
Robert Subbaraman, Nomura Global Head of Macro Research, on Japan's return to the investor spotlight
From The On Call with Insignia Podcast by Insignia Ventures Partners
December 16, 2025 · 10 min
About this episode
Robert Subbaraman discusses Japan's renewed investment appeal and its implications in a multipolar world.
Fresh from the Japan SEA Market Forum last November, we managed to have a quick chat with Robert Subbaraman, Managing Director and Global Head of Macro Research on Nomura, about the rest of the world's views on the Japan opportunity, especially in AI, their role in an increasingly multipolar world, and how the Japan "revival" ties to the Southeast Asia's growth story. About Robert Subbaraman Rob Subbaraman joined Nomura in October 2008 and is Chief Economist and Head of Global Markets Research for Asia ex-Japan. He manages a team of 20 economists and strategists, who forecast Asia's economies and make market trade recommendations. Beyond analyzing the economic cycle, the team prides itself on its collaborative, thematic research. Rob chairs the Asia ex-Japan research exec committee, and is on Nomura exec committees for Global Markets Research and Global Emerging Markets. Prior to joining Nomura, Rob was at Lehman Brothers for 12 years and was Chief Economist, Asia ex-Japan. Rob is based in Singapore and has spent the last 18 years in Asia, including living in Hong Kong and Tokyo. He has a central banking background, having worked at the Reserve Bank of Australia in the…
People in this episode
Guest: Robert Subbaraman
Topics covered
- Japan's economic revival
- AI opportunities in Japan
- Southeast Asia growth
- Global macroeconomic perspectives
- TechnoNationalism
Keywords
- Japan
- AI
- Southeast Asia
- macro research
- economic opportunities
- TechnoNationalism
- global markets
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Nomura, Reserve Bank of Australia, Lehman Brothers
Places: Japan, Southeast Asia
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