The Brief: Asia's economy, 1 October 2026

Economies

Singapore PM Wong Urges Economic Discipline in Policymaking: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, also Finance Minister, emphasised the enduring value of core economic principles – price, cost, and incentives – for sound policy decisions, even amid pressure for quick fixes.

Vietnam Tea Exports to US Rise 36% on Higher Prices, Volumes: Vietnam recorded US$7.64 million in tea shipments to the United States during the first eight months of 2026, driven by a 22% rise in volumes and a 12% increase in average prices per ton.

Markets

India Bank Lending Rates Mixed, Deposits Cheaper in August: The Reserve Bank of India reported varied movements in commercial bank lending rates for August 2026, with outstanding loan rates easing slightly while fresh loan rates edged up. Deposit rates concurrently declined.

Singapore MAS appoints 5 managers for S$1.45bn equity development: The central bank’s programme aims to enhance liquidity and broaden trading beyond blue-chip stocks into smaller companies, drawing private capital.

Philippines Treasury Raises $1.36 Billion in Retail Bond Sale: The two-and-a-half-year offering generated PHP84.9 billion from individual investors, according to the Philippines treasury's report yesterday.

Hong Kong issues world's largest digital green bond, HK$20bn: The territory's latest digital bond offering, valued at US$2.55 billion, marks the largest such issuance globally to date.

Accrelist defends MClean divestment terms, buyer independence to SGX: Singapore-listed Accrelist yesterday clarified its RM30 million MClean Technologies divestment to the Singapore Exchange, addressing queries on pricing, buyer independence, and funding capability.

Indian Legacy Funds Outperform Newer Rivals in Volatile Market: Older asset managers delivered 3.2% average returns in large- and mid-cap funds, against 0.8% for newer firms, a Mint analysis found.

Banking & Fintech

GXBank Targets 2028 Profit Amid Loan Growth, Asset Cap Review: The Malaysian digital bank reported a wider first-half net loss of RM122.1 million in 2026, while securing an IFC risk-sharing agreement for MSME lending.

Asian Embedded Finance: Platforms Buy Banks, Fintechs Seek Licences: A recent webinar highlighted how digital platforms are acquiring banking capabilities, while fintechs are pursuing their own licences, redefining competitive advantage across the region.

Industries

Asia's Top Tech Startups Pivot to Physical AI; Singapore's Role as Hub Expands: More than half of the firms on Granite Asia's NextGen Tech 30 list now apply artificial intelligence in physical settings, with Singapore-based companies making up 42 per cent of honourees.

Hyundai E&C launches Hillstate Godeok Ellist near Samsung campus: The 1,779-unit development in Godeok International New Town offers 84 square metre homes, subject to Korea’s price ceiling system.

Wealth

AI Boom Concentrates Wealth, Challenges Diversification: A surge in artificial intelligence as an investment theme is heightening concentration risk across public equities, fixed income, and real assets, according to The Business Times.

Five Asian Billionaires Post World's Biggest Single-Day Wealth Gains: Three Chinese, one Japanese, and one South Korean tycoon collectively added billions to their fortunes, according to Forbes data from Monday, 28 September 2026.