Latest news with #Phi
The Star
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Vietnam boosts rice trade through 2030 with new measures
Packaging rice at a milling facility in Tien Giang Province. — VNA/VNS TIEN GIANG: To enhance rice exports through 2030, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has rolled out a series of new measures focused on stricter oversight, faster implementation of the national export strategy, and stronger trade promotion efforts. These solutions were introduced by the MoIT's Export-Import Department during a conference held in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang on Tuesday (May 20). Authorities are set to expand negotiations and trade deals with international partners while dismantling the logistical and regulatory snarls that have plagued the sector. Local authorities were advised to restructure production and develop value chain linkages among organisations, cooperatives, and rice exporters. Enterprises and traders were encouraged to upgrade deep processing facilities and equipment to churn out rice up to the exacting standards of discerning markets. The goal is to diversify export markets, reducing dependence on traditional buyers to mitigate associated risks. Luu Van Phi, director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, highlighted Tien Giang's strategic strengths in rice production, citing its strategic location and robust transport infrastructure, including extensive road and waterway networks. The province boasts around 200 major rice milling and processing facilities capable of grinding out three million tonnes of rice annually and generating an estimated US$100 million in export revenue. To ensure the sector's long-term growth, Phi stressed the need for exporters and traders to develop raw material zones, invest in factory upgrades, modernise production lines, enhance processing capabilities, and strengthen financial capacity. Building brand identity and gaining consumer trust in both domestic and foreign markets is seen as a critical step forward. Current rice export regulations, he added, need to be revised to better keep pace with the industry's evolving needs. High volume, low value According to the department, Vietnam exported over 3.43 million tonnes of rice in the first four months of this year, raking in nearly $1.8 billion, a 8.1 per cent jump in volume but a 13.3 per cent dip in value from the same period last year. The Philippines, as ever, remains Vietnam's largest rice buyer, making up 43.3 per cent of the export volume and 45.5 per cent of the value. The average export price stood at $515 per tonne, down 19.8 per cent year-on-year. While this significant decline might seem concerning, it had been anticipated by industry experts and businesses, especially amid growing global supply. Many Vietnamese exporters attributed the sharp decline in rice prices to the global market adjustment that began in late 2024. The lifting of India's export ban significantly increased supply and exerted downward pressure on prices. As India steps up exports to reduce record-high stockpiles, the global rice market is expected to remain in a low-price cycle in the near term – a development that poses challenges for Vietnamese exporters in terms of maintaining both profit margins and market share. - Vietnam News/ANN
India.com
04-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
BrahMos-NG on Rafale: Can India's Sky-Hammer change the Indo-Pacific Game?
India's decision to equip its Rafale fighter jets with the BrahMos Next Generation (NG) supersonic cruise missile brings a major boost to the country's air and naval strike capabilities. Even though India already has powerful missiles like the SCALP, Rudram, and Astra, the addition of BrahMos-NG brings new strengths—especially its speed, range, and versatility—that make it a valuable asset in today's evolving threat environment. Strategic and Tactical Strengths 1. Faster, Deadlier Strikes BrahMos-NG can fly at Mach 3.5 (3.5 times the speed of sound) and reach up to 290 km, with a future range expected around 450 km. Compared to the subsonic SCALP missile (Mach 0.8), BrahMos-NG is far harder to intercept due to its speed. It can hit targets like enemy ships, command bunkers, and air bases with high precision. The missile's kinetic force is over 30 times greater than slower missiles, making it effective even against strongly fortified targets. 2. Safer Stand-Off Attacks With its extended range, BrahMos-NG allows Rafale jets to hit targets without entering enemy airspace. This is a big improvement over shorter-range missiles like Exocet (70 km). For Rafale-M jets on aircraft carriers like INS Vikramaditya or INS Vikrant, this means stronger sea control in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and more freedom of movement during conflict. 3. Platform Versatility BrahMos-NG is built to launch from air, land, sea, and submarine platforms. This multi-use design makes it easier for India to use it across aircraft like Su-30MKI, Tejas Mk1A, and now Rafale. In contrast, the SCALP missile is air-launched and mainly focused on land targets. BrahMos-NG can strike both ships and land-based targets—giving Rafale true multi-role ability. 4. Advanced Stealth and Accuracy BrahMos-NG has reduced radar visibility and a smart AESA radar-based seeker, helping it stay hidden and strike with better accuracy. This makes it useful in tight combat areas like urban zones or near sensitive enemy infrastructure. Compared to missiles like Rudram (anti-radiation) or Astra (air-to-air), BrahMos-NG adds precision land and sea strike options to Rafale's mission load. 5. Complements Other Missiles While SCALP offers longer range, its slower speed makes it easier to track. BrahMos-NG fills this gap by delivering quick, hard hits. Rudram and Astra are specialised systems, while BrahMos-NG adds a high-speed, multi-role option for dynamic battlefield conditions. Strategic Edge and Diplomatic Gains 1. Stronger Deterrence in the Region With BrahMos-NG onboard, India's Rafale and Rafale-M jets become potent tools against both Pakistan and China. In future conflicts, these jets can hit targets deep inside enemy territory or hostile ships in areas like the South China Sea. BrahMos-armed Rafales enhance India's ability to carry out surgical strikes without crossing borders, just like the Su-30MKI did in earlier operations. 2. Push for Defence Exports BrahMos has already attracted buyers like the Philippines, with more countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia showing interest. Integrating BrahMos-NG with Rafale shows India's capability to deliver cutting-edge tech—making it more competitive in the global arms market. It also reduces dependency on imported missiles like the French SCALP or Exocet, supporting the 'Make in India' initiative. 3. Boost to Indigenous Production BrahMos-NG is a product of the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace, with a high share of Indian components. Unlike SCALP, which is fully French, BrahMos-NG supports local industry. A new factory in Lucknow is expected to make up to 100 missiles a year by 2026, creating jobs and strengthening India's military manufacturing. Rafale's Firepower Grows Sharper 1. Smart Integration with Rafale Systems India has full software access to Rafale's systems, making it easier to integrate Indian missiles. This allows Rafale to operate with a mix of weapons—Meteor for air combat, SCALP for stealth attacks, and now BrahMos-NG for supersonic strikes. Plans to equip Rafale with two BrahMos-NG missiles per sortie could double its firepower, giving it an edge in multi-target missions. 2. Naval Aviation Upgraded For the Navy's 26 Rafale-M jets, BrahMos-NG is a game changer. These jets will replace older MiG-29Ks, which often face maintenance issues. Compared to the Indian-made NASM-MR missile (300 km, subsonic), BrahMos-NG offers faster, more lethal performance—giving India better control over key maritime zones and chokepoints in the IOR. Integration Challenges and Planning 1. Complex Integration Process Adding BrahMos-NG to Rafale isn't simple. It requires changes to software, electronics, and aircraft structure—similar to the Su-30MKI process. Since BrahMos-NG is Indo-Russian and Rafale is French, extra components may be needed to connect systems. Tests are expected by 2026, after Su-30MKI trials. 2. High Costs, but Big Payoff The project, including integration and missile production, will cost around ₹8,000 crore for 400 units. India must balance this with funding for other missile systems like Rudram, Astra, and the maintenance of SCALP. Still, the long-term value in self-reliance and export potential outweighs the cost. 3. Need for Operational Readiness Integrating the missile is only the first step. Full combat readiness needs pilot training, testing under real conditions, and updates based on field feedback to ensure BrahMos-NG performs smoothly on Rafale platforms. Where BrahMos-NG Stands Among Others SCALP : Longer reach (560 km) and stealthy, but slower and less effective in fast-strike needs. BrahMos-NG provides speed and dual-use value. : Longer reach (560 km) and stealthy, but slower and less effective in fast-strike needs. BrahMos-NG provides speed and dual-use value. Rudram : Specialised to destroy enemy radars; useful, but not a general-purpose strike missile. : Specialised to destroy enemy radars; useful, but not a general-purpose strike missile. Astra : Air-to-air missile; not suited for land or sea targets like BrahMos-NG. : Air-to-air missile; not suited for land or sea targets like BrahMos-NG. NASM-MR: Indian naval missile with decent range, but BrahMos-NG is faster, heavier, and more capable for major naval threats. Final Word Equipping Rafale with BrahMos-NG adds unmatched firepower to India's armed forces. With supersonic speed, pinpoint accuracy, and multi-role use, this missile fits perfectly with India's evolving air and naval strategy. It complements existing systems, boosts India's defence exports, and strengthens the drive for Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). Challenges like integration and costs exist—but the payoff is clear. Once operational, BrahMos-NG on Rafale could give India a decisive edge in the Indo-Pacific, reshaping how regional powers engage with a rising India. —— E.O.M ( The author Girish Linganna of this article is an award-winning Science Writer and a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@ )
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Microsoft launches Phi 4 reasoning AI models to compete with DeepSeek and OpenAI
Microsoft has launched a series of AI reasoning models - Phi 4 mini reasoning, Phi 4 reasoning and Phi 4 reasoning plus, as a part of its small language model family. The open-weight models combine reinforcement learning with supervised fine-tuning to solve complex problems in maths, science, coding and logic-based tasks. The most capable one of them - Phi 4 reasoning is a 14-billion parameter model that was trained on curated and high-quality web data from OpenAI's o3-mini. A blog posted by the company said that the AI model performs the best at math, science and coding applications. Meanwhile the Phi 4 mini reasoning model has 3.8 billion parameters and was trained on around a million synthetic math problems generated by DeepSeek's R1 model. The AI model is built for teaching purposes and can be embedded into devices. The Phi 4 reasoning plus on the other hand outperforms DeepSeek R1 on multiple benchmarks even though the latter is much bigger in size. The model is also comparable to OpenAI's o3-mini on a math test benchmark. 'Phi's evolution over the last year has continually pushed this envelope of quality vs. size, expanding the family with new features to address diverse needs. Across the scale of Windows 11 devices, these models are available to run locally on CPUs and GPUs,' Microsoft stated. The mini reasoning models are all available now over Hugging Face.
Mid East Info
24-04-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
SRMG and Naif Alrajhi Investment Announce a Strategic Partnership to Advance MENA's Media and Advertising Ecosystem
Partnership with Phi Advertising enhances Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising by combining Phi and SMS assets, offering diversified across the MENA region. Partnership with Veyron Marketing to elevate the regional landscape by providing clients access to SMS's dynamic portfolio of innovative digital formats, branded content, and experiential advertising solutions. Riyadh,SRMG, the MENA region's largest integrated media group, and Naif Alrajhi Investment, a leading Saudi investment firm with a diversified portfolio and a track record of leading portfolio companies in the media sector regionally, today announced a strategic partnership designed to advance innovation and growth across the media and advertising industries. This partnership focuses on two strategic pillars: Expanding Phi's Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising footprint and partnering with Veyron Marketing to drive innovation in media and marketing. The agreement brings together SRMG's newly launched SRMG Media Solutions (SMS), a next generation data-driven advertising entity representing a portfolio of renowned brands including Asharq Al-Awsat, Asharq News and Asharq Business with Bloomberg, Arab News, Hia Magazine and Thmanya, with Naif Alrajhi Investment's diversified assets. Through the partnership, Phi, a key player in the Middle East's Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising sector, offering a dynamic range of solutions from traditional billboards to cutting-edge digital displays, will amplify its reach, supported by SMS's cross-platform content distribution across digital, social, TV, and print channels. Moreover, Veyron Marketing, a leading player in Saudi Arabia's advertising industry, renowned for its innovative marketing solutions and robust media planning and buying capabilities, will gain access to SRMG Media Solutions' (SMS) dynamic portfolio of advertising offerings, including innovative digital formats, branded content, and experiential advertising. The partnership is underpinned by a shared vision to foster innovation, expand digital capabilities, and unlock new commercial opportunities for both parties. Together, SMS and Veyron bring a deep understanding of the Saudi market, further strengthened by SRMG's extensive global reach enabling them to drive long-term value for advertisers. SRMG CEO Jomana R. Alrashid stated, 'This partnership is a convergence of vision, impact and capability. By uniting Phi's comprehensive presence and Veyron's operational expertise, combined with SRMG Media Solutions' services and reach of over 170 million users, we are creating a dynamic ecosystem that empowers brands to engage audiences with unmatched relevance and impact.' Naif Saleh Alrajhi, Chairman & CEO of Naif Alrajhi Investment, commented, 'This partnership reflects our shared commitment to delivering innovative advertising solutions, creating exceptional opportunities for both regional and global advertisers. By partnering with SRMG and SRMG Media Solutions with our own assets, we are positioning brands to engage with audiences in new and meaningful ways. The strength of Naif Alrajhi Investment lies in our diversified portfolio and strong presence across key sectors, which allows us to offer unique, high impact opportunities that go beyond traditional media. This Partnership not only leverages the incredible growth in Saudi Arabia but also aims to shape the future of the media and marketing landscape globally.' The partnership underscores SRMG's expansion through SMS, which leverages a global audience of over 170 million users across platforms such as Asharq News, podcasts, and experiential activations. This, coupled with Naif Alrajhi Investment's diversified portfolio, positions the parternships to drive economic growth and redefine regional advertising standards.
Zawya
23-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
SRMG Media Solutions forms strategic partnership with Phi
Riyadh – SRMG Media Solutions (SMS), has entered into a strategic partnership with Phi, a leading out-of-home (OOH) media network and a subsidiary of Naif Alrajhi Investment. This Partnership aims to accelerate Phi's exposure into countries where SRMG Media Solutions has a strong footprint, while providing SMS's advertising clients with exclusive access to Phi's premium and expansive OOH inventory. SMS is a next-generation, data-driven media solutions company, SMS delivers innovative, results-focused advertising strategies. By leveraging proprietary first-party data, the latest AdTech solutions and AI-driven audience segmentation. SMS creates personalized, results-oriented campaigns that drive growth, innovation, and profitability. As the exclusive media partner for SRMG's prestigious brands, SMS manages a distinguished media portfolio, including Asharq Al-Awsat, Asharq News, Asharq Business with Bloomberg, Al Eqtisadiah, Akhbaar24, Arab News, Hia, Sayidaty, Billboard Arabia, Manga Arabia, and thmanyah. With a global reach of more than 170 million users, SMS delivers engaging content across a diverse range of platforms, including digital and social media, websites, apps, newsletters, TV, audio channels, podcasts, print, and experiential IPs. Founded in 2019, Phi has rapidly become a leading player in the Middle East's OOH media landscape providing innovative outdoor advertising solutions ranging from traditional billboards to modern digital screens, designed to meet the unique needs of its clients. Phi operates in over 350 high-traffic locations across four major countries including UAE, KSA, Egypt, and Morocco with a diverse network of extra-large hoardings, bridges, digital displays, and Unipoles. Phi's strategic placements ensure maximum visibility and brand exposure, making it a leader in the OOH sector. Since its establishment, Phi has had a strategy focused on expansion into local, regional, and international markets. This partnership enables SMS to offer global brands access to Phi's extensive OOH assets, enhancing their already robust portfolio of digital and social platforms, TV, audio, print, and experiential media. It provides advertisers with a unique opportunity to engage with audiences in Saudi Arabia and beyond through a blend of traditional and modern advertising formats. Ziad Moussa, Managing Director of SMS, commented, "SRMG's established presence in over 30 countries positions us uniquely to drive significant growth for Phi. This partnership is a win-win for both parties. It allows us to introduce Phi's innovative OOH solutions to a global audience, particularly those seeking to tap into the rapidly growing markets within the MENA region. As advertisers look to expand their reach, this Partnership offers them unparalleled opportunities to engage with one of the most dynamic and high-potential regions in the world.' Maher Boulos, CEO of Phi, said, 'Our partnership with SMS gives us the opportunity to offer advertisers direct access to the growing OOH market in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. This Partnership allows us to deliver more impactful and dynamic advertising solutions to our clients." Through this partnership, SMS is poised to redefine the advertising landscape in the MENA region and beyond, offering unmatched reach and cutting-edge solutions for brands looking to expand their presence. To learn more about enhancing your advertising strategies, please visit MEDIA CONTACT: Katie Golding Email: About SMS SRMG Media Solutions (SMS) is part of SRMG Media Group, the largest integrated media group from the MENA region. SMS provides comprehensive, data-driven advertising solutions to brands and advertisers. Leveraging a diverse portfolio of over 35 media brands across digital platforms, TV, print, audio, and experiential IPs, SMS empowers brands to engage with audiences through innovative storytelling, branded content, and targeted campaigns. SMS represents prominent brands such as Asharq Al-Awsat, Asharq News, Asharq Business with Bloomberg, Al Eqtisadiah, Akhbaar24, Arab News, Hia, Sayidaty, Billboard Arabia, Manga Arabia and thmanyah among others. By integrating proprietary first-party data, AI-driven audience segmentation, and advanced analytics, SMS delivers personalized and results-driven strategies designed to optimize brand visibility and audience engagement. With a focus on strategic partnerships, including exclusive agreements with leading media companies and global platforms, SMS is at the forefront of transforming the media and advertising landscape in the region. For more information about SMS, please visit: About Phi Founded in 2019, Phi is redefining outdoor advertising with a bold vision to transform it into a precise art of influence and impact. In just a few years, phi has become a trailblazer in outdoor media, delivering innovative, AI-driven solutions that revolutionize how brands engage with their audience. With over 350 advertising locations across UAE, KSA, Egypt, and Morocco, Phi has quickly established itself outdoor media landscape. Known for setting a gold standard of excellence, phi embodies prestige, precision, and an unmatched A+ experience for elite clientele.
