BCG in the News

The Jakarta Post

Taking the Leap in a New Era of Payments

Writing in The Jakarta Post, BCG’s Tushar Agarwal and Hans Canggadibrata discuss Indonesia’s evolving financial landscape, driven by digital innovations such as e-wallets, cryptocurrency, and central bank digital currencies. “Indonesia’s commitment to modernizing its payments infrastructure will play a critical role in maintaining this growth,” they write. The country’s transaction banking market is projected to expand at a 9% compound annual growth rate by 2028, fueled by small and medium enterprises.

Mint

A Practitioner’s Playbook for the Cyber-Ready CEO to Tame This Humongous Threat

Writing in Mint, BCG’s Ramesh Padala, Abhinav Bansal, Vanessa Lyon, and Yashraj Erande highlight that India is the second most targeted nation in the Asia Pacific region for cyberattacks, with organizations facing 2,138 incidents weekly. To address this growing threat, they urge CEOs to take direct responsibility for cybersecurity by quantifying every risk, training employees, investing in technology resilience, and collaborating with other CEOs. “Every CEO has to craft her own Cyber-Ready Playbook to stay ahead of the curve,” they write.

Bloomberg Radio

The UK Navigates Economic Inactivity Due to Long-Term Illness

On Bloomberg Radio, BCG’s Raoul Ruparel discusses the UK’s labor market and rising economic inactivity due to long-term sickness. He notes that reversing this trend could add up to £180 billion to the UK’s GDP and boost fiscal revenue by up to £60 billion over the next five years. Ruparel emphasizes the urgent need for cross-sector solutions to address the root causes of long-term sickness, such as environmental and lifestyle factors, to safeguard the UK’s economic resilience, workforce productivity, and future prosperity.

Forbes

How to Build and Sustain Momentum for Your Change Plans

In her column for Forbes, BCG’s Julia Dhar highlights the need for leaders to better understand how employees are coping during times of organizational change. “You do that by monitoring and measuring employee emotions—just as you track costs, inventory, sales, productivity, profits, and other business metrics,” Dhar writes. By adopting this approach, leaders can better guide the change process, enhancing the likelihood of a successful transformation.

The Edge Malaysia

Malaysia’s Moment to Shine

Writing in The Edge Malaysia, BCG’s Nurlin Salleh and Anis Mohd Nor reflect on how Malaysia has evolved since gaining its independence in the 1950s, and look ahead to the country’s future. With its progressive energy transition policies, Malaysia can serve as a model for peer nations seeking to advance their own just transition. As the upcoming ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysia has the chance to drive regional progress in digital growth and sustainability. “The nation’s potential for greatness has also never been more apparent,” they add.

Fortune

What to Expect for Inflation, Employment, and Trade in the ‘Tight 20s’  

Writing for Fortune, BCG’s Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak and Paul Swartz explain that additional stress on the “good macro” environment—the economic system that has supported businesses and investors for decades—isn’t necessarily bad news for companies. Despite supply chain disruptions, economic volatility, and weakening global institutions, the authors believe the next decade will feature a good—but tighter—macroeconomic backdrop. “Those with the right analytical tools will be prepared for it,” they write.

The Economic Times

India’s Quest for a Key Spot on Global Manufacturing Map

Writing in The Economic Times, BCG’s Rich Lesser and Rahul Jain discuss India’s goal of raising manufacturing’s GDP contribution from 17% to 25% stressing the need for public-private sector collaboration. They highlight that “India, with a large yet relatively young population, is an attractive market for global majors, homegrown world-class companies, and startups to set up manufacturing hubs that can serve the world.” Recent infrastructure investments underscore India’s potential to be a cost-competitive manufacturing powerhouse amid shifting global supply chains.

CNBC Africa

$2.4 Trillion Required by 2030 to Meet Africa’s Climate Needs

On CNBC Africa and BusinessDayTV, BCG’s Katie Hill discusses how to close Africa’s $2.4 trillion climate finance gap. Amid higher financing costs for green sectors, she notes that attracting funding requires stability, de-risking strategies, and diversified investments. Hill explains that Africa shines in areas such as “vast renewable energy potential, critical minerals, and a young, educated workforce,” which can help companies to address these challenges.

CNBC

Young Consumers Drive Alcohol-Free Trend

In CNBC, BCG’s Nicol Zhou unpacks the growing trend of a reduction in alcohol consumption in the US. This shift is increasing the popularity—especially among younger consumers—of nonalcoholic “functional beverages,” many of which are marketed as having specific health or cognitive benefits. “People are drinking [functional beverages] because they want more choices,” Zhou notes. “They want to be able to socialize and look cool, feel part of the group, but not necessarily have to consume alcohol.”

Axios

The Rise of Retail Media and GenAI in Marketing

In Axios, BCG’s Lauren Wiener highlights that three out of five CMOs consider themselves the driving force behind GenAI initiatives within their organizations. When it comes to GenAI usage within marketing functions, she notes that “the first sets of use cases have really been around efficiency, like improving the speed and pace of content creation.” Wiener also discusses the challenges posed by the decline of third-party cookies, emphasizing the growing importance of first-party data and strategic partnerships for future success.

Fast Company

The Top 3 Skills You Need to Succeed in an AI-Driven World

Writing for Fast Company, BCG’s Mark Abraham and David Edelman urge young employees to develop three crucial skills to succeed in an AI-driven workplace: curiosity, data savvy, and accountability. In their forthcoming book, Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI, Abraham and Edelman explain that with AI at the forefront of many business operations, asking thought-provoking questions, analyzing data, and taking responsibility for AI outputs are crucial in this quickly changing landscape.

Forbes

Gen Z: The Dangerfield Generation

In her column for Forbes, BCG’s Julia Dhar compares Generation Z to the late Rodney Dangerfield, a comedian whose catchphrase was “I don’t get no respect,” noting that they often feel misunderstood and undervalued. Despite stereotypes of their being fragile and unprepared, Dhar highlights her own observations of Gen Z workers: they value flexibility, seek alignment with employer values, and prioritize mental health. She writes that understanding these traits is crucial for companies as Gen Z becomes an essential part of the workforce.