The Weekly News Update is a weekly roundup of business news from around the Asia-Pacific region, covering Fusion Consulting's core industry practices: chemicals, consumer & retail, financial services, industrial & logistics, information & communication technology, life science and media & leisure. If you have colleagues or friends who may be interested in subscribing, please forward this email to them and copy knowledge@fusionc.com.     China's water and wastewater treatment sector   Huge demand exists in China for clean water with ample opportunities for  investors, water companies or water technology suppliers in the municipal and  industrial water supply and wastewater treatment market. Market-oriented  regulatory changes have lowered pricing risk, and opened up the sector.    Find out what the needs, solutions and opportunities are.

Industrial & logistics

China - Competition in car navigation industry becoming fiercer Source: Wireless News, 14 April 2008 With the number of cars in China exceeding 40 million units and the application prospect of car navigation products becoming clearer and broader, the competition in China car navigation industry becomes fiercer. GPS equipment manufacturers, navigation software and map manufacturers, navigation operators, and chip manufacturers both in China and foreign countries are vigorously developing their own technology advantages and integrating their upstream and downstream industry chain, so as to expand their market shares and seize market opportunities. During 2006-2007, GPS equipments and navigation system software & map manufacturers started a tide of merger, acquisition and integration. Several new trends are shown in the integration tide: 1) GPS solutions and wireless communication will further integrate, 2)Integrating the upstream and downstream industry chain is the development direction of navigation manufacturers and 3) The market share will be further expanded and the industrial concentration will be further enhanced through merger and acquisition. India - Auto industry set to slow down on high input cost Source: Business Standard, 17 April 2008 Weighed down by spiralling input costs, the automobile industry is staring at another slowdown this year also. The industry saw a 5% decline in its sales in 2007. Apart from prices of raw materials reaching an all-time high, there is a liquidity crunch in the automobile consumer market. Inflation has affected buying decisions. Finance companies are getting increasingly reluctant to grant loans. The automobile sector is also facing slower growth in the export market: A weakening US dollar has reduced margins. Manufacturers are left with no option but to pass on the price rise to customers. Almost all manufacturers and allied sectors, like auto-component makers, say the impact of inflation has become unbearable. India - Logistics industry expected to draw huge investments Source: Asia in Focus, 18 April 2008 India's logistics industry, a key driver of the country's economic growth, is expected to witness huge investments in the near future, with the trucking sector alone projected to rake in funds to the tune of Rs2000 billion (US$50.3 billion) in the next two years. According to a white paper by consulting firm ORKASH SERVICES, the logistics sector is at a potential inflection point in its growth and service maturity model, driven by an unprecedented economic boom and fast evolving market dynamics. The largest sector of the logistics industry is trucking, which holds great potential but it is very fragmented, unorganised and not well positioned to leverage the opportunities.     View an example of our experience in this industry. Back to list of articles.  Visit our website to sign up for free intelligence on Asian markets.

This Weekly News Update is a free newsletter, providing a round-up of the week's Asia-Pacific news from our core industry practices. If you have colleagues or friends who may be interested in subscribing, please forward this email to them and copy knowledge@fusionc.com.

Fusion Consulting is a business intelligence consultancy providing clear strategic advice on Asia-Pacific markets. With offices in Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong and 400 industry consultants in 16 countries, we conduct custom research and consulting to help companies understand their markets, compete more effectively and grow into new areas of opportunity. Email more@fusionc.com or visit www.fusionc.com for more information.