– Recognized as the only BPO in the category for advancing hybrid work, leadership and people-led transformation

MUMBAI, India, March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Startek®, a digital-first global customer experience (CX) solutions provider, announced that it has been honored with the ‘Excellence in Change Transformation’ award at the Economic Times Human Capital Awards 2026. The recognition was conferred on February 19 at a distinguished ceremony hosted by The Economic Times.

The Economic Times (ET), one of the world’s largest financial newspapers and a leading media publication, instituted the Human Capital Awards to recognize organizations that nurture human capital by investing in people, processes and culture. Startek was the only BPO recognized in this category.

The award followed a rigorous three-step evaluation process, including a detailed submission of people practices, a preliminary assessment by official tabulators and a final grand jury presentation before eminent leaders from diverse industries. The evaluation criteria focused on strategy and innovation, execution and implementation, measurable business impact and talent experience outcomes.

Startek was recognized for its comprehensive change transformation initiatives across hybrid workplace management, employee engagement, leadership capability, transparent communication, learning and career progression, inclusivity and associate wellbeing. These initiatives have strengthened organizational agility while enhancing employee experience and measurable performance outcomes.

“At Startek, transformation is a continuous journey to evolve with purpose,” said SM Gupta, Chief People Officer, Startek. “Our focus has been to build a resilient, future-ready organization by aligning culture, leadership and capability with business strategy. Being recognized for Excellence in Change Transformation reinforces our belief that sustainable growth begins with investing in people and creating an environment where they can thrive.”

Operating across multiple geographies, Startek continues to advance its hybrid work framework and people strategy to drive engagement, accountability and long-term value for clients and associates alike.

About ETHRworld

ETHRworld is the brand-new digital initiative by The Economic Times. It is a unique blend of learning, networking and exploring opportunities with industry experts, peers, policy makers and solution providers, impacting the dynamic HR landscape in India.

It is the first-of-its-kind HR community which is exclusively crafted for the HR leaders and by the HR leaders, from across the globe. A new dynamic in the world of people and work which aims at enabling and empowering organizations in turbocharging their HR efforts to metamorphose into an Exponential Organization.

About Startek

Startek® is a global leader in customer experience management, delivering comprehensive digital transformation and CX solutions. With over 35 years of expertise, Startek empowers businesses across diverse industries to create memorable, personalized customer interactions. Operating in 12 countries with a team of 38,000 associates, Startek is committed to connecting brands with their customers through innovation, empathy, and operational excellence.

To learn more, visit www.startek.com and follow us on LinkedIn @Startek.

Logo: https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/startek_logo-1.jpg

BEIJING, March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

Anhui province has benefited greatly from and will steadfastly advance high-level opening-up, while continuously enhancing the level of development of its open economy, the province’s top official said.

“We have continuously innovated the paths of opening-up, enriched the platforms and enhanced the capacity for opening-up,” said Liang Yanshun, secretary of the Communist Party of China Anhui Provincial Committee and a deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature.

The inland province in East China, with a population comparable to that of France and an area similar to that of Tajikistan, has achieved a series of significant development milestones in the past year and over the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.

Statistics show that Anhui’s gross domestic product grew 5.5 percent year-on-year in 2025, reaching 5.3 trillion yuan ($769.1 billion), surpassing the size of Argentina’s economy.

President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has made three inspection tours to Anhui since 2016, with the latest being in October 2024.

Liang said that President Xi provided important guidance and outlined practical pathways for steadfastly advancing high-level opening-up, taking into consideration domestic and international contexts.

Over the past five years, the province’s international goods trade has grown by an average of 13.2 percent annually, surpassing 1 trillion yuan in 2025.

Last year, Anhui’s trade volumes with its largest and second largest foreign trading partners — the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union — increased 38.3 percent and 21.6 percent, respectively.

“Anhui has persistently promoted the integration of industry and trade, vigorously explored new markets, and developed new business models, achieving record highs in foreign trade,” Liang said.

In 2025, the province imported over 330 billion yuan worth of high-quality consumer goods, advanced technology and equipment, and energy resources from more than 160 countries and regions.

By the end of 2025, Anhui had exported 1 million complete vehicles, the highest among all provincial-level regions, and its industrial robot exports ranked second nationwide.

Though Anhui is an inland province, the Yangtze River flows through its south on its way to the ocean, and the Huaihe River flows through the province’s north. In September 2023, the Yangtze-Huaihe Grand Canal, connecting the two major rivers, became fully navigable.

According to Liang, the province’s waterway freight volume has been the highest in the country for years.

An annual business environment evaluation organized by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce ranked Anhui’s market, innovation, rule of law and government services environments among the top three nationwide in 2025.

Volkswagen Group continues to expand its research and development system in China, establishing its first R&D center outside Germany in Hefei, the capital of Anhui, which has full vehicle platform development capabilities. The center began operations in 2024, cutting vehicle development cycles by about 30 percent.

Last year, Anhui’s actual use of foreign direct investment reached 15.33 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 23.9 percent, the fastest growth rate in the country.

The province’s actual outbound investment in 2025 was $3.05 billion, up 17.5 percent year-on-year. A total of 268 Anhui-based entities invested in 48 countries and regions, including in Antigua and Barbuda for the first time.

The provincial authorities supported Anhui’s leading enterprises in participating in major infrastructure projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia and the Constantine Housing Project in Algeria, injecting new momentum into improving local livelihoods and accelerating development.

Liang said the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period is a critical time for Anhui to consolidate its foundation, make comprehensive efforts, strive for excellence and catch up with determination.

“Opening-up is a distinctive feature of Chinese modernization, and it will surely inject strong momentum into writing the Anhui chapter of Chinese modernization,” he said.

• Large-scale outdoor advertising to run across New York Times Square, Toronto, and Tokyo Shibuya

SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Enhans (CEO Seung-hyun Lee), an Agentic AI company for the enterprise, announced a global outdoor advertising campaign featuring Go grandmaster Lee Sedol. 

The campaign spans Times Square in New York, Toronto in Canada, and the Shibuya Scramble in Tokyo, bringing the message to some of the most iconic spots in the world.

The outdoor creative features Go grandmaster Lee Sedol alongside Agentic AI, systems built to understand human intent and carry out complex workflows independently. Driven by the slogan ‘The Age of Agentic AI,’ the campaign captures a changing narrative, positioning the technology as a partner rather than a rival.

“This global campaign shows that we are ready to change how enterprise teams work, using Ontology, Agentic AI, and LAM as the foundation,” said Seung-hyun Lee, CEO of Enhans. “Launching this message with Lee Sedol in global centers proves how far AI has come as a  partner.”

The outdoor campaign coincides with a live global broadcast on March 9, from the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, returning to the exact venue where Lee played his historic 2016 match. Lee Sedol will use the Enhans AI OS to build and run business workflows on stage, in real time. Anthropic, NVIDIA, and Microsoft are sponsoring the event.

Founded in 2021, Enhans is a leading AI OS company that automates workflows across vertical industries. The company is built on two core technologies: Ontology, which allows AI agents to grasp industry context, and Computer-Using Agent (CUA), an execution engine designed to navigate actual computer environments and see tasks through to completion. Through its agent-centric AI OS that combines deep understanding with reliable execution, Enhans is setting a new industry standard where AI acts and decides on its own.

For more information, visit https://www.enhans.ai/

GUIYANG, China, March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from Huanqiu.com:

As the jubilant melodies of the Spring Festival travel afar and resonate in every corner of the world, the Guiyang Confucius Academy hosted a splendid cultural feast integrating ritual traditions, classical elegance and modern entertainment from the first to the seventh day of the first lunar month in 2026. Under the theme “Guizhou New Year Customs at the Confucius Academy: Shine in the Year of the Horse”, the event warmly welcomed visitors from near and far.

By the numbers, the event attracted more than 62,000 visitors, with online coverage exceeding 60 million views.  The “Ten Thousand Blessings for the Spring Festival” cultural event held before the Chinese New Year’s Eve drew nearly 90,000 participants over three days, distributing close to 4,000 pairs of Spring Festival couplets and “Fu” (blessing) characters. It presented a festive vision of “blessings for every household, joy for all”.

Zhai Jia, deputy director from the Guiyang Confucius Academy Cultural Communication Center noted that the academy has held Spring Festival couplet-writing and blessing-giving activities for consecutive years, emphasizing public welfare, community engagement and direct interaction with citizens. Looking ahead, the Confucius Academy will further enrich such activities, partnering with more regions to bring traditional culture closer to the public. It will promote the inheritance of fine traditional Chinese culture at the primary level, making the Spring Festival more festive, culturally enriched and heartwarming.

David Geary, an influencer from the UK known as “Huaxi David”, praised: “This is wonderful. Writing couplets and sending blessings to the people is heartwarming and a great way to promote China’s excellent traditional culture.”

Stepping into the Confucius Academy, visitors are immediately greeted by classical elegance. The event centers on “talent seeking”, connecting the core architectural complexes through the ingeniously designed “Twelve Scenes for Seeking Talent”. On the Fortune Ladder, the saying “Diligence is the path to the mountain of knowledge” inspired visitors with every step. In front of the statue of Confucius, solemn gestures of respect carried forward the tradition of honoring teachers and valuing education.

The intangible cultural heritage interactive area at the Etiquette Square buzzed with excitement. Long queues formed at the booths for Miao silver pattern painting, clay whistle coloring, ICH rubbings and sugar painting. Under the guidance of instructors, children decorated clay whistles with colorful wings and dotted patterns, experiencing the charm of traditional craftsmanship in joy. Parents marveled at the robotic sugar painting, as syrup turned into glittering ponies by robotic arms.

In the Yangming Cultural and Creative Zone, the glow of  lamps illuminated lines from Notes on the Humble Pavilion. The “Luckiest Draw” stationery combined the traditional First Writing Ceremony with modern tools. Guiyang travel postcards featured scenic spots and local flavors , such as Jiaxiu Pavilion, Qianling Mountain, silk rolls and sour soup beef , in a compact format. These objects brought distant culture home, showing the world the innovative expression of traditional Chinese culture in modern life.

The contemporary interpretation of ritual and musical civilization ran through the seven‑day festival. The “Treading Songs through Streams and Mountains—Elegant Tunes Celebrate Spring” series of performances offered six themed audio‑visual feasts. Troupes alternated performances, blending traditional and modern, Eastern and Western music. This series of performances embedded rituals and music into daily life, demonstrating the inclusive richness of traditional Chinese musical culture.

Luo Qing’an, founder of the Qianyuefu Jazz Band, said after the performance: “In the future, we plan to integrate with local opera and ethnic minority music to create more original works with Guizhou characteristics. We also hope to continue cooperating with the Confucius Academy to bring more music performances to the audience.”

The seven‑day tour won high praise from visitors. Citizen Chen Yinglin was impressed by the distinctive Sino‑Western fusion in the shows and planned to return next year. Gao Fang appreciated the rich folk activities, which offered children a rare chance to experience traditional customs in the city. Zhang Yuhan, thrilled by Miao silver pattern painting, described the event as lively and full of traditional cultural charm.  Zhou Hui noted the activities are suitable for all ages and exert a positive influence on children’s learning and outlook on life.

 Netizens shared photo moments and heartfelt reflections on social media platforms: “It’s been years since I took a photo with my father. Thank you, Confucius Academy!” “Half life vitality, half scholarly aroma—meeting a cultural rendezvous in Guiyang’s winter.” “I come to worship Confucius at the Confucius Academy every New Year’s Day.” “Experiencing new customs at the Confucius Academy on the first day of the Chinese New Year brings strong festive and cultural vibes. We took a family photo and embraced blessings and wisdom for the year in traditional culture.” “The Confucius Academy is truly magnificent!”

On March 3, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, as the Spring Festival vibe lingered, a lively lantern riddle guessing activity was held at the Six Arts Studio. The venue was brimming with laughter and engagement. Riddles ranged from witty and challenging to humorous and poetic, showing the beauty of traditional culture and catering to diverse interests.

Participants included young people competing with friends, children accompanying the elderly, parents guiding their kids, and even an elderly gentleman who solved 27 riddles on his own. Participants were rewarded with thoughtfully designed prizes—bamboo lanterns, fan-painting sets, bamboo‑weaving pony kits, flower‑twisting kits from China’s intangible cultural heritage and more—based on the number of riddles they solved. Closely tied to the Lantern Festival and Spring Festival, these gifts combined cultural heritage with fun and proved highly popular among visitors.

The “Civilization Prevails Here” cultural exhibition also attracted crowds. Tracing the millennial history of academy culture in Guizhou Province, the exhibition revealed the essence of academies and highlighted the profound influence of Master Wang Yangming on local culture and education.

From blessing-giving event and “Guizhou New Year Customs at the Confucius Academy: Shine in the Year of the Horse”Spring Festival Event to Lantern Festival riddles, the Guiyang Confucius Academy has demonstrated the infinite charm and vitality of traditional culture, allowing visitors from China and abroad to feel the enduring power of Chinese civilization.

BEIJING, March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Feng Xingya, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and Chairman of GAC Group, has arrived in Beijing for the 2026 National Two Sessions. He submitted multiple proposals on high-quality development of the automotive industry and improvement of people’s wellbeing. Among them, the topic of automobile exports particularly highlights the strong momentum of China’s automotive industry as it rises toward global leadership.

Addressing challenges like divergent global standards and weak international influence of domestic ones, Feng Xingya suggests establishing a compliance service system, aligning Chinese standards with international ones, and strengthening coordination among domestic enterprises. These measures aim to turn technological advantages into export competitiveness, helping China transition from a “major exporter” to a “global industry leader.” He emphasizes that accelerating the internationalization of Chinese standards and seizing discourse power in standards-setting is key to high-quality auto export development.

In terms of export, GAC has covered 86 countries and regions across five major regions: Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Europe, the CIS, and Central and South America. Its global sales channels have increased to 650, and it has established five KD factories in Nigeria, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Austria. In 2026, GAC maintained the momentum of its leapfrog growth over the previous two years, with overseas sales surging 69% year-on-year in January. In February, monthly overseas sales exceeded 11,125 vehicles, doubling from the same period last year with a remarkable increase of 114%. In the first two months of this year, cumulative sales surpassed 25,126 vehicles, up 86% year-on-year, demonstrating a robust overseas expansion momentum. Looking ahead, GAC will accelerate the coordinated global expansion of its industrial chain, ecosystem, digitalization, and financial systems. By continuously innovating in product development, channel construction, and operational approaches, GAC aims to comprehensively “going global, going deeper, and going upward,” contributing to the development of an automotive powerhouse.

Feng Xingya also focuses on electrification, intelligentization, low-altitude economy, and people’s livelihood. He suggests unified battery swapping standards and improved autonomous driving regulations. For low-altitude economy, he proposes development plans, cross-border data regulations, and pilot demonstrations in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. On people’s wellbeing, he focuses on building a new energy ecosystem in rural areas and age-friendly mobility, promoting a “digital inclusion + manual backup” model.

Feng Xingya states that GAC will continue driving industrial upgrading through technological innovation, contributing to building China into an automotive powerhouse and improving people’s wellbeing in service of the national strategy, while delivering superior mobility experiences and green travel solutions to global consumers.

For further information about GAC, please visit: https://www.gacgroup.com/en or follow us on social.

SEOUL, South Korea, March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On March 4, Bob McCooey, Vice Chairman at Nasdaq, visited the headquarters of Galaxy Corporation, where the two sides discussed the company’s potential pathways to accessing the U.S. capital markets and prospects for international expansion.

The visit highlights growing global investor interest in entertainment-technology companies that combine digital content, intellectual property (IP) and emerging technologies. For Galaxy, the meeting signals increasing attention from international capital markets as the company advances its global development strategy.

Unlike traditional entertainment firms that focus primarily on content production, Galaxy has positioned itself as an “entertainment technology” company, integrating IP, artificial intelligence and robotics into a unified ecosystem. The company has also emphasized the importance of the Chinese market in its international expansion plans and intends to establish Galaxy China while increasing strategic investment in the region.

As Galaxy’s global strategy progresses, market attention has increasingly turned to Star Legend (6683.HK), a Hong Kong-listed company widely regarded as Galaxy’s core strategic partner in China and across Asian markets.

Star Legend is both a shareholder and strategic collaborator of Galaxy. The company has developed end-to-end capabilities covering celebrity IP development, content operations and commercial monetization. Through its IP management system and experience in localized content commercialization, Star Legend has supported Galaxy’s expansion into the Chinese market.

Listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2023, Star Legend has established partnerships with well-known entertainment figures including Mandopop icon Jay Chou and fitness entrepreneur Will Liu. It has developed several widely recognized intellectual properties, including the Chou Chou IP and Coach Will Liu.

Through continuous development of original IP content, the company has built a scalable IP ecosystem. Its IP portfolio currently commands a combined social media following of around 280 million.

Star Legend has also expanded the commercial applications of its IP assets across multiple sectors, including variety shows, digital content, consumer brands and smart hardware products. The company has increasingly explored the integration of IP with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics, viewing these technologies as potential platforms for the next generation of interactive entertainment.

In September 2025, Star Legend acquired a 1.17% stake in the operator of Beijing’s National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest, becoming the venue’s only private-sector shareholder. The investment links the company’s IP development capabilities with one of China’s most prominent cultural landmarks.

Leveraging the venue’s international visibility, Star Legend plans to develop customized celebrity-themed IP images and related merchandise tied to events hosted at the stadium, while expanding the offline presence of flagship IP assets such as Chou Chou.

Several recent corporate developments have also drawn strong investor attention.

On July 9, 2025, Jay Chou officially launched his Douyin account under the Chou Chou IP developed by Star Legend. The company’s share price surged as much as 165.6% during the trading session, with total turnover reaching HK$11.485 billion.

Later that year, Star Legend announced plans to subscribe for up to 7% of Galaxy’s issued share capital through an industry investment fund, becoming a strategic shareholder. The announcement pushed the company’s share price up more than 14% intraday.

On November 12, Star Legend further revealed plans to establish a joint venture with robotics developer Unitree Technology to accelerate the development of an integrated “IP + AI + Robotics” business model. The news triggered another strong market reaction, with shares rising more than 20% during the session.

As artificial intelligence and robotics increasingly converge with digital content, the integration of technology and entertainment is emerging as a new trend in the global industry. Within this evolving landscape, Star Legend’s continued investment in IP operations, technology integration and global partnerships positions the company as an increasingly important participant in the entertainment-technology sector.