The inflation rate in Pakistan reached a new level last month, recording 12.3 percent in December— the highest in the last two years, as experts warn of more trouble in the weeks ahead of the government’s mini-budget
Making India a Space Power: Not Less Privatisation, but Better-Designed Privatisation
The last thing India needs is a debate in which concerns over public intellectual property become an argument against private participation. The country is already playing catch-up with the major space powers. We cannot afford to let a legitimate debate over ownership and sharing of value become an impediment to the much-needed privatisation of the space sector.
Why Indo-Pacific Must Follow Europe’s Push for Digital Sovereignty and Open-Source Tech Independence
A common BIMSTEC policy statement on digital sovereignty would give the region a clearer collective voice and a stronger negotiating footing with foreign companies. Additionally, BIMSTEC can be used to initiate a shift from U.S. cloud storage companies to regional alternatives such as TATA Communications (India) and NIPA Cloud (Thailand).
The Silicon Buffer: Where Does India and South Asia Sit in the US-China Semiconductor Decoupling?
India is carving out a vital role in the global back-end chip infrastructure. Washington actively views India's rise in this sector as a strategic hedge, codifying tech cooperation through bilateral frameworks designed to shift critical supply lines away from East Asia.
India’s A.I. Future Requires a New Approach to Groundwater Governance
The implications of mismanagement extend far beyond groundwater depletion. Foreign investors have withdrawn a record $30 billion from Indian equities so far in 2026. Regional data suggests investors have relocated their withdrawals across Taiwan and South Korea’s AI and semiconductor ecosystems.
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Sri Lanka finalizes Trincomalee oil farm deal with India, agrees to extend lease of 14 oil tanks for 50 years
In a deal with considerable strategic significance for South Asian geopolitics, Sri Lanka will extend the lease of 14 oil tanks in Trincomalee oil farms to India for 50 years, Lankan Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said on Friday, adding the deal, which will also include the joint development of 61 other unused tanks, will be signed next week
India needs a precise startup policy for defence manufacturing
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted India's growing involvement of youth in defence-related startups
Sri Lanka’s forex increases to $3 billion; former PM urges government to approach IMF
Sri Lanka’s foreign reserve exchange reached $3.1 billion dollars in December, up from $1.5 billion recorded last month, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka informed on Wednesday
Pakistan Railways minister pushes for commercialization, blames ‘state enterprise mafia’ behind railways' destruction
State enterprise mafia has destroyed Pakistan Railways, Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati said, as he pushes for the commercialization of stations as part of his bigger reforms to overhaul the sector
Bangladesh to Sri Lanka’s rescue; gives three months extensions on $200 million currency swap deal
In what comes as a significant relief to the embattled Sri Lankan economy, Bangladesh Bank (BB) has extended the validity of the $200 million credit facility it had extended to Sri Lanka by three months
Amid severe forex crisis, Sri Lanka shuts down three missions abroad; shortages of essentials feared
Sri Lanka will temporarily close down three of its missions in Nigeria, Germany and Cyprus in what seems a desperate bid by the government to save its fast-declining foreign currency reserves amid a severe economic crisis
Amid declining forex, Nepal introduces measures to cut imports
Weeks after Nepal’s central bank introduced measures to cut imports, traders and importers have hiked the prices of goods, fueling an artificial shortage in the coming days
Food insecurity up by 22 percent in rural Bangladesh; poverty still an issue despite growing economy
Food insecurity has risen by around 22 percent in rural Bangladesh in comparison to the pre-pandemic period, finds a survey, indicating people are unable to eat enough and healthy nutritious food
Turkish-Qatari delegation in Kabul to discuss deal to run Afghanistan's airports
A joint delegation of Turkish and Qatari officials is in Kabul as both countries try to explore the possibility of jointly running five airports in Afghanistan with the ruling Taliban
Pakistan railways’ total losses touch $6 billion; political neglect, unprofessional heads, mismanagement behind slide
Once a lifeline for the people of the subcontinent, the part of railways that went to Pakistan now stares at a bleak future
World Bank approves $500 million loans to Bangladesh for modernising power distribution
The World Bank on Wednesday approved $500 million in loans to Bangladesh for expanding, modernizing, and sustainably transforming the country's electricity distribution system
Tea for oil: Sri Lanka signs deal with Iran to clear over $250 million oil dues
Sri Lanka has signed a tea for oil deal with Iran, allowing the former to settle its huge pending oil imports dues worth over $250 million, by exporting tea to Tehran over the next several months
Maldives inches closer to its 2021 target of 1.3 million tourists
The Maldives is all set to achieve its tourist footfall target of 1.3 million in the year 2021 as it witnessed remarkable growth in recent months
Pakistan to get $252 million in loan from Islamic Development Bank
Cash-strapped Pakistan, staring at a major economic crisis with mounting inflation and yawning fiscal deficit, will soon receive $250 million in loans from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) which has cleared two proposals for loans to be used for dam construction in Pakistan and vaccine procurements
