Archives April 2026

Business Wire India

Andersen Global continues its expansion across Africa, with Lima Partners joining as a member firm and introducing the Andersen name in Ghana.

 

Established in 2014 and headquartered in Accra, Andersen in Ghana is led by Managing Partner Daniel Addo Okoe. The firm provides a full range of professional services, including tax advisory, regulatory compliance, accounting and advisory, transfer pricing, payroll administration, immigration, and company secretarial services to both local and international clients operating in Ghana and the wider West African region.

 

 

“Becoming a member firm of Andersen Global marks a significant milestone for our organization,” said Kwame Amporful, senior partner of Andersen in Ghana. “Our clients will benefit from enhanced cross-border capabilities while continuing to receive practical, high-quality advisory services tailored to the Ghanaian market.”

 

 

“Ghana plays a vital role in facilitating cross-border trade and investment within West Africa,” added Mark L. Vorsatz, Global Chairman and CEO of Andersen. “The establishment of Andersen in Ghana represents an important step toward building a seamless and fully integrated platform across the region.”

 

 

Andersen Global is an international association of legally separate, independent member firms comprising tax, legal, and valuation professionals around the world. Established in 2013 by U.S. member firm Andersen Tax LLC, Andersen Global now has more than 50,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 1,000 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421157121/en/

 

Business Wire India

The highly anticipated launch of Season 5 of This Being Human marks a dynamic new chapter for the Aga Khan Museum’s acclaimed podcast, expanding both its reach and storytelling. Now hosted by former journalist and cultural advocate Mai Habib, the new season brings listeners into compelling dialogue with artists and thought leaders whose work offers a global perspective on art and culture, identity, and new and pressing ideas that shape humanity today.

 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421929514/en/

 

 

 

Building on an impressive footprint of more than 100 episodes over the past four seasons, This Being Human will evolve into an audiovisual experience for the first time. Each of the 12 episodes will be filmed and released on YouTube alongside all major podcast platforms, inviting audiences into a more immersive encounter with the voices shaping these conversations. The new format expands the series’ exploration of lived experience, creativity, and connection across cultures.

 

Featuring artists and collaborators with ties to the Museum, Season 5 highlights voices such as Gary Kamemoto, Principal Architect from Maki and Associates, the firm behind the Museum’s architectural design, Dr. Christiane Gruber, Professor of Islamic Art at the University of Michigan, and Ohida Khandakar, a visual artist and filmmaker — each offering distinct perspectives that move across disciplines such as architecture, scholarship, and visual culture.

 

 

This season also introduces a new editorial partnership with The Walrus, one of Canada’s leading publications dedicated to ideas, culture, and public discourse.

 

 

“This Being Human has evolved into a prominent platform for global conversations on art, creativity, and the ways culture shapes how we see ourselves and one another,” said Dr. Sascha Priewe, Director, Collections and Public Programs, at the Aga Khan Museum. “With Mai Habib as host and the introduction of an audiovisual format, Season 5 builds on the first four seasons and brings audiences closer to the voices and lived experiences that define our shared humanity, while expanding the Museum’s role as a space for dialogue across cultures.”

 

 

This Being Human is available on major podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The first episode of Season 5 launches on April 28, with new episodes released monthly.

 

 

Visit agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman for more details.

 

 

About the Aga Khan Museum

 

 

The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada, has been established and developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). Through permanent and temporary exhibitions, educational activities and performing arts, the Museum’s mission is to spark wonder, curiosity, and understanding of Muslim cultures and their connection with other cultures through the arts. Designed by architect Fumihiko Maki, the Museum shares a 6.8-hectare site with Toronto’s Ismaili Centre, which was designed by architect Charles Correa. The surrounding landscaped park was designed by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421929514/en/

 

Business Wire India

Crown Bioscience, a global contract research organization (CRO) and a JSR Life Sciences company, today announced a strategic partnership with Turbine, a leading virtual biology company, to advance translational oncology research by integrating Turbine’s in silico Virtual Assays with its Tumor Organoid Assays based on HUB Organoid Technology. This collaboration establishes a connected workflow that enables researchers to move more efficiently from hypothesis to validation.

 

Turbine’s Virtual Assays simulate biological response across thousands of biological samples and hundreds of drugs, generating predictive insights to identify and prioritize targets, therapies, and combinations. The predictions will be enhanced through the incorporation of multimodal and drug response data from hundreds of tumor organoid models at Crown Bioscience. Together, the companies create a closed-loop approach linking prediction with validation, improving predictive accuracy, reducing experimental burden, whilst delivering greater biological relevance and translational confidence.

 

 

Guided by Turbine’s in silico predictions, select hypotheses can be experimentally validated using Crown Bioscience’s tumor organoid assays, streamlining experimental design, reducing costs, and shortening development timelines.

 

 

This approach enables researchers to generate insights earlier, focus resources on the most promising strategies, and make faster, more informed decisions with greater confidence in clinical translatability.

 

 

“Translational success depends on how well early insights reflect real patient biology,” said John Gu, CEO of Crown Bioscience. “By integrating predictive modeling with our organoid models, we are creating a more robust foundation for decision-making, one that improves confidence, reduces risk, and accelerates the path to the clinic.”

 

 

“Together with Crown Bioscience, we aim to address a key trade-off in drug discovery between scale and translatability,” said Szabolcs Nagy, CEO of Turbine. “Using our Virtual Lab, researchers can already explore millions of hypotheses in silico. By integrating with Crown’s organoid platform, we enable virtual experimentation that better reflects patient biology, helping close the translatability gap.”

 

 

About Crown Bioscience

 

 

Crown Bioscience, a JSR Life Sciences company, is a global contract research organization (CRO) dedicated to accelerating drug discovery and development in oncology and immuno-oncology. We partner with biotech and pharmaceutical companies to provide innovative, tailored solutions spanning preclinical research, translational platforms, and clinical trial support. With the world’s largest commercially available patient-derived xenograft (PDX) collection and approximately 1,000 tumor organoid models powered by Hubrecht Organoid Technology, we offer unparalleled insights across 35 cancer indications. Our expertise spans in vivo, in vitro, ex vivo, and in silico methods, complemented by advanced laboratory services that span the entire drug development continuum. Additionally, our extensive biobank of liquid and human biospecimens, complete with clinical histories, enhances oncology research capabilities. Operating from 11 state-of-the-art facilities across the US, Europe, and APAC, our laboratories meet the highest industry standards, including accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). To learn more, visit www.crownbio.com.

 

 

About Turbine

 

 

Turbine is virtualizing biological experiments with AI to accelerate drug discovery and improve clinical translatability. Using its foundational virtual cell model powered by its lab-in-the-loop, Turbine creates virtual copies of experimental assays. Turbine’s Virtual Lab runs experiments at computational speed and scale, allowing researchers to test millions of ideas, beyond physical lab constraints, to understand biological drivers of disease. Working with scientists at leading biopharma like MSD (Merck & Co.), AstraZeneca and Bayer, Turbine’s virtual assays have rationalized experiments across more than 30 discovery programs. Backed by leading tech and industry investors like Accel, MSD Global Health Innovation Fund, Interactive Venture Partners and Beiersdorf, Turbine is turning biology into an engineering discipline. For more information, visit www.turbine.ai or follow our LinkedIn page.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421062352/en/

 

Mumbai, Apr 22: Skechers, The Comfort Technology Company®, accelerates its cricket journey with the signing of Suryakumar Yadav—one of the most accomplished and influential batsmen of the Indian Cricket Team and recent captain of the 2026 T20 World Cup champions. Renowned for his consistency, composure, and match-defining performances, Suryakumar Yadav is now playing in Skechers Cricket footwear and will be featured in the brand’s marketing campaigns supporting cricket and other performance footwear collections.

Speaking on the association, TEAM INDIA’S T20 WORLD CUP CAPTAIN, SURYAKUMAR YADAV said, “At the highest level of cricket, comfort plays a critical role in helping you stay focused and consistent. Skechers’ approach to combining comfort with performance truly stands out and that’s what made the brand a natural fit for me. Whether it’s match day or training, their footwear supports the demands of the game, and I’m excited to be part of the Skechers family.”

RAHUL VIRA, CEO OF SKECHERS SOUTH ASIA PVT. LTD., said, “Suryakumar Yadav embodies the spirit of modern Indian cricket – dynamic, resilient and fearless. After captaining Team India with confidence and clarity to victory at the World Cup this year, he brings the same energy and intent that defines Skechers’ approach to performance and innovation. His journey, driven by movement, adaptability and self-belief, aligns strongly with our roster of elite players like Jasprit Bumrah, as well as our ongoing association as Official Kit Sponsor for the Mumbai Indians. These partnerships illustrate our commitment to cricket by creating footwear that enables every athlete to perform at their best.”

Born in Mumbai, Suryakumar Yadav at age 35 has established himself as a dynamic right-handed T20 batter renowned for his 360-degree shot-making and explosive strike rates. Nicknamed “SKY”, Yadav rose through Mumbai domestic club cricket ranks, captaining them in Ranji Trophy, before reaching Indian Premier League stardom after signing with the Mumbai Indians in 2012. He also spent four seasons with Kolkata Knight Riders before returning to the Indians in 2018 where he continues today. Internationally, since his 2021 T20I debut, he has been key to India’s T20 gameplay and earned back-to-back ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year accolades (2022-23). SKY captains India’s T20I side, boasting a stellar record, including winning the World Cup earlier this year. His calm demeanor and tactical acumen have solidified India’s white-ball dominance.

With this announcement, Suryakumar Yadav joins a strong Skechers roster in India that includes cricketers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Ishan Kishan and Yastika Bhatia, along with legendary forward Sunil Chhetri for Skechers Football.

The Skechers Cricket footwear range features advanced full-spike and half-spike options engineered for performance. Skechers Cricket Elite, with 11 metal spikes, delivers superior traction and stability, while Skechers Cricket Blade, featuring 7 metal spikes, offers enhanced agility and control—supporting fast footwork and decisive movement on the field. Beyond cricket, Skechers also offers performance footwear for athletes of all levels, including running, football, basketball, golf, pickleball and padel globally.

The Skechers Cricket footwear collection is available at select Skechers retail stores and online at skechers.in.

Business Wire India

Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO) today announced the next phase of its strategic partnership with Microsoft, integrating Moody’s decision-grade intelligence directly into Microsoft AI solutions. The milestone expands the collaboration from co-innovation to scaled, workflow-embedded distribution of Moody’s decision-grade intelligence across the enterprise environments where its customers work every day.

 

“For over 115 years, Moody’s has served as the intelligence layer that financial professionals turn to when making consequential decisions,” said Rob Fauber, President and Chief Executive Officer of Moody’s. “By embedding that intelligence directly into Microsoft’s AI solutions at enterprise scale, we’re making decision-grade analysis available not just to specialists, but to every person across an organization who needs it.”

 

 

The integrations operate across two channels. Using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), Moody’s agentic workflows and decision‑grade intelligence are delivered through a dedicated Moody’s agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot, enabling organizations to activate Moody’s decision-grade intelligence without a need for custom integrations. In addition, Moody’s decision‑grade intelligence is available as a grounding data source across Microsoft 365 Copilot experiences, including Copilot Chat and Researcher agent, as well as through Copilot in Microsoft Excel, giving shared customers access to Moody’s credit ratings, research, entity data, and news as part of their research workflows.

 

 

“Our ongoing partnership with Moody’s reflects a shared commitment to bring trusted financial intelligence directly into the tools professionals use every day,” said Bill Borden, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Financial Services, Microsoft. “By integrating Moody’s decision-grade insights into Microsoft 365 Copilot, we’re making it easier for financial services professionals across the industry to access authoritative data and context in the flow of work – so they can move faster and act with confidence.”

 

 

By embedding Moody’s credit intelligence into Microsoft’s AI solutions, the integration extends access beyond specialists to a broader set of users across institutions, supporting more consistent use of trusted credit context at every level of the enterprise. Moody’s connected intelligence – spanning 600 million entities, 2 billion ownership links, and major domains of risk – provides the trusted context layer that makes AI outputs valid, explainable, and auditable wherever they are delivered.

 

 

Moody’s AI partnerships reflect the company’s commitment to embedding its connected intelligence into the leading AI platforms where market participants are building and operating.

 

 

For more information, visit http://www.moodys.com/agenticsolutions.

 

 

About Moody’s Corporation

 

 

In a world shaped by increasingly interconnected risks, Moody’s (NYSE: MCO) data, insights, and innovative technologies help customers develop a holistic view of their world and unlock opportunities. With a rich history of experience in global markets and a diverse workforce of approximately 16,000 across more than 40 countries, Moody’s gives customers the comprehensive perspective needed to act with confidence and thrive. Learn more at moodys.com.

 

 

“Safe Harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

 

 

Certain statements contained in this document are forward-looking statements and are based on future expectations, plans and prospects for Moody’s business and operations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve estimates, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Stockholders and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and other information in this document are made as of the date hereof, and Moody’s undertakes no obligation (nor does it intend) to publicly supplement, update or revise such statements on a going-forward basis, whether as a result of subsequent developments, changed expectations or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or regulation. Factors, risks and uncertainties as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause Moody’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements are described in greater detail under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of Moody’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and in other filings made by the Company from time to time with the SEC or in materials incorporated herein or therein. Stockholders and investors are cautioned that the occurrence of any of these factors, risks and uncertainties may cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements, which could have a material and adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421137955/en/

 

Business Wire India

Horse Powertrain, a global leader in innovative and low-emission powertrain systems, has revealed the HORSE W30 – the company’s first production-ready V6 engine – ahead of the Beijing Auto Show 2026.

 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421176701/en/

 

 

 

The HORSE W30 marks a first for Horse Powertrain, in transferring its expertise in developing optimized three- and four-cylinder engines into the V6 category. By deploying its expertise in this way, Horse Powertrain has developed the lightest V6 on the market and created a hybrid-first V6 with outstanding fuel economy and efficiency.

 

The HORSE W30 is a 3-liter engine that can be fitted in a transverse or longitudinal configuration, allowing it to be packaged in a wide variety of vehicles. The two rows of cylinders are offset at an angle of 90° to lower the engine’s center of gravity, improving ease of installation and optimizing catalyst layout.

 

 

The engine can output between 350-400kW of power and 600-700Nm of torque, with a maximum speed of 8,000rpm. To maximize efficiency and fuel economy, the HORSE W30 features integrated exhaust manifolds with turbochargers mounted directly on the cylinder heads. The engine weighs just 160kg, approximately 10kg less than the next-lightest V6 engine on the market today.

 

 

The HORSE W30 is intended to be deployed in mild- and full-hybrid vehicles, with the first models featuring the engine reaching the roads in 2028. To show the hybrid-first mindset of the HORSE W30, the engine will be presented at Beijing alongside the new HORSE 4LDHT four-speed hybrid transmission.

 

 

The HORSE 4LDHT weighs just 199kg and is designed to be mounted in a P1 + P3 configuration. The P1 motor used to support the engine crankshaft and charge the vehicle’s battery can output between 250-300kW, with the P3 motor used to support driving capable of outputting between 350-450kW in a P3 configuration.

 

 

Matias Giannini, Chief Executive Officer of Horse Powertrain, said: “At Horse Powertrain, we believe we can offer automakers unprecedented economies of scale and innovation by consolidating the powertrain production and development pipeline that traditionally would have been replicated by many individual OEMs, allowing everyone in the industry to benefit from best-in-class technologies. The HORSE W30 is clear proof of this concept – bringing our mindset and expertise to a new category, we’ve developed the lightest V6 that was designed from the outset to support hybrid vehicles.”

 

 

Fortune Zhao, Chief Technology Officer of Horse Powertrain, said: “The HORSE W30 showcases Horse Powertrain’s technological versatility, and represents our first venture into the V6 engine category. Leveraging expertise from our wide portfolio of hybrid-first engines, the HORSE W30 is lighter and more compact than any other V6 currently on the market, all while delivering superior performance. As well as embodying our engineering sophistication, it also highlights our flexibility in providing world-class hybrid solutions to every market.”

 

 

The HORSE W30 and HORSE 4LDHT will be available in 2028.

 

 

About Horse Powertrain

 

 

Horse Powertrain is a global leader in innovative, low-emission hybrid and combustion powertrain solutions, supporting automotive OEMs with a range of systems including engines, transmissions, power electronics, range extenders, and integrated hybrid platforms. Horse Powertrain has operations in Europe, China, and South America, and employs over 19,000 people across 18 plants and five R&D centers. Its 25 customers include Renault Group, Geely Auto, Volvo Cars, Proton, Nissan, and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. Horse Powertrain is headquartered in London, UK.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421176701/en/

 

Business Wire India

NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, today announced that it has received the 2026 Google Cloud Infrastructure Modernization Partner of the Year for Storage Award.

 

NetApp is being recognized for its achievements in the Google Cloud ecosystem, helping joint customers modernize their infrastructure and run enterprise workloads on Google Cloud using Google Cloud NetApp Volumes.

 

 

“The Google Cloud Partner Awards honor the strategic innovation and measurable value our partners bring to customers,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, President, Global Partner Ecosystem and Channels, Google Cloud. “We are proud to name NetApp a 2026 Google Cloud Partner Award winner, celebrating their role in driving customer success over the last year.”

 

 

The Google Cloud Infrastructure Modernization Partner of the Year for Storage Award recognizes partners that have helped their customers modernize their infrastructure by leveraging Google Cloud’s innovative solutions, resulting in increased agility, scalability, and cost-efficiency. NetApp’s technology partnership with Google Cloud led to the development of Google Cloud’s first-party service, Google Cloud NetApp Volumes, enabling joint customers to more easily adopt Intelligent Data Infrastructure, meet the needs of modern enterprise workloads, and prepare for the future.

 

 

“This recognition for the seventh time reflects the work we’ve done with Google Cloud to help customers run enterprise workloads in the cloud without rearchitecting,” said Pravjit Tiwana, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cloud Storage and Services at NetApp. “With Google Cloud NetApp Volumes, customers can bring their data into Google Cloud and use it for applications and AI without adding complexity.”

 

 

This is NetApp’s seventh Google Cloud Partner of the Year award. Over the past year, NetApp and Google Cloud expanded Google Cloud NetApp Volumes with new capabilities, including block storage and tighter integration with Google Cloud services such as Google Cloud Assist and Gemini CLI Extensions. These updates make it frictionless for customers to bring their data into Google Cloud and use it directly with Google’s AI services.

 

 

To learn more about NetApp’s partnership with Google Cloud, visit the NetApp booth #1607 at Google Cloud Next 26, April 22-24 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

 

 

Additional Resources

 

 

• Google Cloud NetApp Volumes: Fully Managed Unified Storage Service from Google Cloud
• NetApp Wins 2025 Google Cloud Infrastructure Modernization Partner of the Year for Storage
• From Cloud Migration to Agentic AI: What to See at Google Cloud Next 2026 in the NetApp Booth

 

About NetApp

 

For more than three decades, NetApp has helped the world’s leading organizations navigate change – from the rise of enterprise storage to the intelligent era defined by data and AI. Today, NetApp is the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, helping customers turn data into a catalyst for innovation, resilience, and growth.

 

 

At the heart of that infrastructure is the NetApp data platform – the unified, enterprise-grade, intelligent foundation that connects, protects, and activates data across every cloud, workload, and environment. Built on the proven power of NetApp ONTAP, our leading data management software and OS, and enhanced by automation through the AI Data Engine and AFX, it delivers observability, resilience, and intelligence at scale.

 

 

Disaggregated by design, the NetApp data platform separates storage, services, and control so enterprises can modernize faster, scale efficiently, and innovate without lock-in. As the only enterprise storage platform natively embedded in the world’s largest clouds, it gives organizations the freedom to run any workload anywhere with consistent performance, governance, and protection.

 

 

With NetApp, data is always ready – ready to defend against threats, ready to power AI, and ready to drive the next breakthrough. That’s why the world’s most forward-thinking enterprises trust NetApp to turn intelligence into advantage.

 

 

Learn more at www.netapp.com or follow us on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

 

NETAPP, the NETAPP logo, and the marks listed at www.netapp.com/TM are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421871882/en/

 

Business Wire India

Combined market up 16%, driven by 18% increase in XaaS demand

 

Managed services rebounds, up 2%, to break 4-quarter losing streak

 

Spending on technology services in Asia Pacific grew by double digits in the first quarter, powered by AI-driven demand for cloud infrastructure services, while managed services saw modest growth, the latest state-of-the-industry report from Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm, found.

 

The Asia Pacific ISG Index™, which measures commercial outsourcing contracts with annual contract value (ACV) of US $5 million or more, shows ACV for the combined market—both managed services and as-a-service (XaaS)—rose 16 percent versus the prior year, to US $7.1 billion. It was only the third quarter of double-digit growth the region has produced in the last two years. Versus the fourth quarter of 2025, the market was up 15 percent.

 

 

XaaS spending climbed 18 percent, to a record US $6.3 billion, the segment’s fastest growth in two years. With interest in AI continuing to rise, demand for infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) advanced 19 percent, to a record US $5.6 billion, while software-as-a-service (SaaS) increased 15 percent, to a record US $675 million. Asia Pacific’s XaaS spending has grown at a slower pace than the Americas or EMEA, averaging 13.5 percent a quarter over the last 18 months.

 

 

Managed services ACV, meanwhile, rose 1.9 percent, to US $791 million, breaking a four-quarter losing streak during which time this segment averaged a 23 percent quarterly decline over the prior year. Against the fourth quarter of 2025, ACV was down 8 percent. Within this segment, IT outsourcing (ITO) slumped 32 percent, to US $409 million. Business process outsourcing (BPO) fell by 14 percent, to US $133 million, while engineering services rose to US $249 million, up from US $22 million in the prior year.

 

 

A total of 61 managed services contracts was awarded in the first quarter, up 7 percent year on year, but down 6 percent against the prior quarter. The number of smaller deals, those between US $5 million and US $9 million, rose 19 percent versus the prior year.

 

 

“Asia Pacific continues to be a cloud-first market, with digital transformation and AI fueling demand for infrastructure and software services,” said Michael Gale, partner and regional leader, ISG Asia Pacific. “Managed services rebounded this quarter but still has not returned to the $1 billion run-rate that we saw several times in 2024.”

 

 

Results by Industry, Geography

 

 

Several of the region’s smaller industries increased their managed services spending significantly in the first quarter, including transportation, healthcare and business services, which were all up more than 100 percent. Among the larger verticals, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) rose 4 percent while manufacturing was flat and telecommunications was down significantly, off 60 percent from the prior year.

 

 

By geography, the smaller managed services markets of Southeast Asia, China and Korea were each up by triple digits versus the prior year. However, the larger markets weighed on overall results, with India down 9 percent, Australia-New Zealand down 33 percent and Japan down 54 percent.

 

 

New ISG AI Index™ Launched

 

 

ISG last week announced the launch of its ISG AI Index™, a first-of-its-kind benchmark that measures how AI is impacting the global technology and business services sector. The initial findings were presented during the ISG Index call last Thursday. They show that infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) has seen the greatest impact from AI, up 160 percent. Software as-a-service (SaaS) has risen 53 percent while managed services is up only slightly, at 0.3 percent. On a market-weighted basis, the composite ISG AI Index was up 77 percent since inception, dating to December 2022, just after the launch of ChatGPT 3.0 and the start of the current AI era. Visit this webpage for more details.

 

 

2026 Global Forecast

 

 

ISG said it is raising its full-year forecast for XaaS revenue growth to 25 percent, up 400 basis points from its January forecast, and is holding its managed services growth forecast at 2.1 percent for the year. The forecasts reflect ISG’s view that XaaS growth will continue to accelerate on strong demand for AI, while managed services growth will remain “steady” as enterprises focus on cost takeout to fund their AI initiatives.

 

 

About the ISG Index™

 

 

The ISG Index™ is recognized as the authoritative source for marketplace intelligence on the global technology and business services industry. For 94 consecutive quarters, it has detailed the latest industry data and trends for financial analysts, enterprise buyers, software and service providers, law firms, universities and the media.

 

 

The 1Q26 Global ISG Index results were presented during a webcast last week. To view a replay of the webcast and download presentation slides, visit this webpage.

 

 

About ISG

 

 

ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data and research, in-depth knowledge and governance of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,500 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421393185/en/

 

Business Wire India

The Federation of Indian Manpower Companies has called for an urgent strategic overhaul of India’s overseas employment ecosystem, highlighting that recent geopolitical disruptions in West Asia have led to significant job losses among Indian workers and exposed the absence of a structured system to rapidly redeploy displaced talent into new global markets.

 

In a policy note released by the organisation, FIMCA stated that while India possesses a large and skilled workforce with strong global demand, the current framework remains overly focused on emigration clearance and compliance, limiting its ability to respond dynamically to global labour market disruptions.

 

“India has the talent, the demand, and the recruitment capability. What is missing is a coordinated, promotion-led system that actively builds and sustains global labour markets,” said Alijan Rajan, Director, FIMCA.

 

FIMCA noted that the current situation underscores the urgent need to build scalable, demand-linked international employment pipelines to absorb workforce displacement and prevent prolonged income disruption for returning workers.

 

Shift from Regulation to Global Market Development

 

FIMCA emphasized that India must transition from a regulatory approach to a promotion-driven model, where overseas employment is treated as a strategic export sector supported by structured government and industry collaboration.

 

The organisation called for the integration of labour mobility into bilateral trade frameworks, proactive international outreach, and sustained engagement with foreign employers to create long-term manpower demand pipelines. According to FIMCA, global labour markets are actively developed through continuous state and industry participation, rather than passive regulation.

 

Strengthening Employer-Side Accountability

 

The policy note identified structural limitations in the current system, particularly the continued reliance on worker-side classifications such as ECR and ECNR passports, which FIMCA described as outdated in assessing risk.

 

Instead, the organisation recommended a shift toward employer-side accountability, including robust foreign employer accreditation mechanisms covering verification, wage validation, working conditions, and enforceable grievance redressal systems. This becomes especially critical in emerging markets across Eastern Europe, CIS, and the Balkans.

 

Mobility Corridors and Market Development Mechanism

 

FIMCA proposed the creation of sector-specific mobility corridors to operationalise existing labour mobility agreements. These corridors would be built around pre-approved employers, standardised contracts, defined skill requirements, and structured welfare provisions.

 

The organisation also recommended establishing an Overseas Labour Market Development Cell to systematically map global labour demand, build verified employer databases, conduct international outreach, and convert diplomatic engagement into employment pipelines.

 

Leveraging Industry and Institutional Capacity

 

FIMCA highlighted that India’s licensed recruitment agencies already represent a strong execution backbone and should be formally integrated into policy implementation.

 

The organisation recommended empanelment of compliant agencies, their inclusion in government-led delegations, and streamlined operational processes under platforms such as the eMigrate system.

 

It also called for alignment of skill development initiatives with global demand through institutions such as the National Skill Development Corporation, ensuring demand-linked training and verifiable certification standards.

 

Strengthening Worker Support and Data Systems

 

FIMCA identified post-deployment support as a critical gap and proposed the establishment of Overseas Worker Support Desks in priority Indian missions abroad to handle grievances, wage disputes, and emergency assistance.

 

The organisation further recommended upgrading the eMigrate platform into a comprehensive labour mobility intelligence system to enable real-time data tracking, policy coordination, and informed decision-making.

 

Industry Position

 

FIMCA reiterated that India already has the foundational infrastructure—including bilateral agreements, institutional frameworks, and a licensed recruitment network—but lacks coordinated execution and strategic direction.

 

The organisation stressed that without a shift toward promotion-led policy, employer accountability, and structured market development, India risks underutilising its global workforce potential at a time when international demand remains strong.

 

Further details of the policy note can be accessed here:

 

https://fimca.in/images/pdf/from-clearance-to-competitiveness-rebuilding-india-global-workforce-strategy.pdf