India currently depends on overseas suppliers for roughly 90% to 95% of its semiconductor requirements. That reliance is now prompting a major domestic push, as the government moves forward with plans to establish what it hopes will be the country’s first large-scale semiconductor fabrication plant. The facility is planned for…
Higgsfield AI, a startup from Kazakhstan, has raised new funding at a valuation of more than $1.3 billion, Reuters reported. The company develops AI-powered video generation tools and is among the fastest-scaling generative AI projects globally. The company recently disclosed that it raised $130 million in a Series A funding…
A large business complex, Iconic Towers, will be built in the city of Alatau, with total investment exceeding $800 million. The architectural concept for the project is being developed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), an American firm known for its iconic skyscrapers worldwide. Due to the high importance of…
Central banks around the world continue to actively purchase gold, with Kazakhstan remaining one of the leaders in the trend. According to the World Gold Council (WGC), the National Bank of Kazakhstan increased its gold reserves by another 8 tons in November. In total, the National Bank purchased 49 tons…
What do banks and stadiums have in common? Directly, there is no obvious connection. One unproven theory, however, suggests that where large amounts of capital are concentrated, generous investments often follow — including funding for major sports facilities. Our regular contributor and data visualization creator, Nurasyl Abrazakuly, has mapped out…
The Kazakh government has approved an investment agreement to launch a new soft drink plant in the Aktobe region next year. A decree was signed by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. The project’s investor, Coca-Cola Almaty Bottlers LLC, is ready to allocate approximately $83 million to the new production site. Once…
Kazakhstan’s National Bank has approved the launch of three pilot projects involving digital assets, including a pilot that would allow cryptocurrency payments via QR codes, the regulator’s press office said. Three areas selected for testing According to the National Bank, the pilot projects will focus on three key areas: QR-code…
The Portuguese company Mota-Engil, whose main shareholders include China Communications Construction Co. (CCCC), is in talks to buy the Brazilian mining company Bamin, which is owned by Kazakhstan’s Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), sources told the Brazilian outlet Valor International. Bamin’s Brazilian concession Bamin holds a concession for a section of…
According to Nurdaulet Kilybay, governor of Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, the Chinese company Zhongyong International plans to begin construction of a new seaport in Aktau next year. The first phase of the project alone is expected to cost $300 million. The agreement follows several years of negotiations with the company that…
In recent years, Kazakhstan has invested about $680 million in Uzbekistan, according to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). Companies owned by Kazakhstan’s wealthiest businessmen have accounted for a significant share of that investment, Margarita Bocharova, an author with the Shishkin_like project, wrote in a recent review. EDB analysts say more…
Jim Beam, owned by Japanese Suntory Global Spirits, will stop production at its main Kentucky distillery for all of next year due to planned upgrades of the site, as reported by the BBC. The company said the decision was made after reviewing production needs based on expected demand for 2026.…
Singapore-based holding company Food Empire has invested 6.7 billion tenge (about $13 million) in the construction of a tea and coffee production facility in Khorgos, a key gateway city linking Kazakhstan and China. The plant will produce instant coffee under the popular MacCoffee brand. Khorgos emerges as manufacturing hub Speaking…
BAE Systems, the U.K.’s largest multinational aerospace and defense company, has decided to sell half of its stake in Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s national carrier, according to Reuters. Once the deal is completed, the British company’s shareholding will fall from 16.95% to approximately 8%. In 2024, BAE Systems had already reduced…
Papa John’s recently announced its withdrawal from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan after losing market share to more flexible regional rivals such as Dodo Pizza, analysts at Teniz Capital Investment Banking said. The U.S.-based pizza chain entered Kazakhstan in 2018, opening 15 restaurants but failing to keep pace with fast-growing local competitors.…
BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd., a China-based manufacturer of display panels, including LCD, OLED and LED screens, is set to establish an LED display and next-generation component factory in Alatau, Almaty region, according to the region’s governor’s office. «A memorandum of cooperation was signed between the region’s Department of Entrepreneurship…
The American restaurant franchise Papa John’s is closing all its locations in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Franchisee cites revenue decline, rising costs Restaurateur Daniyar Monolbai announced on social media that his company is ending its role as the master franchisee for Papa John’s in both countries. He said the decision was…
Gold’s inflation-adjusted returns over time are notoriously hard to predict. Still, gold remains a preferred hedge during periods of inflation and currency instability. In recent years, countries’ gold strategies have diverged sharply, reflecting each nation’s economic priorities. Nurasyl Abdrazakuly, a Kazakh data scientist and a frequent collaborator on our infographics,…
According to Freedom Holding Corp. CEO Timur Turlov, it is high time for Kazakhstan to abandon the idea that football is «not our» sport. He believes football is the best way to engage a large number of people in sports and achieve positive results for the entire country, provided the…
Major online marketplaces no longer need third-party sellers on their platforms, according to marketing analyst Chingiz Musin. In a post on Instagram, he said major e-commerce platforms relied on outside sellers only to build out their infrastructure. Musin, a marketing expert who previously worked for several large Russian retail chains,…
A $122 million auto plant will be launched in Uzbekistan’s Sirdaryo region, bordering Kazakhstan, next year. The project is being implemented jointly with Chinese companies, the government said in a statement. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the project during a speech at a regional assembly session. However, he did not…
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov met with executives from the U.S.-based company LanzaJet to discuss the construction of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in the Kostanay region. According to the preliminary design, the facility is planned for the city of Rudny. The plant would have an annual capacity of…
Halyk Finance, a leading Kazakhstani investment bank, has acquired shares in the U.S. pizza chain Domino’s Pizza, according to data from the consolidated pension asset investment portfolio published on Kazakhstan’s Unified Pension Fund website. On Oct. 9, 2025, Halyk Finance purchased Domino’s shares worth 157 million tenge (about $305,000). World’s…
Managing companies in Kazakhstan will soon be able to invest up to 80% of Kazakhstanis’ pension savings in foreign-currency assets. Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) will introduce new limits on pension investments in instruments denominated in foreign currency. Currently, such…
A sluggish economy, a battered real estate market, and tighter tech oversight have already squeezed China’s labor market. The rapid advance of artificial intelligence could make the situation even more challenging, according to RAND Corporation fellow Marianne Lu. Ambitious AI targets amid labor market strain Beijing has laid out sweeping…
