Indonesia Remains a Major Investment Destination

Indonesia Remains a Major Investment Destination (ANTARA)

Indonesia, Nov 4, 2013 - (ANTARA) - The Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) reported that total investments had jumped 23 percent year-on-year to top Rp 100.5 trillion (US$8.9 billion) in July-September, the highest ever recorded, despite the capital outflows and financial market turbulence that took place during that period.

"This is an important signal that Indonesia, amid the bleak global economic outlook, remains a major destination for investment," BKPM chairman Mahendra Siregar told a press briefing.

Indonesia is on course to meet its annual investment target as overall investment growth has been maintained at above 20 percent in the third quarter, with robust growth in domestic direct investment (DDI) compensating for the slowdown in foreign direct investment (FDI).

With three months left before the end of the year, the country had realized Rp 293 trillion of investments, meaning that the country was on track to meet its annual investment target of Rp 390 trillion, he said.

The new BKPM chairman, who was just elected last month, targeted to realize Rp 450 trillion of investments next year, a 15 percent increase compared to this year.

Investments account for around 25 percent of Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP), which is the second-biggest growth driver after household consumption.

Emma Sri Martini, President Director, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI) said, "As home of the world's 16th largest economy, Indonesia is duly aware of the importance of an expanded infrastructure capacity to ensure a sustainable and inclusive economic growth. The Government of Indonesia has developed and implemented the Masterplan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia Economic Development (Masterplan Percepatan dan Perluasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Indonesia or MP3EI), aimed at accelerating the country's infrastructure development."

Emma said, "Given the scale of investment required to develop the country's infrastructure, it is crucial to cultivate a high degree of cooperation among the central government, local governments, state owned enterprises and the private sector. As an infrastructure financing company entirely owned by the Government of Indonesia through Indonesia's Ministry of Finance, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (Persero) or PT SMI, boasts a unique position to promote the provision of national infrastructure funding through partnerships with private and multilateral financial institutions."

Primus Dorimulu, Chief Editor of Investor Daily said, "We are glad that PowerPR and Investor Daily Indonesia are organizing the Indonesia Investment Forum (IIF) in The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong on 7 November 2013. The topic of the forum is discussing various investment opportunities in Indonesia, and opening a dialogue between the Indonesian Government, Indonesian enterprises as investment targets and Global Investors."

Christovita Wiloto, Founder & Chairman of Indonesia Investment Forum said, "We hope that the Indonesia Investment Forum will create a better understanding of the business opportunities in Indonesia, which in turn will create investment interest in Indonesia as well as to increase the number of investors who will invest in Indonesia."

For more information :- www.search.dowellresearch.com , www.dowellresearch.com

For Bangalore's youth, tablet is a work device, not a plaything: Zinnov study.

BANGALORE, MARCH 30:  

In a first of its kind study, half the youth in Bangalore use tablets for work, according to market advisory firm Zinnov.

The company surveyed 850 consumers who currently use, or have used tablet devices in the past and was conducted amongst individuals across ages, gender, marital status and professions. According to the study, respondents in the age group of 21-39 use their tablets mostly for work, thereby dispelling the notion that tablets were used for entertainment purposes.

This also signifies another trend that the line between work and personal lives are blurring, going by the report. “The youth wants flexibility to work and our research establishes that fact,” said Kishan Bhat, Director- Engineering & IT Excellence at Zinnov. The study also points that the youth were hooked onto their tablets with 63 per cent of them saying that they used it throughout the day.

Around 60 per cent of the respondents said that the tablets are used to access emails, reading news or books but has not gone into the amount of time spent into each activity. However, the survey points out that tablet usage increases as the day goes on with majority of usage happening in the evening and night. Around 63 per cent of the respondents surveyed said that they used it to access social networking websites and only 35 per cent said that they shopped online, thereby indicating that Indian consumers are still uncomfortable over security issues in mobile payments.

Tablets made by Acer, HCL and Samsung were used more for official purposes, the study said. Also, the youth seemed to be more interested in portability of a tablet as compared to features, appearance or price. Interestingly, only 59 per cent of the users were concerned about battery life in a tablet.

When it came to customer satisfaction, Apple’s iPads continue to reign supreme, followed by Samsung and Indian companies like Micromax, Karbonn and HCL.

for more Tech News : - www.search.dowelresearch.com , www.dowellresearch.com

Tweets by @himeshvrtw

20pc of children are depressed

MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY: It may be due to pressure on classroom performance, problems at home, says expert

KUALA LUMPUR: THE number of children with  poor mental health is  rising,   with 20 per cent found to be suffering from stress, anxiety and depression in the latest National Health  Morbidity Survey  (NHMS).

The survey, conducted in 2011, said there were more children aged between 5 and 15 suffering from mental health issues or were prone to mental disorders, compared with the number from the NHMS conducted in 2006.

Deputy director-general of Health (Public Health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman told the New Straits Times the NHMS revealed that the figure stood at 13 per cent in 1996.

"It was at 19.4 per cent in 2006 and reached 20 per cent in 2011.

"Stress, anxiety and depression are the common mental health conditions from which students suffer.

"Some also suffer from schizo-phrenia, a severe form of mental illness."

The NHMS used to be conducted every 10 years, but has been held every five years since 2006.

Dr Lokman said the Healthy Mind Programme survey conducted last year revealed seven per cent of 19,919 Form Four students from 157 schools showed signs of severe and extremely severe stress, anxiety and depression.

The mental health screening was carried out based on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, where students answered a set of questionnaires.

The growing number has compelled the authorities to extend the screening programme in schools to cover Forms Two to Five students. Previously, it only covered Form Four students.

Dr Lokman said poor mental health could be the result of pressure on students from the high expectations of parents and teachers in academic excellence and individual personality, as well as social, family and interpersonal problems.

"Mental health problems cause major changes in a person's thinking, emotional state and behaviour, and disrupt the person's ability to work and carry on with personal relationships.

"Children and adolescents are assets to the nation's development.

"To achieve maximum potential, students have to develop self-identity, good self-esteem and be ready to accept life challenges in preparation for adulthood."

Poor mental health, he said, could be identified through emotional and behavioural symptoms.

"Students with poor mental health have low self-esteem, suffer from sadness or restlessness, show poor performance in school and have relationship problems.

"There are also mental and behavioural problems, like truancy, bullying, vandalism, substance abuse, tendency to self-harm and suicidal behaviour, that are tell-tale signs."

Dr Lokman said there were resources to support students who had poor mental health, including counselling and psychological and social service programmes by schools.

"For example, the Education Ministry has a school counsellor to student ratio of 1:500.

"It also has a referral system to health facilities."

He said schools should incorporate the Healthy Mind Policy in the existing school policy and conduct the Mental Health Awareness Week programme, which would see the participation of parent-teacher associations.

"Schools should provide social support to children through peer education groups and occasionally conduct courses on parenting skills."

On why the screening programme was not extended to cover all primary school pupils and secondary school students, Dr Lokman said the screening tools available were only suitable for those between 13 and 17.

"For primary schools, mental health promotion activities are carried out through other programmes, such as 'Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya'."

Dr Lokman said the Health Ministry would train more school counsellors and healthcare providers to detect early symptoms of mental health problems and suicidal behaviour.

He stressed that family and good parenting played a vital role in helping children and adolescents deal with mental health issues.

"This is because conflicts between parents and in the family environment, domestic violence and physical, emotional or sexual abuse can cause mental and emotional disturbances."

On Dec 13, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said school counsellors would be given extra training to increase their expertise in counselling students to tackle mental health problems.

Read more: www.search.dowellresearch.com , www.dowellresearch.com

Tweets by @himeshvrtw

Get ready for India's Smartphone explosion (INFOGRAPHIC)

the Boston-based marketing and market intelligence firm, released an infographic yesterday on India’s smartphone market. It’s relatively simple as far as these types of reports go, but we like it because it underscores a few quick and dirty points. Indian smartphones are dirt cheap. Tons of Indian smartphone buyers (92 percent) will be buying a device for the first time this year. India, like many other developing economies, is Android country. Check out the full infographic below:

Read more: Get ready for India’s smartphone explosion (INFOGRAPHIC) 

for more Technology and Telecom Related Reports : www.search.dowellresearch.com , www.dowellresearch.com

Tweets by @himeshvrtw

SAP Mobile EMR

The mobile solution for the medical and healthcare industry enables professionals to increase efficiency and improve service quality. Innovative mobile technology enables you to deliver personalised, patient-centred medical services as well as reducing costs. Designed to support the care management process, SAP Electronic Medical Record provides you with all the information you need to care for your patients, no matter where you are.

User-Friendly Solution for Medics

Keep your medical notes well-organised with the SAP Electronic Medical Record. It allows you to view patient data, including demographics and vital signs, in a clear and simple format. Key information is displayed graphically, ensuring that you have easy access to the most important data. The solution gives you full access to a patient's lab results, enabling you to see abnormal values straight away. With the ability to check the status of orders, mistakes are less likely. In addition, access to image archiving and communications systems (PACS) is provided using standard interfaces, so no time is wasted learning new systems.

Benefits

• The SAP Electronic Medical Record helps healthcare professionals to make more well-informed decisions as to the best way of providing care
• It offers the ability to collaborate with colleagues wherever you are to improve clinical outcomes without compromising patients' privacy and data security
• Accurate information is critical in medical care, so the up-to-date vital parameters, progress notes and diagnoses ensure that the best decisions are made
• The communication features enable you to collaborate better with patients and other professionals in your field
• Using all these tools means you can ensure reduced waiting times and contribute to a better overall healthcare experience

China Railways targets private funding.

The central government is eyeing a massive injection of private capital to finance China's railway construction through a railway development fund, as part of a slew of incentives to stabilize economic growth.

The setting-up of the fund was announced at a Wednesday meeting of the State Council, China's cabinet, which vowed to ensure railway investment is "steady" and its construction "fast."

The cabinet meeting pledged to put 6,600 kilometers of new railway lines into operation this year, 1,000 kilometers more than last year.

The State Council unveiled a raft of measures to raise funds and reform investment and finance for the railway sector, including the issuing of up to 150 billion yuan ($24.3 billion) of railway funds and encouraging banks to finance rail construction.

Among the measures, the establishment of a railway development fund is believed to be a concrete step in the reform of railway finance.

The fund is positioned to be a capital-raising platform with the backing of central government, the Economic Information paper reported on Thursday, citing a well-informed source.

While social investors will not be directly involved in the construction and operation of railways, their gains will be guaranteed, the source said.

The fund hopes to raise 400 to 600 billion yuan over 2014 and 2015. Central fiscal funds are expected to account for about one-third or a quarter of the total fund, which means social capital will top 400 billion yuan by the end of 2015, the source said.

The plan also requires 70 percent of the fund to be used in State railway projects during the initial phase, to satisfy the massive demand for infrastructure in China's central and western regions.

The creation of the fund comes when China Railway Corporation (CRC) is over 3 trillion yuan in debt.

The CRC was created after the Ministry of Railways was dissolved in March 2013, following a series of corruption scandals.

The fund signifies a departure from past practice in which the government rolled out a direct stimulus package and marks the government's intent to explore new ways to stimulate the economy, said Ma Hong, an expert on infrastructure with Shanghai-based CBI Research Center.

It aims to energize the railway sector and help to improve efficiency, Ma told the Global Times Thursday.

However, experts believe attracting capital from the private sector will be difficult.

"Low profit and a long pay-off time will deter social investors, who prefer investments with higher returns," Ma said.

The Economic Information report said a fund management company controlled by the CRC will be responsible for the fund's day-to-day operation.

"If social investors have no say in how to run the business, they probably would not be interested in taking part," said Ma.

The cabinet's announcement of pouring more investment into the railway sector is viewed as part of an economic package after economic indicators show signs of a slowdown.

"The railway sector is one of the few that still has huge potential for accommodating a massive-scale investment," Zhao Jian, a professor with the School of Economics and Management at Beijing Jiaotong University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Most industries, such as steel, cement and flat glass, are already facing overcapacity issues and cannot afford a new round of expansion, Zhao said.

The State Council said nearly 80 percent of State-funded railway investment will go to less-developed central and western regions.

The speeding-up of railway construction in central and western China will also stimulate the growth of related industries, aid the urbanization process and help tens of millions of people to shake off poverty, the cabinet meeting said.

However, experts urged caution in applying the pro-growth incentive.

"Previous massive spending on high-speed rail left huge debts and gave the railway sector a hangover," Zhao said, noting that the high-speed rail capacity is currently under-used and its profitability low.

If the central government wants to spend money on high-speed trains in western regions, where it is less populous and high-speed trains less useful, then China is poised to see an even bigger hangover in the years to come, Zhao said.

For more automotive reports www.search.dowellresearch.com , www.dowellresearch.com

Tweets by @himeshvrtw

Surge in demand for green cars: Survey

JAKARTA -- The demand for green cars in Indonesia is rapidly increasing and has encouraged car manufacturers to be more innovative, according to a survey result.

"Technological advancement has influenced the development of a new generation of smart cars that has encouraged manufacturers to continue making innovations," Domy Halim, the country manager of Ipsos Business Consulting Indonesia stated here on Tuesday.

He remarked that the car markets in developing countries are the key drivers of the global automotive industrial growth.

"After the global economic crisis, car markets in developing countries have become more lucrative than those in developed nations. Developing countries are forecast to constitute two-thirds of the car sales next year," Domy emphasized.

Foreign direct investment in the automotive sector in Indonesia has shown an increase of about 114 percent between 2010 and 2013.

The presence of low cost green cars (LCGC) in Indonesia has also encouraged manufacturers to launch new models, such as Toyota Agya, Daihatsu Ayla, Suzuki Karimun R, and Honda Brio Satya.

The government is offering support in the form of free luxury product sales taxes for the production of LCGC, especially for those with a maximum capacity of 1.2 thousand cubic centimeters and having an average of 20 kilometers per liter.

Domy said that since their launch in September 2013, the LCGC models have been able to record sales of about 10 to 15 thousand per month. (PNA)

Tweets by @himeshvrtw

Opportunities in the medical devices sector in India

Growing medical tourism, a burgeoning hospital sector and increased patient affluence make India an attractive prospect for medical device companies looking for partnerships

The Indian healthcare sector provides a lucrative growth avenue for companies already operating in the region and for new entrants, particularly diagnostic device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and health insurance providers.

The total Indian healthcare sector today is worth $65bn and is projected to reach $100bn by 2015 (see Figure 1 below).

 

Within this, the diagnostic and medical equipment segment makes up 5 per cent of the total market, having experienced growth rates of 15-20 per cent over the past few years, and anticipating further growth to $5bn by 2015. This represents a massive opportunity for medical diagnostic manufacturers, and as there are several areas that still need significant development, growth is estimated to continue at this rate for another decade.

Factors such as the rising prevalence of diseases, medical tourism, improving affluence of patients and increasing penetration of health insurance have contributed substantially in stimulating the demand for diagnostic services in India. 

Growing medical tourism
An additional area of revenue for the Indian healthcare system is medical tourism, which has grown significantly from $400m in 2006 to over $1.5bn in 2012 (CAGR of 20.8 per cent).

International organisations are beginning to recognise the potential value of the Indian diagnostics market thanks to the continuing expansion of medical tourism. The country has a level of technological sophistication and infrastructure that will enable it to maintain a strong position in this sector even as other countries such as South Africa, Argentina and Malaysia look to enter the market. 

Moreover, the Indian government has undertaken initiatives in the public health sector which focus on improving medical infrastructure and rural health facilities, as well as encouraging foreign direct investment for medical services.

[There is] a massive opportunity for medical diagnostic manufacturers, and several areas that need significant development

One CEO from an international private hospital company said recently: “India currently treats more patients from the western world than any other healthcare destination in Asia. The last decade has seen the private sector power the growth and maturity of the healthcare delivery sector in India. 

“Many hospitals in India have achieved JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation which demonstrates that they meet global standards of healthcare delivery. High-quality, affordable healthcare will continue to make India a favoured medical value destination for patients from the developed and developing world,” he continued. 

Several procedures costing thousands of dollars in the US can be undertaken for a fraction of the cost in India, and this is boosting medical tourism in the region. For example, a bone marrow transplant costing $300,000 in the US can be performed for $40,000 in India with comparable facilities and by world class physicians. Similarly, liver transplants costing $250,000 in the US can be performed for $ 30,000 in India. 

Growing hospital sector
The hospital industry in India is also growing, and is widely believed to be the 'next big thing' in the Indian market by most global healthcare investors. Some of the growth factors for this expansion include: a rise in medical tourism, improving medical insurance systems, an ageing population, increasing lifestyle-related health issues, increasing discretionary income, government initiatives and a focus on models such as the public–private partnership (PPP).

The Indian government has undertaken initiatives in the public health sector that focus on improving medical infrastructure

Leading private hospitals that are currently controlling the country's healthcare sector include Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, Fortis Healthcare, Wockhardt Hospitals, Max Hospitals, Aravind Eye Hospitals and Manipal Hospitals, among others. 

Fortis Healthcare, Apollo and Wockhardt Hospitals are responsible for running approximately 30 hospitals across the subcontinent and are actively seeking international partners to promote medical tourism. Moreover, the increasingly educated and affluent patient population in India is demanding improved health services, to which the corporate hospital groups are responding by providing upgraded healthcare infrastructure (see Figure 2).

(click image for larger graphic)

Growing urbanisation
One of the major driving forces behind the increasing demand for modern healthcare is the migration of citizens from rural areas to urban developments. Consequently, increased investment is being made in hospitals and clinical laboratories. The rapid increase in health awareness among middle and high-income families in India is also leading to a higher demand for preventive healthcare. More than 80 per cent of medical facilities in India are concentrated in urban areas, while 73 per cent of the Indian population is still rural dwelling. Some 90 per cent of patients require primary and/or secondary care, with only 10 per cent needing specialised tertiary care.  

As the population increases in size and age in urban areas, the demand for high-value medical diagnostics is growing rapidly. High-value medical diagnostic devices can be split into two categories: 

• In vivo diagnostics – MRI,  PET, CT-scans
• In vitro diagnostics – diagnostic test devices for IHC, FISH, PCR, q-PCR, MS, sequencing or others.

A recent survey showed that of the total cost of a hospital project, nearly 30 per cent is directed towards high-value medical and/or diagnostic equipment. With the advent of newer technologies, medical equipment is increasingly relied upon to assist healthcare professionals with diagnosis and treatment. Hence, the purchase, maintenance contracts and replacement of medical equipment are an essential and integral part of hospital management.

The rapid increase in health awareness in India … is also leading to a higher demand of preventative healthcare

Prior to the purchase of equipment, a number of factors will be considered by the hospital, such as the requirement for the equipment, how it will be utilised, its purchase price and the ongoing cost of maintenance. The decision is taken in consultation with various people including medical professionals, senior management, biomedical engineers and other stakeholders.

Power of influencers
Those influencing the decision to purchase equipment vary from one institution to another. As in any other public sector organisations around the world, non-private hospitals in India have multiple stakeholders. Physicians and other healthcare practitioners, senior management, procurement and external stakeholders such as suppliers and manufacturers, all play a role in purchasing decisions. The process is slightly less complicated in private hospitals and appears to have fewer key decision makers and influencers.

In today's highly competitive market, sales personnel have to manage physicians, who in India are very cost conscious, and simultaneously manage the expectations of procurement, the C-suite, nurses and technicians. Many of these stakeholders will have preconceived ideas about different device manufacturers based on their experience, as well as secondary information from their family and friends working in the same field. 

With more stakeholders involved in the decision process, each with their own priorities and differing views about any given device, the complexity of the sales process can rise exponentially. This increased complexity translates into a greater time commitment for each account and for that time to be prioritised appropriately.

Additionally, there is a strong bureaucratic system in India, which supports a number of committees including a new product committee and a value analysis committee (VAC) among others. 

Such committees serve to lengthen the purchasing decision which in turn, lengthens the buying process. This also means that many of the decisions are made in the absence of the sales representative, allowing him or her little opportunity to influence the decision. Therefore, working with internal champions and stakeholders becomes a critical step in representing new products effectively.

Furthermore, in addition to the multiple decision-makers inside the hospital, there are a number of powerful groups outside in the market. Group Purchasing Organisations (GPOs) contract with suppliers to pool the purchasing power of a consortium of member hospitals, and independent consultants are sometimes employed to identify cost savings.

Partnerships and alliances
In a nutshell, the Indian hospital industry is undergoing significant changes driven by rapid economic growth, attracting increasing amounts of investments from the pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers overseas. 

For medical device manufacturing companies in the global arena, there is considerable potential to increase profit in this region. The significance of growth drivers must be considered while defining sales strategy or conducting financial analyses in the country. For device manufacturers to exploit these opportunities fully, partnering or creating alliances with pharmaceutical companies and corporate hospital groups can be mutually beneficial, providing advantages of size and strength, as well as filling gaps in both companies' offerings.
for more Healthcare  Reports from Asia www.search.dowellresearch.com

WhatsApp has 30 million active users in India, up 5 million from last month

WhatsApp is accelerating faster than ever in India, and right now has 30 million active users in the country, according to Neeraj Arora, WhatsApp’s business development head. That’s fast growth from 25 million active monthly users in India just last month. It was at 20 million in August, writes the Medianama blog. To help the messaging app – which has over 350 million active users around the world, grow even more in India, WhatsApp has inked a deal with telco Tata Docmomo to offer unlimited WhatsApp usage to its subscribers. That BBM-like package will cost Rs 15 for 15 days. It’s WhatsApp’s second such deal in India, coming a year after a similar package was offered by rival network Reliance. WhatsApp has strong competition in India from more feature-rich, Asia-made messaging apps like WeChat and Line. Both those have rolled out TV commercials and lots of social media marketing in India in a bid to pick up new users

Read more: WhatsApp has 30 million active users in India, up 5 million from last month 

for more Related news from Asia visit us www.search.dowellresearch.com

Tweets by @himeshvrtw