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Investments in Asia Could Exceed Merger & Acquisition in the West Because of Sanctions, Says Expert_我的网站

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一 | 8月19日，主题为“人机共生产需共融”的2026世界机器人大会在北京开幕。 Ambuj Sonal, Associate Partner at Link Legal, a firm tracking mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and joint ventures, among others, spoke with Sputnik about cross-border investments in the era of growing uncertainty and the impact this will have on M&A activity in 2022 and beyond.,Sputnik: In the past two years, many restrictions have been imposed on foreign investments globally, mainly for reasons of national security. What effect have such regulatory changes had on cross-border mergers and acquisitions?,Ambuj: The primary reasons for implementing such additional scrutiny were to control the misuse of the uncertain situation and opportunistic investment behavior. Indeed, these restrictions affected cross-border deals globally in early 2020. For example, the European Commission Report on foreign investment flows [released in November 2021] suggested that foreign direct investment (FDI) flow to European countries declined by approximately 71 percent during the time of COVID.,Although these economies had amended regulations to protect their domestic companies from 'corporate raiders', this deterred foreign investors and caused a substantial decline in inbound M&A deals.,Having said that, the global cross-border M&A activity showed huge improvements in the second half of 2020, when most of the countries had started vaccination and adopted other measures to control the pandemic.,Reports show that from the second half of 2020, the volume of global deals increased by approximately 29 percent, and deal values soared by roughly 156 percent, indicating that cross-border M&A deals enjoyed a quicker recovery from COVID.,Sputnik: India has also amended foreign investment rules, explicitly targeting countries with which it shares land borders. How has it affected M&A activity and overall foreign investment flow, primarily from China?,Ambuj: The Indian government, in Press Note 3 (PN3) in April 2020, decreed that all investments from entities (direct or indirect) with which India shares a land border, would have to be made under the 'approval route' and would need security clearance.,PN3 also covered investments where beneficial ownership belonged to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Initially, investors from these nations approached the Indian Government for approval. However, the government was silent about these approvals until the first year of PN3.,According to data disclosed under a recent application filed under the Right to Information Act, the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has revealed that it received 382 FDI proposals from Chinese entities after PN3, of which 80 proposals have been approved.,The DPIIT made the commitment that appropriate due diligence and FDI approvals from Chinese entities would be scrutinized on a case-by-case basis. Before PN3, Chinese firms were actively investing in technology and e-commerce businesses in India, particularly in start-ups.,Up to 2019, India received foreign investments of approximately $3.4Bln from China and Hong Kong. However, post PN3, the total investment from China and Hong Kong has declined to $952Mln or 72 percent.,Having said that, despite COVID-19 and a huge drop in Chinese investments, India has received the highest annual FDI ($83.57Bln) in the 2021-22 financial year, and has emerged as a preferred investment destination.,The steps taken by the Indian government during the past few years have affected the increasing volumes of inbound FDI, which has led to record levels.,Sputnik: The geopolitical scenario has undergone tectonic changes because of tensions between China and the US, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Decoupling is a new buzzword that many say is part of de-globalization. How is this affecting mergers and acquisitions globally, especially in India?,Ambuj: 'Decoupling' refers to a situation where another country replaces a particular country in a global and extended supply chain. 'De-globalization' would constitute a step beyond 'decoupling' where activities that are performed offshore are brought back home completely.,Tensions between the US and China have caused a major drop in cross-border M&A deals for these two countries (an almost 95 percent drop from 2016 to 2020) primarily because of geopolitical, trade, and tariff uncertainties.,On the other hand, global M&A deals were badly hit because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to data provided by Reuters, the Russia-Ukraine conflict caused the value of global M&A activities to plunge 29 percent in the first quarter of 2022.,The geopolitical scenario will most probably result in a complex and disrupted global supply chain. The present conflicts such as between US and China, and Russia and Ukraine have given rise to debate about whether we are heading towards 'decoupling', which might slowly lead to 'de-globalization'.,Decoupling and de-globalization will affect the global economy adversely and could result in long-standing inflation.,So far as India is concerned, the geopolitical situation has caused unexpected price rises, disrupted supply chains, and introduced other uncertainties because of blocked inventory. This has affected major sectors such as textiles, plastics, steel, pharma, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), etc.,Although such geopolitical situations have majorly affected M&A activity in Asia, investments in India might see a rise. Mostly, the manufacturing sector could benefit, considering how easy it is to do business and the cost-effective labor in the Indian market.,Other European countries are already considering shifting their manufacturing facilities from China to India. This is a result of the Indian government's efforts to boost foreign investments, which has made India a preferred investment destination.,Sputnik: Despite unprecedented sanctions by the West, most Asian countries, including India, have carved out a space for themselves in this crisis and are maximizing their geopolitical leverage without limiting economic opportunities. Given this backdrop, do you think Asian countries will outpace their global peers in the M&A sector?,Ambuj: India has strong business relationships with Russia, especially in the defense, oil and gas, and automotive sectors.,Because of the sanctions imposed by the West, Russia has been isolated from global financial systems and trading. Therefore, strong support and implementation of such sanctions may not be viewed as a beneficial step.,So far as opportunities are concerned, India can be seen as an alternative supplier of manufactured exports to the West. However, the preference would be given to countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), ie Taiwan, Korea and Japan. This may result in major investments in Asian countries, which may exceed the western market's M&A activities in deal volume and size.,From a cross-border M&A point of view, India remains a preferred destination with an FDI of approximately $83.57Bln and 2,064 M&A deals in the 2021-22 financial year, which puts it in top spot globally. Mauritius and Singapore remain the top investors for India, and we can see India being comfortably placed as an attractive business nation.,Sputnik: Recently, a large number of western firms have announced their intention to leave the Russian market. Has this created space for Indian firms to buy assets or to invest in Russia?,Ambuj: Yes. Judging from the silence of the Indian government on the subject of sanctions, Indian firms are keen to capitalize on the geopolitical conflict as an opportunity to invest and gain a share of the Russian market. Opportunities are available mainly in industries serving the pharmaceutical, oil and gas, and manufacturing sectors.,Furthermore, since big global companies such as Apple, fast retail and Ikea have shut or kept their operations in Russia on hold, mid-size Indian companies in the retail and fast-moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors are also interested in doing business in India.,Additionally, since supply chains between Russia and -European countries are blocked, Indian suppliers are looking to initiate strong trade relations by offering undisrupted supply to Russia.,Sputnik: Reports claim that Russian businesses and other big players have been looking for ways to invest their money in Asia. What kind of investment opportunities does the Indian market offer them?,Ambuj: Unlike the UK, India does not offer any scheme like a 'Golden Visa' for Russian businessmen who can trade for their residential status in lieu of multi-million investments in the country. However, investment opportunities in India remain plentiful and attractive. As India's Prime Minister said at the World Economic Forum in Davos this year: "This is the best time to invest in India.!,Over the years, the Indo-Russian bilateral relationship has developed into a comprehensive partnership that includes cooperation in several high-technology sectors.,India and Russia have projected that bilateral trade will be worth $30Bln by 2025. This will boost the India-Russia business relationship, and many opportunities await Russian investors in India.,The key areas for Russian investments to focus on in India are telecommunications, automobiles, industrial services, oil and gas, and medical/surgical appliances.,Want to know more? Check out our Koo & Telegram accounts!,Koo: https://www.kooapp.com/profile/sputniknews,Sputnik India: https://t.me/sputniknewsindia。大会由中国电子学会、世界机器人合作组织共同主办。记者任超摄 8月19日，2026世界机器人大会在京开幕。《经济参考报》记者从大会获悉，2025年机器人产业规模以上企业营业收入突破3000亿元，近5年年均增速超20%；今年上半年达到1655亿元，同比增长24.5%。下一步，工业和信息化部将以智能化为主线，推动机器人产业创新发展。

二 | 聚焦核心零部件、具身智能等关键环节，打通产学研用创新链条，鼓励中外科研机构、企业开展联合攻关，打造一批先进、实用、易用的智能机器人标志性产品。当前，全球人工智能技术创新空前活跃，智能机器人作为人工智能从数字世界走向物理世界的重要载体，正以前所未有的速度赋能千行百业、走进千家万户。中国科协副主席、书记处第一书记贺军科表示，智能机器人作为先进制造技术和认知科学、计算科学、神经科学等前沿科技的集大成者，拓展了人工智能技术的应用场景，也赋予机器人技术巨大发展空间。据悉，本届大会有参展企业300余家。透过大会可以看到，无论是工业、商业，还是家庭消费场景，不少企业更加重视机器人在真实场景下的商用交付，聚焦“智能化”关键词，机器人对物理世界的感知能力进一步增强。优必选相关负责人表示，2026年人形机器人行业告别概念化探索，迈入场景化、实用化、规模化发展新阶段。企业构建起“基座模型-世界模型-行动模型”的全栈式自研技术体系，其中在机器人基座模型上重点突破两大核心能力，一是机器人第一视角下的场景认知与任务规划能力，二是支撑物理交互的精准感知与空间理解能力。 “推理效率是具身智能从实验室走向真实场景的关键瓶颈。”大晓机器人世界模型负责人王飞表示，当今的大模型已经学会了理解语言，未来的世界模型会进一步学会理解现实。世界模型不是视频生成技术的简单延伸，它本质上是在构建机器对于世界运转规律的认知能力。

三 | 随着世界模型、强化学习和机器人技术进一步融合，具身智能才有机会真正走向真实世界。天眼查数据显示，截至目前，我国现有机器人产业链相关企业超116.5万家，今年以来新增约14.4万家。从新成立企业类型看，科学研究和技术服务业新增约5.4万家，信息传输、软件和信息技术服务业新增约2.29万家，制造业新增约1.72万家。这表明机器人产业的新增主体不再只是整机生产企业，而是更多围绕算法研发、系统集成、场景解决方案、软件平台和工程服务展开，机器人与AI、软件、自动化系统的融合趋势更加明显。不过也要看到，智能机器人产业发展仍然面临不少挑战，智能化水平不高、技能作业能力不强等问题仍较突出。工业和信息化部副部长辛国斌表示，将以智能化为主线，以实用化为牵引，统筹技术攻关、产业培育、场景拓展与安全治理，推动机器人产业创新发展。

四 | 辛国斌表示，将强化创新合作，共同推动机器人产业智能化升级；同时深化应用联动，共同推动产业化进程，聚焦农业、医疗、养老、应急等应用空间广，示范效应强的重点行业，分类组织开展产用结对攻关，实地应用验证和成熟场景推广，以新场景大规模应用，加速新技术新产品迭代升级。中国电子学会理事长徐晓兰表示，具身智能产品正处在从“小批量试用”转向“大规模落地”的关键节点，未来需围绕核心零部件、软件算法、数据资源、整机制造和应用方案全链条，联合开展技术攻关，共建具身智能联合研发中心，积极开展大科学工程合作，聚焦柔性触觉传感器、精细操作灵巧手、世界模型等前沿技术，推进协同创新突破。（记者郭倩）。