Developing Asia's economic growth in 2026 is projected to be moderate, reaching to 4.9% in 2026, down from 5.5% in 2025, according to the Asian Development Outlook.
Putting this downward trend in perspective, Albert Park, Chief Economist, Asian Development Bank said, "Economic growth in developing Asia and the Pacific remains resilient, but persistent headwinds caused by the conflict [in the Middle East] require a careful policy balance between supporting growth and containing inflation.”
As Asia recovers from the aftermath of the Middle East conflict, economies are also adjusting to disruptions being cased by AI. The region’s impending growth remains supported by domestic consumption and tech/ AI investments, but faces headwinds from energy market uncertainties, supply disruptions, and tighter financial conditions.
As market dynamics shift, the onus on writing Asia’s comeback story shifts to business leaders leading critical companies across the region. Through a mix of vision, influence and courage, Asian business leaders can lead the region to face the headwinds.
The current edition of CEOInsights Asia magazine spotlights influential business leaders from Asia. One of the featured leaders is Manoj Srivastava, the Founder & CEO of Indo-Pacific Management Consulting (IPMC), a leader with nearly five decades of global experience across the oil & gas, petrochemical, and energy sectors.
Speaking about setting up business in Singapore, he says, “Singapore has provided me with an exceptional environment to grow professionally. Its culture of professionalism, strong governance, multicultural collaboration, and operational excellence has influenced my leadership style in many ways.”
Joining the list of featured leaders is also Ayezat Nulhakeem Youslee, the MD of Hydrateq Services and a specialist in Non-Revenue Water (NRW) management. With over 15 years of industry experience, he has led innovative water infrastructure projects across Malaysia.
Highlighting his vision for the future, Ayezat says, “I want Hydrateq to play a meaningful role in protecting water resources and strengthening regional water security for future generations.”
In this month’s special magazine edition read in-depth conversations with the featured leaders and a breakdown of key market trends developing in Asia.
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