Rahul Sachitanand

[Rahul Sachitanand @rahulsachi]

A year-end visit to Mallorca allowed us to breathe and enjoy an island normally overrun by tourists in peak season. Read how and why you must consider off-season travel in The Hindu. Thank you @shonalim for commissioning this piece and grateful to her team for their help.

[The Hindu @the_hindu]

As overtourism crowds popular destinations during summer, more travellers are discovering the joys of visiting Europe outside the peak months.

✍️Rahul Sachitanand

https://t.co/uV2rr7iBaH

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

Indonesia’s hotels are witnessing a post-Covid boom.

As a result, the largest hotel chains of Indonesia—Archipelago and Artotel—say they will add 15,000 rooms in the next 12 months.

But multinational hotel chains are eyeing the same opportunity.

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

Archipelago and Artotel aren’t just bristling against global hotel brands in Indonesia. Both are expanding overseas too.

Can these hotel operators transform into global brands while retaining the “local” flavour that defines them?

@rahulsachi reports: https://t.co/fQlBP7DaMF

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

After two decades of steering Airasia and its many businesses through thick and thin, its co-founder, Tony Fernandes, is finally looking beyond.

But his succession plan is an unfinished puzzle, writes @rahulsachi in this week's Strait Up.

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[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

Airasia is walking a tightrope as an airline and online travel agent (OTA).

Is the dual role straining its relations with other airline partners?

@rahulsachi explores in this week's Strait Up: https://t.co/1d8iN1zRqi

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

A combination of factors, including the requirement of an uncommon union of skills, now demands the five banks to pull a rabbit out of their hats to remain on course, reports @rahulsachi in today’s insightful read.

https://t.co/cexc1y1QJ8

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

A combination of social engineering, poorly devised statements of protocol (SOPs) for data handling, and lax enforcement of data protection laws, writes @rahulsachi in this week's Strait Up: https://t.co/IUKZw0KaPc

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

In this week's Strait Up, @rahulsachi explains why:

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[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

Malaysia is preparing to shift to a multi-lane free-flow system that will rid highways of physical toll barriers and lean on new tech to collect payments.

With this, it is breaking the highway toll monopoly, writes @rahulsachi in this week's Strait Up: https://t.co/cmCJV97afQ

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

The divergent objectives of the government, domestic private investors, and their foreign partners impede Dana Penjana’s progress—as they all pull the initiative in different directions.

@rahulsachi reports: https://t.co/3d1THC9GGK

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

In this week's Strait Up, @rahulsachi explores: https://t.co/BzsNgCuzOg

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

Malaysia’s 5G project is stuck in limbo.

The plans of the state-owned Digital Nasional Berhad—set up for the hastening of the 5G rollout—have been questioned by Malaysia's PM and its communications regulator, writes @rahulsachi in this week's Strait Up: https://t.co/BwX8jAfOZT

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

As Malaysia stares at a potential recession and a rise in the cost of living, Astro—the leading TV service provider in the country—has been getting a thinner slice of the pie in household budgets.

Recently, it saw a ~9% decline in revenue and an ~18% fall in operating profit.

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

@aishyinabubble How does Grab plan to unlock growth with consumer interest in e-grocery waning across Southeast Asia?

@nfreischlad and @rahulsachi report:
https://t.co/aP3k93bTes

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

On Feb 21, Singapore's PayNow was linked to India's UPI. Now, people in both countries can transfer and receive foreign exchange with each other.

This move threatens Singapore's forex remittance providers.

@rahulsachi reports in this week's Strait Up: https://t.co/jsqgvv2LNv

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

These digital businesses were supposed to save AirAsia.

But they soon began resembling an albatross around its neck.

How does CEO Tony Fernandes plan to pull Capital A out of its misery?

@rahulsachi reports: https://t.co/crhSsRrKzO

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

Malaysia’s National Integrated Immigration System—launched in April 2021—is expected to replace an outmoded two-decade-old platform.

But tech talent shortage could hobble the execution of this new platform, writes @rahulsachi in this week's Strait Up: https://t.co/I92DZfuNgj

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

A public feud is ongoing at one of Malaysia's largest payments processors, Revenue Group.

Recently, it sued its two largest shareholders.

It also has a new CEO, but questions linger over who's in charge, reports @rahulsachi in this week's Strait Up:
https://t.co/paQe4z2RXt

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

US$400M fintech Lentra's core-lending SaaS business model is gaining traction with India's top banks and financial service providers—including the State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank.

But it faces two significant challenges.

[The Ken @TheKenWeb]

Also, while Lentra's tech stack gets integrated by major firms in India, it's sometimes limited to a small part of loan-processing potential.

For example, HDFC Bank has committed just ~2%.

What does the future hold for Lentra?

@rahulsachi reports:
https://t.co/EwPin3sadh