Connect with us

Technology

Business Optimism Index Dips in Q1 2025

Published

on

The Dun & Bradstreet Business Optimism Index records a decline of 15.1% (q-o-q) for Q1 2025

MUMBAI, India, Feb. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Dun & Bradstreet, a global leader in business decisioning data and analytics, released the Business Optimism Index for Q1 2025, which stands at 114.4, marking a 15.1% decline compared to Q4 2024. The decline reflects a cooling of business sentiment following the festive-driven peak in the previous quarter. Several key parameters have shown a decline in optimism, signalling a cautious sentiment among businesses as they adjust to post-festive season conditions and global economic uncertainties. The Dun & Bradstreet Business Optimism Index, which has been tracking the changing business sentiment of India Inc. since 2002, continues to serve as a leading indicator of India’s economic growth, maintaining a strong correlation of approximately 80% with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Highlights

Optimism for sales volume moderated by 23 percentage points compared to the previous quarter.Optimism for export orders declined sharply by 41 percentage points, particularly in sectors like construction and hospitality, indicating challenges in global demand.Optimism for selling prices remains strong, especially in the hospitality sector with 83 percent of respondents showing optimism.Optimism for inventory levels decreased sharply by 21 percentage points compared to the previous quarter.Optimism for both domestic and global macroeconomic environments has seen an increase of 2 percentage points.Electrical, electronics and hospitality sectors remain most optimistic across multiple parameters.

Arun Singh, Global Chief Economist, Dun & Bradstreet, said, “The Dun & Bradstreet Business Optimism Index for Q1 2025 has moderated to 114.4, down 15.1% from Q4 2024, reflecting a shift in business sentiment post-festive season. The decline is attributed to reduced consumption, lower investments, weak manufacturing, high inflation, and a widening trade deficit, compounded by a depreciating rupee. Key indicators have softened, particularly for export orders, driven by concerns over protectionist policies and supply chain disruptions. Additionally, businesses have become more cautious about input costs and inventory levels after last quarter’s stockpile. Despite these challenges, businesses appear to be optimistic about the outlook of domestic and global macroeconomic conditions, buoyed by expectations for continued government significant infrastructure, consumption, and renewable energy investments.”

Key findings from the Q1 2025 survey

The optimism for sales volume declined by 23 percentage in Q1 2025 compared to previous quarter Q4 2024. The metal, food, beverages, and tobacco sectors are the most optimistic, while the real estate sector is the least optimistic.The optimism for domestic orders declined by 21 percentage points in Q1 2025 compared to previous quarter Q4 2024. The professional and administrative service providers are most optimistic, while the capital goods and chemical sectors are least optimistic.The optimism for export orders declined significantly by 41 percentage points in Q1 2025, reaching its lowest level since Q1 2023. While the chemical sector is the most optimistic, the hospitality sector shows the least confidence.The optimism for net profit declined by 18 percentage in Q1 2025 compared to previous quarter Q4 2024. Hospitality is the most optimistic sector, while the metals sector is the least optimistic.The optimism for input costs declined by 14 percentage points in Q1 2025 compared to previous quarter Q4 2024. Higher optimism is observed in the food, beverages and hospitality sectors, while the information and communication service sectors report lower optimism.The optimism for employment declined by 3 percentage points in Q1 2025 compared to previous quarter Q4 2024. The hospitality sector is the most optimistic, while the metal sector is the least optimistic.

The report can be downloaded for free from the Dun & Bradstreet India website (http://www.dnb.co.in/)

Notes to Editors

The Business Optimism Index (BOI) is a quarterly survey-based index designed to measure the pulse of the Indian business community across India and has served as a reliable indicator of economy. Dun & Bradstreet survey’s respondents (senior management) pan India across the Manufacturing and Services sectors, covering businesses of varying scale (large, medium and small) to calculate the BOI. Respondents are asked about their expectations (in terms of increase, decrease, or no change) regarding their company’s performance (Six BOI Parameters) in the ensuing quarter over the same quarter in the previous year.

About Dun & Bradstreet

Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Cloud fuels solutions and delivers insights that empower customers to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk and transform their businesses. Since 1841, companies of every size have relied on Dun & Bradstreet to help them manage risk and reveal opportunity. For more information on Dun & Bradstreet, please visit www.dnb.com.

Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India Private Limited is headquartered in Mumbai and provides clients with data-driven products and technology-driven platforms to help them take faster and more accurate decisions in domains of finance, risk, compliance, information technology and marketing. Working towards Government of India’s vision of creating an Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) by supporting the Make in India initiative, Dun & Bradstreet India has a special focus on helping entrepreneurs enhance their visibility, increase their credibility, expand access to global markets, and identify potential customers & suppliers, while managing risk and opportunity.

India is also the home to Dun & Bradstreet Technology & Corporate Services LLP, which is the Global Capabilities Center (GCC) of Dun & Bradstreet supporting global technology delivery using cutting-edge technology. Located at Hyderabad, the GCC has a highly skilled workforce of over 500 employees, and focuses on enhanced productivity, economies of scale, consistent delivery processes and lower operating expenses.

Visit www.dnb.co.in for more information.
Click here for all Dun & Bradstreet India press releases.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2621168/D_B_BO_Index.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2314099/5086560/DB_Logo.jpg

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/business-optimism-index-dips-in-q1-2025-302377850.html

Continue Reading

Technology

Wenge AI Subsidiary D2 Intelligence Showcases Four AI Products at Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026

Published

on

By

HONG KONG, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — D2 Intelligence, a subsidiary of Wenge AI (1956.HK), is showcasing at Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026. Under this year’s theme “Fintech Nexus: Bridging the World, Building the Future”, Asia’s flagship fintech event brought together more than 45,000 attendees from more than 120 economies. At its exhibition booth, D2 Intelligence showcased four AI products — Decitron, ScienceOra, DocuMind and Checkie — spanning decision intelligence, scientific research, enterprise document intelligence and consumer-grade risk checking.

Decitron — the world’s first general-purpose large decision model.

Released by Wenge AI in June 2026, Decitron was a centerpiece of the showcase. Built on three technical pillars — a World Model, multi-agent reasoning and game solving — the model understands events, deduces possible paths and compares outcomes for complex, open-ended problems. On the internationally recognized PolyBench benchmark, it achieved a Final Forecast Accuracy of 81.20%. Rather than simply answering questions, it generates deduction process reports and comprehensive analysis reports for decision-makers, and continuously tracks evolving situations through its X-Signal global signal capability.

Decitron is available at https://decitron.wenge.com/app.

ScienceOra — an intelligent research decision platform for AI for Science (AI4S).

ScienceOra is built on the ScienceOne Scientific Foundation Model. Recently launched on Tencent WorkBuddy with more than 30 specialist research agents and skills, ScienceOra supports literature analysis, hypothesis development, study design, modeling and simulation, validation and research communication across disciplines. At the booth, ScienceOra demonstrated how, in a drug R&D scenario, a researcher evaluating Fostamatinib can first build a developability evaluation framework, then analyze the compound’s ADMET characteristics together with known bioactivity and toxicity data, and finally receive a proposed follow-up validation plan with key metrics.

ScienceOra is available at https://www.scienceone.ai/portal/.

DocuMind — an enterprise document intelligence and decision platform.

Launched by D2 Intelligence in September 2026, DocuMind serves financial services, insurance and public services, where accuracy, compliance and traceability are critical. Built on Wenge AI’s DOMA architecture (Data, Ontology, Models and Agents), it brings document recognition, information extraction, cross-document verification and risk review into a single, fully traceable workflow. In the HKMA GenA.I. Sandbox, DocuMind processed a trade finance document of up to 10 pages in under 30 seconds — compared with 10 to 20 minutes manually — with extraction accuracy for core fields exceeding 95% and a review automation rate of approximately 85%. Every conclusion retains its rationale, evidence and audit trail, and the platform supports data masking, isolated environments and on-premises deployment.

Checkie — an AI-powered “second opinion” for everyday decisions.

Checkie turns contracts, freelance offers and dating profiles into easy-to-read reality checks. Users upload PDFs or screenshots, and Checkie applies OCR and image analysis to flag unusual details and points worth a second look — from clauses buried in a rental agreement to red flags in a job offer or an online conversation. During the event, Checkie was named a Global Fast Track 2026 Semi-Finalist by Invest Hong Kong. Checkie was also recently nominated as China’s sole representative in the Government and Citizen Engagement category of the World Summit Awards (WSA) 2026, a United Nations-backed global digital innovation award, and will represent China in the upcoming global selection.

Checkie is available at https://checkie-ai.com/.

About D2 Intelligence

D2 Intelligence is a data and decision intelligence company powered by AI LLMs. We provide products and solutions for digital transformation, cross‑modal analytics, AI‑assisted decision optimization, AIGC content creation, financial risk management and investment research. We serve global brands, financial institutions and media companies including Haier, BYD, Kantar, China Construction Bank, China Merchants Bank, Guotai Junan Securities and CMG Asia-Pacific. Our headquarters is in Hong Kong, with R&D teams across major cities in Mainland China. For more information, visit https://www.d2-ai.com/.

About Wenge AI

Wenge AI (1956.HK) is a provider of artificial intelligence technology and service platform products for enterprises. With self-developed large models as its core, the company helps enterprises build practical intelligent platforms and applications. Founded by a team of AI scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenge AI has deep technological expertise in large models, cognitive intelligence and complex-system modeling, and is committed to advancing AI from technological capabilities to enterprise-level applications.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wenge-ai-subsidiary-d2-intelligence-showcases-four-ai-products-at-hong-kong-fintech-week-2026-302928667.html

SOURCE Wenge AI

Continue Reading

Technology

Trane Expands Future Climate Engineers Scholarship Program in Indonesia to Broaden Student Access

Published

on

By

BANDUNG, Indonesia, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trane – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator, has announced the expansion of the Trane Future Climate Engineers Scholarship Program in Indonesia, part of its commitment to help develop the next generation of climate leaders.

Building on a successful inaugural year, Trane is building upon its collaboration with Politeknik Negeri Bandung (POLBAN) and local non-governmental organization Yayasan Generasi Cerdas Iklim (GCI) to equip more emerging professionals with the financial support, technical training and leadership development needed to drive impact in a rapidly evolving industry.

“The HVAC industry needs talent with more than technical knowledge. As the industry evolves, there is growing demand for future-ready professionals who can apply digital tools, improve energy efficiency and help advance sustainability goals,” said Steven Lim, Country Leader of Trane Indonesia. “Through this scholarship program, we are helping bridge the gap between academic learning and industry experience, equipping young people with the skills, exposure and confidence to succeed and make a meaningful impact.”

In response to the evolving skills needs of Indonesia’s climate and energy sectors, the 2026 program is expanding its scope to include additional participants and disciplines. The program will continue its focus on Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineering while also welcoming high-potential students from POLBAN’s Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Business Administration disciplines.

The program’s learning experience has also been enhanced. Co-developed by Trane and GCI, the curriculum now brings together experts in climate resilience, low-carbon development and artificial intelligence to provide students with broader exposure to the issues shaping the future of the industry. Through an intensive leadership and innovation experience, mixed-discipline student teams will develop and implement community mini-projects designed to apply their learning in practical ways.

To further extend the program’s impact, selected online training sessions that were previously available only to scholarship recipients will now be offered free of charge to the public. This open-access approach will enable more young people across Indonesia to explore climate, sustainability and green career pathways.

“The scholarship program gives students the opportunity to learn and grow beyond the classroom, while exposing them to diverse professional and industry perspectives,” said Iwan Ridwan, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., Vice Director for Academic Affairs of POLBAN. “We look forward to continuing this collaboration to strengthen the connection between vocational education and industry needs, helping students better understand how their knowledge can be applied in the workplace and in broader society.”

“Over the first year, the program demonstrated strong interest among young people in climate, energy and sustainability,” said Ikrom Mustofa, S.Si., M.Sc., Founder and Advisor of GCI. “By opening selected sessions to the public, we are expanding access for students from diverse academic backgrounds while continuing to provide scholarship recipients with structured and in-depth development support.”

The Future Climate Engineers Scholarship supports the company’s 2030 Sustainability Commitments, and its efforts to expand access to STEM education and inspire the next generation of learners with the potential to transform our way of life and our world.

About Trane

Trane – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – creates comfortable, energy efficient indoor environments for commercial and residential applications. For more information, please visit www.trane.com or www.tranetechnologies.com.

About Trane Technologies

Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane® and Thermo King®, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. For more on Trane Technologies, visit tranetechnologies.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/trane-expands-future-climate-engineers-scholarship-program-in-indonesia-to-broaden-student-access-302926459.html

SOURCE Trane – by Trane Technologies

Continue Reading

Technology

Viettel Group and Vietnam’s Government Cipher Committee Unveil Security Chip Embedding Vietnamese Cryptography in Silicon

Published

on

By

HANOI, Vietnam, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vietnam’s Government Cipher Committee and Viettel Group have unveiled VGC v1.0, a security chip integrating a domestically developed cryptographic algorithm directly into silicon, alongside the country’s first domestically designed secure semiconductor platform.

The project addresses concerns over potential data exposure associated with reliance on imported chips. By embedding cryptographic functions directly into hardware, Vietnam’s Government Cipher Committee and Viettel Group aim to strengthen Vietnam’s control over the design and verification of technologies used to protect sensitive information.

VGC v1.0 contains 300 million transistors in a 10 × 10 mm package and is fabricated using a 28-nanometre CMOS process. In performance tests, it performed encryption and decryption approximately 15 times faster than a software-only solution carrying out the same tasks. The first batch passed technical tests and received certification for socio-economic applications in the first quarter of 2026. Technical safeguards were also applied to protect the design before fabrication, reducing risks of information leakage and reverse engineering.

The Government Cipher Committee’s M2 unit established security requirements, developed the cryptographic algorithm and defined evaluation criteria, while Viettel Semiconductor Center designed and implemented the chip. Based on the open RISC-V instruction set architecture, the underlying platform enables Vietnamese engineers to modify processor designs and reuse established verification processes for future chip generations.

VGC v1.0 has already seen initial deployment in secure USB storage devices for Party, government and defence agencies. Planned applications include supporting Vietnam’s national digital signature certification system, which has more than two million digital certificates in circulation. Other potential uses span financial data protection, connected cameras and sensors, and critical infrastructure systems in electricity, water, oil and gas, and telecommunications. Products intended to protect state secrets would require further testing and certification under applicable standards.

“Researching, designing and developing secure semiconductor chips is a formidable challenge, requiring years of accumulated expertise, technological capabilities and highly skilled talent. Yet we believe that starting later does not mean accepting dependence on others. With the right strategy, focused resources and sustained commitment, we can steadily close the gap and move towards mastering technologies of strategic importance to our country,” said Lieutenant General Tao Duc Thang, Chairman and CEO of Viettel Group.

At the launch, the Vietnam’s Government Cipher Committee and Viettel Group signed an agreement covering plans for volume production, multicore security chips, specialist workforce development and testing on real devices. Viettel is also building a semiconductor fabrication plant in Hoa Lac as part of broader efforts to develop domestic capabilities across chip design, manufacturing and packaging.

Beyond the initial chip, the initiative establishes a foundation for future generations of security hardware, supporting Vietnam’s long-term efforts to reduce technological dependence and strengthen control over critical digital technologies.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viettel-group-and-vietnams-government-cipher-committee-unveil-security-chip-embedding-vietnamese-cryptography-in-silicon-302928624.html

SOURCE Viettel Group

Continue Reading

Trending