He said in an exclusive interview with The Nation that the firm would mainly focus on sports management and organising sports events this year. It plans to organise the Myanmar Amateur Football Festival (MAFF2019) in conjunction with a public forum on the development of Myanmar’s amateur football in Yangon from March 30 to 31.

“We are targeting young people between 15 and 35 years of age to take part in different kinds of sports events, and thereby to be healthy and alert at all times,” he said.

“We will start with some football events in Yangon, and then will expand to other cities. Ultimately, we hope to develop our youth’s sporting spirit with well-disciplined, fair and square competitions.”

The firm aims to set the trend in amateur sports, which have yet to receive enough support from the government and authorised sports organisations. As a first step, the firm will start with football events to arouse the youth’s interest.

“Obviously, football is the most favourite sport in Myanmar like in many other countries around the world. It is the reason why we decided to start with a football festival this year,” he said.

The upcoming event will be Myanmar’s first-ever football festival organised by the private sector. There, different stakeholders in the amateur football sector will discuss ways to improve the industry as a whole, he said.

“Our aim is to gather 200 amateur football clubs and over 30,000 amateur athletes in a single event. It is just the beginning of our long journey. We will continue to organise more sports events later this year,” he said.

“Since the Myanmar national team has not won any major cup since the past few decades, we need to groom new blood to regain our past glory in the next few years. Some amateur players have enthusiasm and skills to win a spot in the national team, if properly trained. It is our ultimate goal.”

Having registered under the Myanmar Investment Law, the firm started its commercial operations in October last year. It now has 15 employees, and enjoys 20 to 30 per cent growth on a monthly basis.

“As an idea-based business, it does not cost a fortune to set up this service company. We are expecting satisfactory return on investment in one and a half years,” he said.

In a bid to make its events a success, the firm has partnered with some sports organisations and companies, and will also expand to other sports as the business grows.

“Our next move is to hold the Women’s Bike, Myanmar’s first-ever bicycle contest for women only, in the first half of this year. We are also looking at opportunities to organise a car race later this year,” he said.

The firm will also develop a mobile application, which provides real time information about football pitches in Myanmar so amateur clubs can effectively arrange matches or do training. Once completed, the digital initiative could help LA Sports with the expansion of its portfolio nationwide.

“We aim to cooperate with a software firm to develop the app. In the meanwhile, we are also eyeing some entertainment events including private parties, birthday and pool parties as well as some EDM [electronic dance music] shows in cooperation with some clubs and local DJs,” he said.

The company is confident that the new business model will bring in a new high in profits, with the plan to expand its business in CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) starting from next year.

RS has moved its business category in the Stock Exchange of Thailand from “media & publishing” to “commerce” with effect from March 29.

“Now the company is entering the second phase and will focus on expanding its multi-platform commerce (MPC) business via TV channels in Thailand, as well as online channels and sales representatives,” said Surachai Chetchotisak, CEO of RS Plc.

“We will also join forces with partners to produce original equipment manufacturer [OEM] and original brand manufacturer [OBM] products, while also pushing big data to reach 1.8 million people. The focus is to build a new retail empire and reaffirm our image as a leading manufacturer and distributor of health and beauty products, accessories and amulets. Our goal is to generate Bt10 billion in annual sales in three years,” he said.

Surachai said Thailand’s commerce and retail business are worth a total of about Bt2.5 trillion, and are expected to grow further after the general election. The new government will boost confidence in the business sector, and consumers will spend more, in line with the growth of the company’s MPC business, which suits the lifestyle of consumers in the 4.0 era.

“The current contribution of MPC business at RS is now about 60 per cent, while media shares about 30 per cent of revenue, and the rest 10 per cent come from music and other businesses,” he said, adding the proportion of MPC is increasing.

“Our auction of the Channel 8 digital TV business was made as TV was considered the main media before it was disrupted by new media, due to the increase in the number of channels. Of course, not all ads are dated. Our advantage is that all the ad space has been utilised to create maximum benefits. We will not leave the ad space vacant but remove those spaces to provide strong support for our new commerce business,” said Surachai.

He added that RS also has a plan to expand its business into neighbouring countries in CLMV next year.

“Our partnership with Thairath TV in 2019 is estimated to bring in some Bt455 million. For vertical growth, RS has plans to partner with OEM and OBM companies to produce own-brand products. These new partnerships will begin to yield results in the third quarter of this year. With our experience, we are ready to become a manufacturer offering high-quality products in high-margin categories. We are confident that RS will expand its empire with stability and become Thailand’s leader in commerce and retail, going beyond where other players have gone. Our goal is to generate Bt10 billion in sales within three years, and we know it’s possible,” said Surachai.

On March 29, RS will fully enter the commerce and retail business, following the company’s significant growth both vertically and horizontally. The company has adjusted its estimated revenue for this year to Bt5 billion, a 30 per cent increase from the previous year. It is expected that its MPC business will generate Bt3 billion, a 41 per cent increase over 2018.

Surachai said that MPC revenue has reached a new high thanks to the expansion of channels reaching more viewers. Currently, its platforms include Channel 8, Call Centre 1781, Thairath TV T Shopping 02-117-3232, Channel 2, Sabaidee TV Channel 141, Ploen TV, and COOL Fahrenheit radio station, which together reach some 20 million people. It also has online platforms: http://www.shop1781.com, LINE@shop1781, and LINE@COOLanything, as well as LifestarBIZ representatives, modern trade retailers, and traditional trade retailers nationwide.

He said that adding diversity to its products and services is crucial. RS will introduce 200 new products and services in collaboration with world-class laboratories to develop new innovations that meet the needs of consumers. It will also join forces with partners to introduce high-quality products.

Today, its offerings include health and beauty products (80 per cent) such as skincare products under the brand Magique, haircare products under Revive brand, and food supplements under the SOM brand, home and lifestyle products (15 per cent), accessories and amulets, and others (5 per cent).

The firm has showcased its latest innovations as well as outlining its vision and strategy for intelligent Internet of things (IoT) experiences at the 2019 Samsung Southeast Asia and Oceania Forum in Singapore.

Chalermpong Darongsuwan, Thai Samsung Electronics’s vice president/consumer electronics (CE), said the consumer electronics (CE) market in Thailand is continuing its strong growth , especially the premium segment. The firm will provide CE products, such as TVs, washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners and other products with innovative technologies to meet up-market demand.

It will launch a new series of QLED TVs in the Thai market next month. The 20 new models include 8K and 4K TVs with the 8K Q900R models ranging in screen sizes from 65 to 98 inches , priced from Bt199,990 to Bt3 million.

It will bring in more TV models to the Thai market this year.

The firm also introduced the WW7800M washing machine with Samsung QuickDrive technology, an innovative product using an intelligent Q-raptor laundry assistant to take the guesswork out of doing laundry, reducing the time it usually takes for the chore. On its Super Speed setting, a daily load of laundry can be completed in just 39 minutes, offering consumers the time-saving solutions and energy use by 20 per cent without compromising the cleaning performance.

For refrigerators, the firm has introduced the next generation Family Hub series. It will also launch six new models with cutting-edge technology to Thai market this year.

The Samsung S6050 Power Stick Cordless Vacuum will debut in the Thai market in the third quarter, priced at US$1,000 (Bt32,000). It will launch Samsung’s Connect Home, which is a router and a smart hub that controls your home network and smart devices via a single, compact hub and smart devices in the second half.

He added that around 80 per cent of Samsung new products for the Thai market are bundled with cutting-edge technologies, such as AI and WiFi.

Eugene Goh, president of Samsung Singapore said the firm delivers breakthrough products to enrich the lives of consumers.

“We remain committed to relentless innovation and elevate our tech leadership through the launch of QLED 8K and The Wall. In the area of digital appliances, we have introduced a lineup of new innovations such as Family Hub, Quickdrive and Wind-free to the market. All of which streamline and simplify day-to-day tasks, and offer a more personalised user experience,” said God.

He added that a new generation of breakthrough technologies are making their way into our lives. The Internet of things, artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G will drive a new era of innovation and disruption across every business and profession. From network to chipsets, devices to automotive.

Marking Samsung Electronics’ 50th anniversary this year, it has created new product categories to enable consumers to do what they could not do before.

Chalermpong said the firm’s CE business will boost the group’s total revenue by 5 per cent this year.

Mehrotra said at the 6th Sustainable Business Briefing on Friday that the firm would focus on improving mobile connectivity through its extensive 4G network and empowering its employees ahead of the launch of 5G.

“5G will come for sure at some point of time. We are now focusing on 4G, and at the same time we also keep an eye on how we can bring 5G to Myanmar,” he said.

According to Mehrotra, the firm has invested more than US$2.7 billion in its network, and will continue to invest in the growth of its employees. Telenor Myanmar currently has more than 800 employees across the nation, 40 per cent women with 30 per cent in leadership positions.

 “Data consumption is very high, particularly in Yangon and the Mandalay regions. It is at the same level as in European countries,” he said.

“It is also increasing in smaller cities. As we travel across Myanmar, we see a big demand for data services all over the country, we make sure most of the areas are 4G-covered, and all the sites have 4G capacity.”

Mehrotra takes pride in providing the largest 4G network in Myanmar for more than 18 million subscribers despite the company switching on its mobile network only in September 2014, much later than its main rival MPT. To date, the firm has more than 8,600 sites nationwide, with 5,600 of them deploying 4G.

“Our network now covers 92 per cent of the population. In terms of geographical coverage, we have covered all states and regions and 307 townships, representing 90 per cent of all townships in Myanmar,” he said.

“This is served by the large distribution footprint of more than 100,000 points of sales, reaching out to customers by selling a wide range of our products and services. As we progress, we will enhance our services based on our experience on the ground.”

Mehrotra focuses on improving customers’ experience rather than being the first to bring 5G to Myanmar. Yet, he reiterated the telco’s commitment to 5G readiness in the nation, citing a joint network speed trail in collaboration with Ericsson which achieved 1Gbps internet speed on its network.

“Minor rollout challenges remain due to security issues in Shan State but we have witnessed tangible improvement in serving ethnic areas,” he said.

“With the assistance of our state liaison officers, we collaborate closely with ethnic groups to explain the benefits of connectivity in their areas.”

According to Mehrotra, empowering its workforce lies at the heart of Telenor’s strategy. High-performing employees are selected to attend executive development programmes at top universities including the London Business School, and 117 employees were part of the programmes last year.

“Last year, our employees spent an average of 45 hours learning new skills, and a total of 37,000 hours on their long-term career development,” he said.

The firm also provides trainings on digital literacy as well as transport safety, and nearly one million people in Myanmar have benefited from its corporate social responsibility programmes focusing on education and health.

For Myanmar people travelling aboard, the firm has launched its low-cost data roaming packs in three Asean countries: Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

“We will expand this service in the region, and we may launch packs that cater to those visiting European countries,” he said.