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NTT Data eyes asset injections into Singapore Reit to fund Asia's AI push. The Republic is ranked among the group's top 10 markets in terms of economic contribution and potential Published Mon, Mar 30, 2026 · 08:13 AM * The group is targeting "high-single-digit growth" for its business in 2026, and NTT Data's CEO Abhijit Dubey expects Asia to outperform global expectations, with Singapore leading the charge. PHOTO: NTT DATA [SINGAPORE] Global systems integrator NTT Data is looking to inject more of its global data centres into its Singapore-listed NTT DC Real Estate Investment Trust (Reit), as it ramps up its artificial intelligence (AI) expansion in Asia. NTT Data chief executive officer Abhijit Dubey said the pure-play data centre Reit was designed to recycle capital by maximising value from stable assets such as data centres, and then deploying the proceeds into new ones. "The intent has always been for (the Reit) to be an evergreen vehicle," he told The Business Times in an exclusive interview. He did not specify which assets could be injected. The group deploys about US$3.5 billion in capital to maintain its global digital infrastructure, he added. The Reit holds six assets in its portfolio in the United States, Austria and Singapore, and the group's global data centre division operates more than 160 facilities in more than 20 countries. The Reit's listing in July last year - the largest Reit IPO on the Singapore Exchange in a decade - marked "just the beginning" of NTT Data's plan to accelerate capital recycling, said Dubey. DECODING ASIA Navigate Asia in a new global order. Singapore leads regional outperformance. The group is targeting "high-single-digit growth" for its business in 2026, and Dubey expects Asia to outperform global expectations, with Singapore leading the charge. He placed Singapore among the group's "top 10" global markets in terms of economic contribution and financial potential, citing its long operating history in the Republic. "We have a sizeable, scaled and fairly healthy business (in Singapore)," he added. Growth is driven by both public- and private-sector investment in AI, as Singapore-based companies expand across South-east Asia. "Given our footprint in every single country we can support, we have a unique ability to support that kind of an expansion," he said. That said, since its Singapore IPO listing at US$1 a unit, prices of the Reit have fallen about 9 per cent to date. In its nine-month business update in February, the Reit manager missed its adjusted IPO forecasted net property income by 0.6 per cent, citing lower occupancy and softer power revenue - although this was partially offset by higher tenant fit-out revenue and positive foreign exchange impact. Value proposition. Dubey said that NTT Data differentiates itself from the rest by offering end-to-end capabilities, from digital infrastructure to consultancy services. Such an approach enables NTT Data to compete in terms of both pricing and time to market, he noted. As the adoption of AI picks up pace, NTT Data has begun upgrading its digital infrastructure - such as by making its data centres AI-ready - so that its customers can enter the market more quickly. However, digital infrastructure remains a key constraint. "There are many bottlenecks to scaling the adoption of AI, but one of the biggest ones is that the infrastructure is not AI-ready," Dubey said. He warned that competitors that have yet to beef up their infrastructure would face "a pretty significant shift" in their business models, given the capital-intensive nature of the exercise. AI to reshape jobs. On the labour front, Dubey was more measured on AI-driven job displacement. He does not expect immediate job losses, but expects disruption to unfold in the next five years. During this transition, he expects a high level of unemployment stemming from a lack of readiness by governments worldwide. However, he expects new jobs to be created with a systemic overhaul of the education system, and for the job market to stabilise after 25 years. Dubey identified employees in white-collar jobs and middle management to be at the highest risk of being displaced by other employees who use AI effectively. "I find young graduates to be some of the best, because they are truly AI-native," he said. Against this backdrop, he expects a "decoupling of revenue growth from headcount growth", noting that historically, in the IT services industry, revenue growth has typically been tied to headcount growth. "Being AI-native with the curiosity mindset - the mindset to learn is actually what we aspire to have," he said.

News & articles. At ConnectWeb Connectweb has a team of editors and researchers collating the most relevant information to you and your industry. All Directories' publications and sites provide a wealth of information for research or marketing, and are used by public and corporate libraries, educational institutions, government departments, corporations and SMEs across the country. You are here: Home News Access the latest company news and announcements distributed through medianet. Technology & Innovation 19/03/2026 15:11 NTT DATA verified the effectiveness of AI consumer agents in Kao's product development research, driving greater operational efficiency and sophistication. TOKYO-BUSINESS WIRE- NTT DATA, a global leader in AI, digital business and technology services, today announced the success of its "AI Consumers" proof of concept (PoC) for a makeup brand operated by Kao Corporation, a leading Japanese consumer goods company and a major global cosmetics and personal care manufacturer. The PoC assessed the feasibility of using AI models to simulate the behavioral characteristics of consumers and develop personas to aid product development research. As consumer values and purchasing behaviors continue to shift, it has become increasingly important for marketing departments to rapidly and accurately capture the evolving needs of their customers. However, in conventional product development research processes, significant time and costs are required for research design, respondent recruitment, fieldwork and analysis. Within limited development timelines, it is difficult to sufficiently deepen research data or validate hypotheses. For Kao's makeup brand, which launches new products each season, shortening the product development cycle has been a critical requirement. Against this backdrop, NTT DATA utilized its marketing AI agent service, in combination with Kao's accumulated consumer research, purchase and social media data, to create multiple AI Consumers and an AI interviewer for use in product development research. While remaining consistent with insights gained through traditional research methods, the PoC demonstrated that AI-driven research could potentially shorten the timeline from 1.5 months to just 0.5 days - a 99% reduction - delivering significant efficiency gains and enabling a more advanced consumer-insight process. It also reduced the operational workload involved in respondent recruitment and survey execution. "In recent years, consumer trends have shifted from traditional quarterly and monthly cycles to a weekly cycle. For consumer brands, responding to these rapidly changing trends with a high level of agility is critical to business growth," said Mizuho Mitake, Head of Second Industry Business Sector, Japan, NTT DATA*. "This PoC has demonstrated that AI can achieve significant gains in speed in the product development process while ensuring quality equal to or even exceeding that of human output. NTT DATA will expand the application of these results beyond product development into marketing operations." *Mizuho Mitake leads commercial strategy, sales, and consulting across Consumer Retail (including vertically integrated retail, grocery & convenience), Real Estate, Food, Beverage, Alcohol & Tobacco, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Materials, and Integrated Energy in Japan. NTT DATA promotes both proactive AI adoption and responsible governance to drive transformation in clients' businesses as well as its own business. For clients, NTT DATA aims to realize "Smart AI Agent(R)", in which AI agents autonomously extract, organize, and execute tasks in response to user instructions. Within its own business, NTT DATA is accelerating dramatic improvements in software development productivity, AI literacy and practical skills development. Through these initiatives, NTT DATA seeks to advance AI-native business process transformation, address social challenges such as labor shortages, and enable a world in which people can focus on higher value-added activities. About NTT DATA NTT DATA is a $30+ billion business and technology services leader, serving 75% of the Fortune Global 100. Connectweb is committed to accelerating client success and positively impacting society through responsible innovation. Connectweb is one of the world's leading AI and digital infrastructure providers, with unmatched capabilities in enterprise-scale AI, cloud, security, connectivity, data centers and application services. Its consulting and industry solutions help organizations and society move confidently and sustainably into the digital future. As a Global Top Employer, Connectweb has experts in more than 70 countries. Connectweb also offer clients access to a robust ecosystem of innovation centers as well as established and start-up partners. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group, which invests over $3 billion each year in R&D. Contact details: NTT DATA Japan Corporation Ogiso, Yamazaki, Ando, Takeda, Takegami Email: [email protected] ConnectWeb. ConnectWeb is Australia's leading publisher of biographical data, directories and specialist newsletters. With ConnectWeb you gain access to its comprehensive database of contacts and companies in media, government and associations. Connect with Connectweb.

Hitachi, UTS, and NTT DATA partner to expand Green tech in Australia. Hitachi, Ltd., the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and NTT DATA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a strategic partnership focused on expanding Green Transformation (GX) business initiatives in Australia. The collaboration aims to address Australia's target of a 43% reduction in CO[2] emissions by 2030, a goal that has increased pressure on large companies to provide transparent and verifiable ESG data under the Australian government's Safeguard Mechanism. This has heightened the demand for digital solutions to manage energy consumption, particularly in the commercial building sector. The partnership will utilize the UTS campus as a Living Laboratory, a real-world environment where industry, academia, government, and citizens can co-create new technologies and services. This initiative will serve as a proving ground for the development, value verification, and commercialization of advanced GX solutions, which the parties plan to scale across the Australian market. The first project under this MoU involves the localization of Hitachi's ESG data management solution, EcoAssist-Enterprise, for the Australian market. Unlike generic monitoring tools, EcoAssist-Enterprise is being tailored to comply with Australia's environmental frameworks, such as the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS). Initial testing across multiple UTS buildings has confirmed the solution's effectiveness in visualizing and managing energy consumption. Following successful trials, the deployment of EcoAssist-Enterprise will be expanded at UTS before rolling out to the broader market. A key element of this partnership is the integration of EcoAssist-Enterprise with NTT DATA's AI-based air-conditioning optimization solution, HUCAST. This system uses AI to predict weather patterns and human occupancy flows, allowing for real-time adjustments to air-conditioning systems to enhance energy efficiency without compromising occupant comfort. Beyond the commercial building sector, Hitachi, UTS, and NTT DATA plan to leverage insights from the Living Laboratory to expand GX solutions into other industries. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to responsible innovation and aims to accelerate the realization of a sustainable society in Australia.