Archives March 2026

Business Wire India

India’s renewable energy expansion has reached over 200 GW of installed capacity as of 2025, yet persistent challenges like urban heat islands, air pollution, water stress, and mounting battery waste highlight that generation alone falls short. For a nation of 1.5 billion facing some of the planet’s most acute climate pressures, the path forward demands data-driven decarbonisation—a practical, economically sound approach that integrates measurement, circularity, and infrastructure to deliver measurable results without straining balance sheets.

 

Motivus, a climate-tech firm incubated at IIT Guwahati, is addressing this challenge through a three-layered approach to sustainable energy. It begins with data and insights, where advanced carbon accounting and ESG intelligence platforms convert emissions data into clear, actionable inputs for decision-making. Building on this, the second layer focuses on circularity in energy storage, led by its patented battery regeneration technology that extends asset life and reduces waste. The third layer brings these efforts together through on-ground infrastructure integration, where modular energy systems combine renewables with intelligent storage to deliver reliable, efficient power solutions. Together, these three layers create a connected framework that moves from measurement to optimisation and finally to real-world implementation.

 

At the heart lies Motivus’s internationally patented AI/ML-enabled battery regeneration technology, which restores lead-acid batteries without opening, dismantling, or adding chemicals. By targeting hardened lead sulphate crystals and reactivating material, the process extends battery lifespans with warranty-backed performance, reduces hazardous waste streams, minimises fresh lead extraction, achieves up to 80% emission-free regeneration, and sidesteps the need for scarce mineral mining. This creates tangible economic value—lower replacement costs and optimised assets—while tackling India’s massive installed base of lead-acid batteries in real time.

 

Completing the framework is green infrastructure integration through modular energy ecosystems that pair renewables with intelligent storage, optimised for Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, and rural areas. These solutions support critical applications like telecom towers, semi-urban healthcare, MSMEs, agricultural irrigation, e-rickshaws, off-grid solar setups, and domestic backups. Unlike lithium-based alternatives, which struggle with high costs, heat sensitivity, import dependencies, and infrastructure demands in Indian conditions, Motivus leverages existing lead-acid infrastructure to enable energy sovereignty—cutting capital expenditure on new procurement, operational expenses via extended lifecycles and digital monitoring, import risks, recycling burdens, and waste generation.

 

“India’s climate challenge isn’t about installing more panels; it’s about execution efficiency, asset longevity, and turning sustainability into a financial advantage for businesses and communities alike. Motivus is proving that circularity can regenerate batteries, restore economic viability, and power energy sovereignty across rural Bharat—bridging policy ambition with on-ground reality in a way that strengthens balance sheets, not burdens them,” said Mr. Probal Ghosal, Chairman & Mentor – Motivus Innovation; Founder & Chairman, Ghosal Catalyst Ventures (GCV); Co-Founder & Former Chairman – Ujala Cygnus Healthcare.

 

This model reframes the energy transition: lithium storage often requires heavy upfront investments and specialised support, yet falters in high-temperature environments. By contrast, Motivus reduces Cap-Ex through regeneration and annuity models, trims Op-Ex with AI oversight, and avoids import-heavy chains—making green progress accessible for cost-sensitive sectors. As global climate finance hits $10 trillion by 2030 and ESG pressures mount, such innovations signal how India can achieve net-zero goals through smarter utilisation, not just expansion.

Business Wire India

Kinaxis^® Inc. (TSX: KXS), a global leader in supply chain orchestration, today announced it has been positioned as a Leader in both the 2026 Gartner^® Magic Quadrant™ for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Discrete Industries and the 2026 Gartner^® Magic Quadrant™ for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Process Industries. In both reports, Gartner recognized Kinaxis for its ability to execute and completeness of vision.

 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260323129357/en/

 

 

 

Kinaxis has been recognized as a Leader in the Gartner^® Magic Quadrant™ for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for eleven times in a row. Kinaxis has also been recognized as a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Process Industries and Discrete Industries.

 

“In our opinion, being named a Leader reflects the growing need for supply chains to deliver measurable business outcomes in the face of constant disruption,” said Andrew Bell, Chief Product Officer at Kinaxis. “Organizations today must maintain and improve service levels, optimize working capital, and respond to volatility in real time. Maestro unifies planning and execution in a concurrent environment where automation and AI help teams act with speed and confidence, driving adaptability that sustains performance.”

 

 

As supply chains increasingly operate continuously rather than in fixed planning cycles, organizations require orchestration that keeps pace with constant change. Kinaxis delivers this through Maestro™, its AI-powered platform spanning S&OP, demand, supply, inventory, production planning and scheduling. By combining deterministic automation and composable agentic AI in a shared concurrent model, Maestro enables confident decision-making at enterprise scale across organizations from the mid-market to global enterprises.

 

 

With expanded Maestro Agents, Maestro Agent Studio, and a unified data foundation, Kinaxis supports both repeatable execution and adaptive reasoning within a governed environment. These advancements are supported by strategic partnerships including Databricks and with other leading software vendors in the broader enterprise ecosystem. Innovation is further reinforced by Kinaxis’ expanding intellectual property portfolio, which includes nearly 90 issued patents globally and a significant number of additional patents pending across multiple jurisdictions. Approximately 45% of the portfolio focuses on AI and machine learning, underscoring continued investment in intelligent supply chain orchestration.

 

 

Complimentary copies of the 2026 Gartner^® Magic Quadrant™ for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Discrete Industries and for Process Industries reports are available for download here.

 

 

Gartner Disclaimer:
Note:
1 Gartner, 2026 Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Process Industries
Gartner, 2026 Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Discrete Industries
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning Solutions – 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning System of Record – 2014, 2016, 2018
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Sales and Operations Planning Systems of Differentiation – 2019, 2017, 2015

 

 

Gartner does not endorse any company, vendor, product or service depicted in its publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s business and technology insights organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this publication, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

 

 

Gartner and Magic Quadrant are a trademark of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates.

 

 

About Kinaxis
Kinaxis is a leader in modern supply chain orchestration, powering complex global supply chains, and supporting the people who manage them. Our powerful, AI-infused supply chain orchestration platform, Maestro, combines proprietary technologies and techniques that provide full transparency and agility across the entire supply chain — from multi-year strategic planning to last-mile delivery. We are trusted by renowned global brands to provide the agility and predictability needed to navigate today’s volatility and disruption. For more news and information, please visit kinaxis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

 

 

Source: Kinaxis Inc.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260323129357/en/

 

ASE subsidiary to subscribe for S$12 million of new AEM shares 

Singapore and Taipei, Mar 24  - AEM Holdings Ltd. (“AEM” or “the Group”), a global leader in test innovation, announced a strategic partnership with ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd. (TWSE: 3711, NYSE: ASX) (“ASE”), the leading provider of semiconductor assembly, testing and materials (“ATM”) services and the provider of electronic manufacturing (“EMS”) services. The collaboration brings together AEM’s proprietary test technologies with ASE’s world-class manufacturing scale to deliver disruptive test solutions tailored for the rapidly expanding Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and High-Performance Computing (“HPC”) markets. 

Aligned with the strategic partnership, AEM will raise approximately S$12 million in gross proceeds through a private placement of 3,350,000 million ordinary shares to a wholly owned subsidiary of ASE, representing 1.06% of AEM’s issued share capital as at 21 March 2026, at an issue price of S$3.591 per share. ASE, through said subsidiary, will also receive a total of 28,111,856 million free detachable warrants, divided equally into two exercisable tranches, with each tranche subject to certain ASE-attributable revenue-related conditions. Each warrant is exercisable into one ordinary share, with the Tranche 1 exercise price set at 103% of the volume weighted average price (“VWAP”) of AEM’s shares for the full market day on which the subscription agreement is signed, and the Tranche 2 exercise price set at 105% ofsuch VWAP. If fully exercised, the warrants would result in an additional 8.935% of the current issued share capital. The transaction remains subject to certain conditions, including the approval of the Singapore Exchange for the listing and quotation of the new shares. 

Proceeds from the private placement will support AEM’s continued expansion in Taiwan and the joint integration of AEM’s test technologies, including highly parallel test architectures and advanced thermal management capabilities, into ASE’s manufacturing and test environments. The funds will also be used to advance AEM’s product roadmap, enhance its system offerings, and accelerate joint go to market initiatives aimed at supporting next generation AI and HPC applications. 

The strategic partnership also supports ISE Labs, a wholly owned subsidiary of ASE, as it expands AI and HPC processor development capabilities to address early-stage testing, validation, and characterization requirements. These efforts focus on heterogeneous integration architectures, including multi-chiplet and advanced system-in-package designs as well as optical interconnect technologies critical to next-generation compute platforms. ASE’s ATM portfolio further strengthens these initiatives with high-volume advanced packaging and test capabilities, enabling production-scale deployment as global demand continues to accelerate. 

Ken Hsiang, Chief Executive Officer of ISE Labs, stated: “As compute architectures grow more complex and time-to-production continues to compress, test has become a critical enabler of performance, reliability, and manufacturability for next-generation AI and HPC systems. By combining ISE’s advanced characterization and production-readiness capabilities with AEM’s scalable, high-parallel test technologies and system-level engineering strengths, this strategic partnership enables rapid transition from validation to ASE’s high-volume deployment while addressing the increasing complexity of advanced compute testing.” 

Samer Kabbani, Chief Executive Officer of AEM, commented, “This partnership represents an important step in AEM’s strategy to work closely with industry leaders to advance the state of AI and HPC testing. ASE’s forward-looking approach and global scale make them an ideal partner as test requirements continue to intensify across advanced compute platforms. By combining our respective strengths, we aim to develop and deploy next-generation test solutions that help customers improve performance, scalability, and time-to-market.” 

Business Wire India

DFI Retail, a leading Asian retailer has launched a pilot with SymphonyAI, a global leader in Vertical AI platforms, to evaluate advanced retail intelligence capabilities designed to enhance enterprise merchandise planning. The initiative reflects DFI’s disciplined, customer-first approach to assessing how next-generation retail insights can support better decisions across promotions, assortment, clustering, and space planning.

 

As competition intensifies and customer expectations evolve, DFI is investing in a proven and scaled AI solution that aims to strengthen retail fundamentals, improve process efficiency, and support more agile merchandising decisions.

 

 

Crystal Chan, Group Chief Technology and Information Officer, DFI Retail Group said,“This strategic initiative with SymphonyAI reflects DFI’s commitment to improve our core data foundation and technology solutions for our team members. We aim to make better and faster merchandising decisions to continuously improve quality and value for our customers across Asia, all enabled by AI.”

 

 

Exploring Next-Generation Retail Intelligence

 

 

Retailers around the world are embracing technologies that help turn disparate data into unified insight, enhancing planning, responsiveness, and operational clarity. DFI’s initiative embodies this broader industry evolution toward connected retail intelligence — where data, planning, and execution insights coalesce to inform decision pathways and support retailer priorities.

 

 

Why DFI Selected SymphonyAI’s Retail Platform for Evaluation

 

 

DFI’s decision to work with SymphonyAI reflects the alignment between DFI’s future performance aspirations and the platform’s retail specialization, unified data and architecture, and proven presence in enterprise retail environments.

 

 

“Leading retailers are investing in connected, data-centric platforms that help align planning and execution while strengthening decision confidence,” said Manish Choudhary, President, SymphonyAI Retail. “Our retail platform is designed to support customers as they evaluate advanced intelligence capabilities in real operating conditions and build foundations for longer-term transformation.”

 

 

Retail Impact Context

 

 

The importance of investments like DFI’s is underscored by findings from SymphonyAI’s Economic Impact of Vertical AI research, which highlights the scale of opportunity when retail planning and execution are informed by domain-specific intelligence. That study estimates up to $54 billion in annual economic impact in the retail and grocery sector alone, driven by optimized promotion planning, assortment & personalization, and inventory management.

 

 

In documented customer examples, Vertical AI platforms have helped global grocery and enterprise retail organizations achieve measurable results such as multi-million-dollar profit improvements, significant sales lift, and more efficient cross-functional coordination — showing what’s possible as retailers bring connected insight to core operational decisions.

 

 

About DFI Retail

 

 

DFI Retail Group is a leading Asian retailer driven by its purpose to ‘Sustainably Serve Asia for Generations with Everyday Moments’. As at 31 December 2025, the Group and its associates operated 7,580 outlets and employed more than 79,000 people across 12 markets.

 

 

The Group is committed to delivering quality, value and service to consumers across the region through trusted brands, strong local market positions, and a broad retail ecosystem supported by extensive store networks, digital capabilities and efficient supply chains.

 

 

DFI Retail Group and its associates operate a portfolio of well-known brands across five key divisions: health and beauty, convenience, food, home furnishings and restaurants.

 

 

About SymphonyAI

 

 

SymphonyAI delivers Vertical AI platforms that help enterprises solve their most complex, high-value challenges — from stopping financial crime to improving store -performance and boosting manufacturing efficiency. Trusted by more than 2,000 enterprise customers worldwide, including 200 of the top financial institutions, the top 25 CPG companies, and many of the world’s largest grocers and industrial manufacturers, SymphonyAI provides domain-trained applications and pre-built agents that are ready to work on day one. Learn more at https://www.symphonyai.com/.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260323695245/en/

 

Business Wire India

APEC 2026 – Power Integrations (NASDAQ: POWI), the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, today introduced a breakthrough in flyback topology extending the power range of flyback converters to 440 W—well beyond the limits that traditionally required more complex resonant and LLC topologies. The new TOPSwitchGaN™ flyback IC family unites the company’s groundbreaking PowiGaN™ technology with its iconic TOPSwitch™ IC architecture, reducing complexity, eliminating heat sinks in many cases, shortening design time, improving manufacturability, and lowering total system cost.

 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260323686299/en/

 

 

 

“This is more than a product evolution—it’s a fundamental shift in how engineers can approach power supply design,” said Silvestro Fimiani, director of product marketing at Power Integrations. “For decades, designers have had to move to resonant topologies like LLC as power levels increased. With TOPSwitchGaN, we’re pushing flyback into a power range previously not possible, allowing engineers to achieve high efficiency and performance with a far simpler architecture.”

 

TOPSwitchGaN ICs provide 92 percent efficiency across the load range—from 10 percent to 100 percent load—and easily beat European Energy-related Products (ErP) regulations at less than 50 mW power consumption for standby and off modes. The device does this without the need for synchronous rectification. They are ideal for high-end appliances, e-bike chargers, and industrial applications.

 

 

PowiGaN switches deliver much lower R_DS(ON) than silicon. This results in reduced conduction losses which dramatically increase the power capability of flyback converters. These new devices incorporate 800 V PowiGaN switches, which provide excellent surge withstand capabilities and low switching losses, meaning that they can operate at switching frequencies of up to 150 kHz to minimize transformer size.

 

 

No-load consumption is well below 50 mW at 230 VAC including line sense, and up to 210 mW of output power is available for 300 mW input at 230 VAC to run housekeeping functions when units are in standby mode.

 

 

Fimiani continued: “As the first device to combine offline switchers into small packages—and with billions of units sold since 1994—the TOPSwitch name stands for innovation in power conversion. Engineers rely on TOPSwitch for its efficiency and ease of use, and now those benefits are available for an even wider range of designs. TOPSwitchGaN expands the power range of the flyback architecture to 440 W—previously unheard of using a flyback architecture—expanding the use of flybacks into applications previously requiring more complex topologies.”

 

 

The new ICs are available in two styles. For ultra-slim designs, low-profile eSOP™-12 surface-mount packaging enables 135 W (85–265 VAC) to be delivered without a heat sink for applications such as appliances. The vertical orientation of the eSIP™-7 package minimizes PCB footprint and has a thermal impedance equivalent to a TO-220-packaged part. By mounting a metal heat sink using a simple clip, the extended power range is achieved for applications including power tools, e-bikes, and garage openers. Because TOPSwitchGaN ICs are pin-to-pin compatible with TinySwitch™-5 off-line switcher ICs, designers can use the same methodology for applications spanning 10 W up to 440 W.

 

 

Availability & Resources

 

 

Pricing for TOPSwitchGaN starts at $1.00 for 10,000-unit quantities. The following reference design materials are available:

 

 

• DER-1079 – this kit uses TOP7074K to deliver a 60 W, wide-range isolated flyback PSU for appliances;
• DER-1019 – this kit details a 356 W highline (89 V / 4 A) isolated flyback industrial PSU, based on TOP7078E;
• RDK-1018 – this e-bike charger kit is a 168 W wide-range isolated flyback design using TOP7075E.

 

 

For further information, contact a Power Integrations sales representative or one of the company’s authorized worldwide distributors—DigiKey, Newark, Mouser and RS Components, or visit power.com.

 

About Power Integrations

 

 

Power Integrations, Inc. is a leading innovator in semiconductor technologies for high-voltage power conversion. The company’s products are key building blocks in the clean-power ecosystem, enabling the generation of renewable energy as well as the efficient transmission and consumption of power in applications ranging from milliwatts to megawatts. For more information, please visit www.power.com.

 

 

Power Integrations, the Power Integrations logo, PowiGaN, TOPSwitchGaN, TOPSwitch, TinySwitch and EcoSmart are trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of Power Integrations, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260323686299/en/

 

Business Wire India

Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), today announced the findings of its 2026 Global Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail, the industry’s most comprehensive assessment of how well retailers connect digital and physical experiences to drive growth, profitability and loyalty. Conducted by Incisiv, a leading retail research firm, the Benchmark is based on real-world purchases and returns. It analyzes more than 400 specialty retailers across EMEA, LATAM and North America on 330 capabilities spanning four key experience areas: Shopping, Checkout, Fulfillment, and Service.

 

The 2026 Benchmark reveals that while the industry has made steady progress in unified commerce maturity since 2023 when it was first launched, only 7% of retailers have achieved true unified commerce leadership while 33% are still stuck in the Basic category. Leaders are translating connected, data‑driven yet customer-centric experiences into nearly 2X higher growth rates than their basic peers.

 

The Benchmark highlights a new competitive reality in specialty retail, where scale, assortment and brand presence alone no longer guarantee growth. Key insights include:

 

• AI is reshaping commerce: AI in retail is projected to unlock more than $500 billion in value globally by 2030, shifting the focus from simple task automation to intelligent systems that anticipate demand, personalize in real time and resolve friction before customers encounter it. AI shopping assistants, predictive fulfillment, in‑store personalization and intelligent cross‑channel support with context‑aware escalation are defining the new frontier.
• Consumer journeys are fragmented: More than 66% of consumers now use two or more channels before completing a purchase, moving fluidly between marketplaces, social platforms, messaging apps and retailers’ own sites and stores.
• Execution economics are under pressure: Global logistics and fulfillment costs have risen by over 20% in the last three years, as customers expect faster delivery, flexible fulfillment and seamless service as standard.
• Inventory intelligence: Real‑time visibility and dynamic allocation drive significantly higher inventory turns – 50% in NOAM, 45% in EMEA and 27% in LATAM – helping reduce stockouts and markdowns.
• Yesterday’s differentiators are now table stakes.38% of the capabilities that differentiated leaders in 2024 have become table stakes by 2026, including basic real‑time inventory visibility, digital wallets and cross‑channel support.

 

“Retailers are being asked to do something incredibly hard right now: deliver faster, more personalized experiences while also protecting margin,” said Katie Foote, SVP & CMO, Manhattan Associates. “What this benchmark makes clear is that the retailers pulling ahead are not doing it with one standout channel or a single capability. They are doing it by reimagining the entire customer journey and connecting the business end to end, from shopping and checkout to fulfillment and service.”

The 2026 Benchmark also reveals how unified commerce maturity is evolving by region:

 

• NOAM retailers benefit from deep ecommerce foundations and mature data infrastructure, leading in shopping and checkout personalization and cart execution.
• EMEA retailers stand out in operational consistency, cross‑border fulfillment and privacy‑conscious experiences shaped by a complex regulatory landscape.
• LATAM retailers are closing the gap faster than any other region, driven by rapid adoption of alternative payments, messaging‑led service via WhatsApp and mobile‑first fulfillment models.

 

“There is no single blueprint for winning in unified commerce. Different regions are moving at varied speeds and solving for different customer expectations. However, the common thread is clear: retailers that invest in connected experiences and precise execution are seeing the results in growth, resilience, and strong customer loyalty,” added Foote.

Click HERE to view and download the complete 2026 Global Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail. Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan on LinkedIn.

 

ABOUT MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES

 

Manhattan Associates is a global technology leader, providing supply chain and omnichannel commerce solutions with unmatched AI capabilities. We design, build and offer best-in-class, AI-powered, cloud-based solutions that drive resilience and efficiency for businesses. We enable enterprises to uniquely unify front-end sales with back-end supply chain execution.

 

Our commitment to innovation, cloud-native platform and API-first architecture create simpler experiences and faster paths to value for our customers. We empower them to preempt and react to emerging trends and global disruptions with technical expertise and operational confidence, transforming challenges into competitive advantage. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260323854673/en/

 

Mumbai, Mar 24: In a landmark moment for Indian reality entertainment, Shiv Thakare has emerged as the winner of The 50, delivering a performance that has captivated audiences across the country and cemented his position as one of the most formidable reality show stars of his generation.

 

Shiv’s victory is not just a personal triumph but also a defining moment for Hoonur, the talent management platform by Balaji Telefilms Ltd. As one of the standout talents of Hoonur, Shiv’s win underscores the platform’s growing influence in shaping success stories and creating national-level impact by empowering artists to unlock their full potential.

 

Speaking on his win, Shiv Thakare said, “Winning ‘The 50’ feels surreal. It’s more than just a trophy for me. It’s been such a long journey filled with a lot of hard work and struggle. There were times I had to believe in myself even when things weren’t certain. There were moments in this journey that tested me mentally and emotionally, but I kept reminding myself why I started. And in all this, I’m truly grateful to Hoonur for standing by me and giving me a platform that allowed me to grow, take risks, and discover new strengths within myself. Their constant support and belief have played a huge role in where I stand today. This win belongs not just to me, but to everyone who has supported me through this journey.”

 

Launched by Balaji Telefilms, Hoonur aims to empower talent by providing them with the right opportunities, guidance, and industry exposure. Shiv’s victory stands as a testament to the platform’s vision of identifying and elevating promising talent across the country.

 

Shiv Thakare’s triumph on The 50 not only cements his position as a formidable reality show performer but also highlights the growing impact of structured talent platforms like Hoonur in shaping the future of entertainment.