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.    Major retail company expansion in Asia-Pacific  British hypermarket Tesco is the overall leader in our Retail Business Vitality Index,  thanks to its geographical presence, revenue performance and steady innovation in  the region; America's Wal-mart runs a close second, and among Asian retailers,  drugstore Watsons leads the pack. Request your free copy here.

Consumer & retail

India - Reliance Retail in joint venture for optical business Source: The Economic Times, 4 March 2008 Reliance Retail and Pearle Europe have formed a joint venture to launch a chain of optical stores in India, eyeing a business that is controlled by the unorganised sector. The chain will comprise of independent stores, and stores within Reliance Retail formats such as Hypermart, Super and Wellness stores. Reliance Industries is one of several companies looking to establish a nationwide chain of organised or modern retail stores across India. Reliance's grocery stores have become the most visible sign of the spread of organised retail. Reliance is also making a big push in non-grocery speciality stores, including apparel, footwear and jewellery. More tie-ups with overseas retailers are expected to take shape in the coming months. India - Dabur, HUL to stir up milk beverage market Source: Business Standard, 3 March 2008 Dabur, which launched its milk beverage mix brand Chyawan Junior four months ago, is planning a national-level rollout for it by September 2008. Chyawan Junior is currently test-marketed in Maharashtra and West Bengal. Another company to foray into this market is Hindustan Unilever with its Kissan Amaze brainfood range, which is a milk beverage mix product, biscuits and snacks. The company is test-marketing its product in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Rs15 billion (US$372 million) milk beverage mix market is dominated by GlaxoSmith Consumer's Horlicks and Boost, Cadbury's Bournvita and Heinz's Complan. The two new entrants - HUL and Dabur - however, have unique propositions. They will differentiate themselves through new formulations such as the promise of boosting children's intelligence. Indonesia - Friesland investment targets Asian functional drive Source: AP-Foodtechnology, 27 February 2008 Dairy and ingredients firm Friesland Foods Kievit has constructed a new drying plant in Indonesia. The EUR20 million (US$30 million) investment in the Filtermat dryer will allow the company to produce a broader number of encapsulated products like infant formula and enhanced nutrition ingredients in the wider Asian region. The dryer would also help ensure the group were better positioned to meet the specific demands from its Asian consumers. These extended range of encapsulated products expected to be made available include complex emulsions and more difficult-to-dry ingredient powders. This portfolio includes infant formulas, beverages, enhanced nutrition, savoury and bakery products.     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.