Brands
Hong Kong to host 2026 Interpol general assembly
HONG KONG: Hong Kong will host the 94th Interpol general assembly in 2026, bringing police chiefs and interior ministry officials from 196 member states to the city and underscoring its role in global law-enforcement cooperation.
It will be the first time the general assembly is held in the Hong Kong special administrative region and the third time in China, following Beijing-hosted editions in 1995 and 2017.
Xu Datong, vice minister of public security of China, said the choice of Hong Kong reflects confidence in the city and its policing institutions. The hosting rights were formally handed over at the close of the 93rd Interpol general assembly in Morocco last November.
Hong Kong police commissioner Chow Yat-ming said the decision highlighted Hong Kong’s position as an international “super connector” in global policing and reflected trust in the Hong Kong police force.
The Interpol general assembly is the organisation’s governing body, where senior law-enforcement leaders set policy priorities, approve budgets and coordinate responses to transnational crime, ranging from cyber fraud to financial and organised crime.
Hong Kong has long been active within Interpol as a sub-bureau under China, contributing expertise in cybercrime, financial crime and emerging security threats. Officers from the Hong Kong police force are regularly seconded to Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon and its Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore.
The force has also expanded cooperation with overseas agencies, particularly across Asean and Belt and Road countries, as it sharpens its response to cross-border fraud and financial crime. Its Frontier plus platform, launched in 2024, now links 13 jurisdictions for real-time intelligence sharing and fund interception.
Preparations for the 2026 assembly are under way, with Hong Kong authorities working closely with Interpol and China’s national central bureau to ensure smooth execution. Chow said the government aims to deliver a seamless experience for delegates and showcase the city’s openness, vitality and international character.
Brands
Reliance Retail FY26 revenue rises 11.8 Per Cent to Rs 3.7 lakh crore
Q4 revenue up 11.1 Per Cent, hyperlocal orders surge 4x, PAT steady
MUMBAI: Reliance Retail isn’t just ringing up sales, it’s ringing doorbells faster than ever. Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) reported a steady FY26 performance, with growth powered by store expansion, a sharp surge in hyperlocal commerce, and consistent traction across grocery, fashion and jewellery. For the full year, revenue rose 11.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,70,026 crore. In the January–March quarter, revenue from operations climbed 11.1 per cent to Rs 87,344 crore, up from Rs 78,622 crore a year earlier.
Operating performance remained stable, with Q4 EBITDA inching up 3.1 per cent YoY to Rs 6,921 crore from Rs 6,711 crore. However, quarterly profit after tax held steady at Rs 3,563 crore. For the full fiscal, PAT grew 11.7 per cent to Rs 13,842 crore.
Expansion remained a key lever. RRVL added 1,564 new stores during FY26, while simultaneously scaling its digital and hyperlocal commerce play. The latter emerged as a standout, with daily orders surging more than fourfold year-on-year in Q4, underlining a clear shift towards faster, localised fulfilment.
In grocery, large-format stores maintained momentum, aided by festive demand and the expansion of Smart Bazaar, which crossed 1,000 stores. Promotional campaigns such as ‘Full Paisa Vasool’ delivered record results, with sales rising 26 per cent YoY.
Digital commerce also picked up pace. JioMart added 5.8 million new users in Q4, nearly doubling its registered base year-on-year. Hyperlocal orders grew 29 per cent sequentially and over 300 per cent annually during the quarter.
Fashion and lifestyle saw steady traction. Ajio recorded a 23 per cent YoY rise in average bill value, while fast-fashion platform Shein crossed 11 million app installs, scaling rapidly with expanding product lines.
The jewellery business added further shine, with average bill value jumping 53 per cent YoY, largely driven by rising gold prices and sustained consumer demand.
Commenting on the shift, RRVL executive director Isha Ambani said hyperlocal commerce has become a structural growth driver, with orders rising more than fourfold over the year.
Looking ahead to FY27, the company is betting on technology to deepen engagement. The focus, Ambani noted, will be on AI-led merchandising, sharper pricing strategies and disciplined execution turning scale into sustained customer value.
In short, the carts are fuller, the clicks are quicker, and the next phase looks less about reach and more about precision.
