and flexibility in domestic deliveries by offering new delivery options such as “same-day delivery” in Singapore, so parcels can reach end customers quickly.

With an estimated 40 million new users in Southeast Asia coming online because of the pandemic, e-Commerce spend has unsurprisingly surged; the industry is currently valued at US$62 billion and is expected to grow to US$172 billion by 2025. To support the increasing number of merchants moving online, Shippit has also added new integrations with some of the largest e-Commerce platforms such as WooCommerce and Magento to support a wider variety of merchants. WooCommerce and Magento join existing partner Shopify, allowing merchants a seamless integration with the Shippit platform.

Shippit has onboarded a variety of SMB and Enterprise clients in different product categories such as Seira Elves, Global Knives, Looqal, Sans & Sans, Hush Candles, Blender Bottle, Sterling Nutrition, and Boxgreen.

Mark Lancaster, Southeast Asian Business Development Lead at Shippit, said: “Shippit wants to be the platform of choice for growing, scaling and enterprise merchants across the region to support fulfilment and enable more last-mile choices. It’s critical that we continue investing in carrier integrations, product enhancements that benefit our merchants to capitalise on this growth in the region. These recent carrier deals expand our network capability providing more domestic and international services to our growing merchant base.”

“The growth of e-commerce in Southeast Asia has been phenomenal, and the need for robust technological and logistical infrastructure has never been higher. We are truly excited to be working with Shippit to collectively serve southeast Asia’s merchants”, said Senthil Kumar, Janio Group Head of Commercial.

Shippit recognizes the negative environmental impact deliveries have and is committed to a future of sustainable retail. It is one of the only logistics SaaS platforms across APAC, that offsets 100% of the carbon emissions on deliveries made on Shippit’s discounted rates, at no extra cost to the merchant. Shippit does this by partnering with the Carbon Neutral Group and purchasing carbon offsets to support projects that prevent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To date, the company has offset more than 278,000 kilometers of carbon footprint for its Singapore clients.

Shippit Co-founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer William On, said: “Southeast Asia presents a huge opportunity for Shippit; we think the region is set to become the world’s largest e-commerce market within the next five years! Since Shippit’s launch in Southeast Asia in July 2020, we’ve seen our business grow quickly — and expect that it will continue to scale — which is why we are looking to improve our capabilities across the region and might consider expanding into other countries in the future.”

Shippit was founded in Australia in 2014 with the intention of providing frictionless delivery options and enhanced customer experience. Shippit’s software enables retailers to instantly ship with leading partner carriers, share seamless tracking and notifications, as well as provide dedicated delivery support.

Since the fast-growing logistic SaaS platform’s expansion to Singapore less than a year ago, the company has announced partnerships with Shopify, SingPost, Ninja Van, DHL and Aramex and now powers more than 20,000 deliveries per month. Shippit serves more than 275 merchants across Southeast Asia and has a dedicated team of 7 people working across the region with a shared staff of 40 in product and customer service. Shippit is also present in Malaysia and is currently strengthening its offerings in Malaysia by partnering with local carriers and improving product capabilities.

About Shippit

Shippit is a fast-growing e-Commerce fulfilment technology company founded in Australia. Powering delivery for Asia’s leading retailers like Sephora, Decathlon, UNIQLO, CottonOn, Harvey Norman, and JD Sports, Shippit’s powerful shipping engine saves retailers time, money and provides better experiences for delivery recipients. By simplifying omni-channel fulfilment, enabling retailers to accept cash on delivery and removing friction from the cross-border shipping process, Shippit simplifies shipping for retailers so they can focus on growing their business. For more info, please visit: www.shippit.com/

KGISL Completes Acquisition of AETINS, Expands Expertise in the Insurance Space

KG Information Systems Private Limited (KGISL), a global IT services, consulting, and business solution provider, today announced the acquisition of AETINS Sdn. Bhd. through its wholly-owned subsidiary in Malaysia, KG Information Systems Sdn. Bhd. The acquisition is a part of KGISL’s growth strategy in the InsurTech space.

Prassadh Shanmugam, Director and Chief Executive Officer, KGISL

AETINS brings aboard an exceptional range of insurance solutions for Life, General and Takaful bundled with an unmatched domain expertise. AETINS’ Core Insurance Product and Solutions are well known in the market and are market-leading. The company serves a vast clientele of insurance firms in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and North Africa. The people, products, and solutions from AETINS would be leveraged in expanding KGISL’s footprint in the InsurTech space.

KGISL has market presence in the Malaysia InsurTech (201301013805) space since 2006 and has grown as a market leader with its Point of Sale (PoS) and Claims Management Solution for the Non-Life Insurance segment. The acquisition of AETINS will now bring in Core Insurance Product and Insurance Solution Framework (ISF) into KGISL’s product offerings and opens doors to enter the wider Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa markets covering the Life, Non- Life and Takaful Insurance segments.

Mr. Prassadh Shanmugam, Director and Chief Executive Officer, KGISL commenting on the acquisition said, “I am super excited about this acquisition. AETINS’ Core Insurance products, Takaful offerings and good presence in the Middle East market are the missing pieces in KGISL’s Insurance offerings. It would have taken years for us to build this capability, so the acquisition is a perfect fit for KGISL. The employees of AETINS share the same integrity, culture and value systems of KGISL, so the integration will also be smooth and quick.”

Commenting on the acquisition, Dr Ashok Bakthavathsalam, Managing Director, KGISL said, “The acquisition brings together two leading InsurTech players in pursuit of a common mission, centred on providing the best value for customers, organisation and employees. With able leadership and a go-getter team, KGISL has been on a fast growth trajectory, clocking a five-fold growth in the last four years. This acquisition adds momentum, and I am confident that our growth will be even faster in the next 3 years.”

About KGISL – www.KGISL.com/gss

KG Information Systems Private Limited (KGISL) is a global IT Services, Consulting and Business Solutions provider in the BFSI space. KGISL offers Software Products, Solutions and Services in Intelligent Automation, ERP (SAP), CRM, Business Intelligence and Analytics, Quality Engineering, IT Infrastructure Management and Application Development. KGISL has offices in India, US, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Thailand.

KGISL is part of the $750 million business conglomerate KG Group with interest in Textiles, Engineering, Healthcare, Education, Real Estate, Entertainment, Software and Business Support Services. The Group employs over 25000 people and is known for its philanthropic services to the community for over 8 decades.

About AETINS (199801000924) – www.aetins.com

AETINS, established in 1998, is a single end-to-end Insurance and Takaful Solution provider that covers all lines of business: Individual Life, Group Life, Investment Linked and General. It spans across functions like illustration, quotation, new business, policy servicing, claims, agency management, commission and benefits, accounting and services. Our business is to help Insurance and Takaful Companies to strategize and operate by leveraging on Information Technology, a key enabler to achieve transformational growth through Operational Excellence and Innovation. See www.aetins.com.

For further information, please contact:

KGISL: Sampathkumar S | sampathkumar.s@KGISL.com | +91 9940069884

Adfactors PR (India):
Bhargav TS | bhargav.ts@adfactorspr.com | 9884883350
Shamitha Hegde | shamitha.hegde@adfactorspr.com | 9003107361

Adfactors PR (Singapore):
Namrata Sharma | namrata.sharma@adfactorspr.com | +65 8138 3034