SEPTEMBERASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK8NEWSROOMAlibaba Group is strengthening its cross-border ecommerce presence by enabling Tmall merchants to sell directly to consumers in Southeast Asia through Lazada, its Singapore-based ecommerce platform.The integration, which began last month, allows selected Tmall sellers to tap into high-growth markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines -- without the need for local operations.Under the initiative, merchants ship products to a designated warehouse in China, while Lazada handles logistics, customs clearance, customer service in local languages, and AI-driven product listings. The program also automatically includes sell-ers in Lazada's major sales campaigns, covering pricing, taxes, and margins in local currencies, thus simplifying market entry.Global brands such as Harman International and Spalding are among the first to join the invite-only initiative, signaling strong interest from established players seeking new revenue streams in Southeast Asia's booming ecommerce market.Competition in the region remains fierce. According to Momentum Works, Lazada held a 14 perccent share of Southeast Asia's ecommerce market last year, trailing Shopee and TikTok Shop. By leveraging Tmall's extensive seller base, Alibaba aims to strengthen Lazada's competitive edge and attract more consumers through greater product variety and faster delivery.This move underscores Alibaba's broader strategy to deepen its international reach and capitalize on Southeast Asia's growing digital economy, expected to exceed US$300 billion by 2025. Bengaluru-based online investment platform Groww has filed updated draft papers with SEBI for its highly anticipated IPO, targeting a listing size between 6,000 crore (US$683 million) and 7,000 crore (US$796.9 million).The public issue will comprise a fresh issue of 1,060 crore (US$120.7 million) and an offer-for-sale (OFS) of 574 million shares worth around 5,0006,000 crore (US$569.2683 million).Prominent investors including Peak XV Partners, Y Combinator, Ribbit Capital, Tiger Global, and Kauffman Fellows Fund will partially exit through the OFS. Founders Lalit Keshre, Harsh Jain, Neeraj Singh, and Ishan Bansal will each sell 1 million shares.Financially, Groww has shown robust growth, reporting a net profit of 1,824 crore (US$207.6 million) in FY25 alongside a 31 percent YoY revenue growth to 4,056 crore (US$461.7 million). The platform boasts 12.58 million NSE active clients as of June 2025, underlining its strong market presence.In recent quarters, Groww has expanded beyond mutual funds and equities, adding wealth management, margin trading facility (MTF), commodities, and loans against shares to its portfolio, positioning itself as a full-stack financial services provider. The IPO is expected to be one of the largest fintech listings in India and will likely draw strong investor interest amid a buoyant capital market. ALIBABA LINKS TMALL SELLERS TO SOUTHEAST ASIA VIA LAZADAGROWW FILES FOR 7,000 CR IPO WITH STRONG FY25 PROFITS· Tmall merchants can now sell directly to Lazada's Southeast Asian customers· Lazada manages logistics, customs, and AI-powered listings for sellers· Move aims to boost Lazada's market share against Shopee and TikTok Shop· Groww targets 6,0007,000 crore IPO with fresh issue and OFS· FY25 net profit at 1,824 crore with 31 percent YoY revenue growth· Platform has 12.58M NSE active clients and expanded into MTF, loans, and commodities
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