The Asian Development Bank (ADB) disbursed loans worth a record $4.6 billion to India in 2021, including $1.8 billion towards coronavirus response
IT Sector Done, Is Commerce Next? Will the Future of Accounting Wither Under the Onslaught of AI?
The era of secure, routine, desk-bound clerical jobs is drawing to a close. It is urgent for the younger generation to break free from the illusion of traditional white-collar stability and pivot toward high-value skills, tech-driven entrepreneurship, modern agriculture, or practical, specialized trades. Failing to adapt to this cognitive shift means risking economic obsolescence under the relentless advance of technology
The Militarization of the Digital Commons: Need for New Regulatory Solutions
In the effort to combat this multi-dimensional challenge, democratic states are faced with deep policy constraints, many of which can be paralyzing. The fundamental paradox is how to maintain the open, democratic character of the digital commons while at the same time countering more advanced opponents who are not held back by democratic principles. Disseminating disinformation is a tactic governments use to influence public opinion that has the potential to conflict with the strong constitutional freedoms of expression that exist in liberal democracies.
Navigating the Intelligent Tide: How AI and Generative AI are Reshaping Maritime Mobility in South Asia
The integration of AI and Generative AI is not a distant aspiration — it is an active investment already reshaping how ports operate, how cargo moves, and how supply chains absorb shocks. For India and its neighbours, the imperative is clear: build the data foundations, governance frameworks, and human capabilities that allow intelligent mobility to reach not just the terminal gate, but every link in the maritime supply chain.
The Splinternet and Fractured Digital World: Will Sovereignty Serve People, or the State, or Whoever Owns the Server?
Companies like Google, Meta, and X constantly shape public opinion and thoughts, and store public data for commercial usage. Amazon, Microsoft, and Google host the cloud infrastructure on which states and businesses depend. These are not ordinary companies anymore; they have access to critical intelligence and data. And now AI companies like Palantir use this data for surveillance, intelligence, monitoring, and on battlefields.
More on AI and Innovation
India’s budget envisions a technology-enabled economy for 25 years
The Indian Finance Minister announced the introduction of ‘digital rupee’, using blockchain and other technologies in 2022-23 to give a big boost to the digital economy
India's budget is reflective of a distorted political economy
The budget shows that the government’s commitment to the bottom 30-40 percent of the Indian population seems to be very limited
Sri Lanka seeks IMF support amid worsening economic crisis; signs agreement with India for $500 million line of credit
Amid the worsening economic crisis, Sri Lanka has written to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) seeking “technical support” in tackling the ongoing crisis, confirmed Finance Minister Basit Rajapaksa, after the government kept avoiding the IMF option for months amid domestic pressure
IMF approves $1 billion for Pakistan, revives $6 billion package
In what comes as a big relief to Pakistan’s struggling economy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved $1 billion for Pakistan after the latter implemented reform measures suggested by the former, thus reviving the $6 billion package, which was stalled since June last year
India reduces development assistance to neighbors in budget 2022
Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, see cuts in their allocations in the financial year 2022-23, while Bangladesh, Maldives, and Myanmar receive higher funds in comparison to the last year.
Amid fuel shortage, Sri Lanka to purchase diesel from Indian Oil Corporation
Amid the growing fuel crisis exacerbated by a foreign exchange crisis, the Sri Lankan government has decided to purchase diesel from India’s state-owned Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), and a proposal for the purchase has been cleared by the Cabinet on Tuesday
Sri Lanka seeks market access for its goods in crisis-hit Turkey
Sri Lanka has sought market access in Turkey for its goods when Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited Sri Lanka for the promotion of the bilateral trade between the two countries
How Iranian apples via Afghanistan are ruining Kashmir’s horticulture industry
The advent of Iranian apples has resulted in a drop of over 50 percent in demand for Kashmiri apples, write Suhail Bhat and Sameer Mushtaq for South Asia Monitor
Nepal’s self-sufficiency in cement, with a little Chinese help, costs the environment and people
Nepal has become self-sufficient in cement production, with close to 55 plants having an annual production capacity of 15 million tonnes operating across the country
Air India gets privatised, goes back to Tata Group after nearly seven decades
Nearly 70 years after the Indian government took over Air India from a reluctant Tatas, the flag carrier returned to its founder, the salt-to-software conglomerate Thursday
IMF projects India's growth rate at 9% - highest among major economies
India's economy is projected to grow by 9 per cent in the next fiscal year, retaining its position as the fastest-growing major economy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported on Tuesday citing its expectations of higher investments and consumption due to credit growth and better financial sector performance
Sri Lanka’s construction sector crippled by cement shortage amid forex crisis
The construction industry, the biggest contributor to the gross domestic product in Sri Lanka, is threatened by the shortage of cement, and now builders have urged authorities to resolve their issues
Pakistan’s plan to offer permanent residence to rich foreigners: Historic or delusional?
Pakistan recently decided to offer permanent residency to rich foreigners, mainly Sikhs living in the US and Canada, Afghans and Chinese, in exchange for their investment, a move the country’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary termed “historic.”
Sri Lanka, facing foreign exchange crisis, seeks to revive its prized tea exports
In a bid to revive its prized tea industry facing an export collapse, the Sri Lankan government has said it will provide fertilizer subsidies to tea cultivators who have been suffering since the ban on chemical fertilizer last year
