To Lam meets Modi, ASEAN ministerial meeting, Sony's business strategy
Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events
Vietnamese President To Lam is expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his three-day trip to India this week. (Source photos by Reuters)
Vietnamese President To Lam, who is also the leader of the Communist Party, is stepping up diplomatic activities. After welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on May 2, To Lam this week makes a state visit to India where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines hosts an ASEAN ministerial meeting that marks the beginning of this year's ASEAN Summit.
On the business front, Sony Group presents its corporate strategy and earnings announcement with President and CEO Hiroki Totoki and other executives speaking. Meanwhile in Istanbul, many companies from Asia are expected to participate in the biennial SAHA 2026 defense expo.
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Ballot counting in IndiaIndia holds ballot counting for April elections held in four states, including politically crucial West Bengal that borders Bangladesh, and a federally governed territory. Results are expected on the same day. Most exit polls give an edge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal, which it has never ruled before. If these projections hold, it will give a massive boost to the BJP, whose traditional regional strongholds are the country's north and west.
To Lam's India visitVietnamese President To Lam starts his three-day state visit to India, during which he will hold wide-ranging talks with Modi that will cover the gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest. "The engagement between leaders is expected to provide fresh momentum to the robust bilateral relations and open new avenues for cooperation between India and Vietnam," said an Indian government statement issued ahead of the visit.
The Singapore-based ride-hailing platform will announce its financial results for the January to March period. Two key points are in focus: the consistency of profitability after it posted its first full-year net profit in 2025, and the company's temporarily raised ride surcharges amid higher fuel prices. Investors are likely looking for signs regarding Grab's approach to balancing fees and costs.
Istanbul is hosting the biennial SAHA 2026 International Defense & Aerospace Exhibition through May 9. More than 260 foreign companies and delegations will participate, with 39% being from Asia, according to the organizers. Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea and Australia will be represented for the first time -- either through companies or as delegations -- while company participants from China are expected to increase compared with the 2024 event.
A two-day ASEAN ministerial meeting will start in Cebu in the Philippines, marking the opening of this year's ASEAN Summit, with the Philippines serving as the chair. Urgent priority will be placed on handling the energy crisis stemming from the war in the Middle East. The region's powers also want to reach an agreement on a code of conduct in the South China Sea as China increases its military presence. However, there are lingering tensions within the bloc, including in Myanmar following its general election, and the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. Attention is expected to be given on all these fronts.
Sony Group is set to announce its latest business strategy and full-year earnings for the fiscal year ended March. Investors are focusing on the impact of the recent memory chip shortage on its PlayStation 5 console.
China's trade dataChina reports April's trade data one week before a planned visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing. Export growth -- a key economic engine amid the uncertainty caused by Trump's tariffs -- slowed sharply in March as the war in Iran weighed on global demand.
