China's digital product manufacturing industry recorded robust growth in the first 11 months of this year, signaling the sustained expansion of the digital economy is fostering greater momentum for the development of new quality productive forces, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.
"From January to November, the value-added output of digital product manufacturing enterprises above designated size increased by 9.3 percent year on year, while the production index of information transmission, software, and information technology services grew by 11.3 percent. In terms of products, the output of servers and integrated circuits rose by 15.1 percent and 10.6 percent, respectively, during the same period," said Fu Linghui, spokesman for the NBS, at a press conference in Beijing.
Data from the NBS also showed that breakthroughs are accelerating in cutting-edge technological fields including artificial intelligence and embodied intelligence, strengthening their role in driving industrial upgrading.
In the period, the value-added output of high-tech manufacturing enterprises above the designated size grew by 9.2 percent year on year. The smart consumer device manufacturing sector saw a growth of 7.6 percent in value-added output, while the output of industrial robots and industrial control computers and systems surged by 29.2 percent and 87.6 percent, respectively.
Industrial enterprises above designated size are those with annual revenue from principal business of or above 20 million yuan (about 2.84 million U.S. dollars).
China's digital product manufacturing industry reports robust growth in Jan-Nov period
India's manufacturing industry has been threatened by shortages in the global energy supply amid mounting tensions and escalating spillover effects spreading beyond the Middle Eastern battlefield.
Glass producers in the country are feeling the acute strain of natural gas shortages, which have forced many production lines to shut down. This, in turn, has impacted beverage companies that rely on glass containers.
"The glass is a critical part of the packaging and it accounts for nearly 45 percent of the cost of beer. Now, there is no gas supply coming. So, a lot of furnaces are unable to operate. Production lines are shutting down," said Vinod Giri, director general of the Brewers Association of India.
Fuel shortages are also hitting India’s metalworking sector, leading to price volatility for stainless-steel cookware. As these goods are essential to daily life, persistent supply instabilities are placing considerable strain on related businesses
"[Metal] prices continue to rise, making our business extremely difficult. We face raw material shortages, production halts, shutdowns in some areas, and worker exodus. Since the outbreak of the war, raw material prices have risen by 10 percent to 15 percent and continue to climb. We have no idea when the price hikes will stop," said Krishan Aggarwal, a stainless steel cookware trader.
Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities on Feb. 28, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes against Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, while tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz by restricting passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.
Spillover effects of Middle East conflict threaten manufacturing industry in India
