Singtel’s digital investments must yield dividends, not dead ends

MAINBOARD-LISTED Singtel has charted an ambitious course with its “strategic reset” – a business revamp that management continued to emphasise in a briefing on Friday (May 27).

Infocomm technology arm NCS, ongoing regional data centre expansion, and a digital bank joint venture have all been touted as areas for “return on invested capital-driven growth”.

But, already burned by the revenue slump in core telecom services, some investors might ask how soon “growth engines” like the Singtel-Grab digital bank venture will deliver returns.