Luxury apartments and slums in Colombo

Growth of Underground Economy and Rising Income Disparity is a Social Concern in Sri Lanka

In 2025, Sri Lanka was ranked as the second most expensive housing market in the world based on rentals compared to average income. It is possible that market distortions caused by black economy and corruption have contributed to this. 

From Infrastructure to Investment: Building West Bengal’s Next Growth Cycle

The larger opportunity before West Bengal is therefore not another round of infrastructure creation in isolation. It is the creation of an ecosystem in which infrastructure, private capital, local enterprise and skilled labour reinforce one another. 

Did BRICS Help Thaw India-China Ties? Need to Convert Broken Ice into a Workable Business Relationship

Why not begin by reopening serious discussions with Chinese conglomerate BYD about an Indian factory? BYD is now one of the world’s dominant EV manufacturers. Its Indian ambitions were caught in the post-Galwan investment freeze. Invite it back to the table—but on Indian terms

The Real Test for BRICS: More Choices for South Asia, or Just New Dependencies?

But the choice test applies to India as much as to the countries it hopes will follow its lead. If BRICS genuinely widens India's menu of markets, technology partners and financing sources without deepening its dependence on any one of them, it becomes a credible model for the rest of the Global South.

More on Geoeconomics, Trade and Development

CPEC: China says it is committed to Pakistan

China has asserted that it is not wavering from its commitment to assist Pakistan in the second, people-centric phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Humanitarian agency seeks Pakistan government's permission to repatriate stranded students from Wuhan

Pakistan's Edhi Foundation has written a letter to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, seeking permission to “evacuate students from Wuhan city of China”.

Sri Lanka plays down China’s statement on interference

Sri Lanka says it did not take a statement made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi seriously on interference in Sri Lanka.

Nepal still preparing to evacuate citizens from Wuhan

A week after Nepalis in China's Hubei province asked the Nepal government to evacuate them, officials in Kathmandu have little idea how the evacuation will progress.

Modi offers help to Xi in coronavirus crisis

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered assistance to Chinese President Xi Jinping in the fight against the ongoing novel coronavirus epidemic that has killed over 800 people and infected around 35,000 in China.

171 Bangladeshis asked to wait in Wuhan

The failure to arrange a flight has forced the government to scrap its plans to bring back 171 Bangladeshis from the locked-down cities in China amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak.  

'India offered to evacuate people from all neighbouring countries from Wuhan'

India had offered to evacuate people from all the neighbouring countries while bringing back Indian students from the Chinese city of Wuhan in the wake of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

India ‘can look into’ evacuating Pakistani students in Wuhan

India can consider evacuating Pakistani students from the coronavirus-hit Hubei province “if such a situation arises” and resources are available, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday, while making it clear that Pakistan had made no request for it till now

Nepal-China meetings, projects delayed amid NCoV outbreak

Crucial meetings between the governments of Nepal and China, along with a number of Beijing-led infrastructure projects, have been delayed amid the fast-spreading novel coronavirus outbreak.
 

Chinese ships' crew, passengers barred from Mumbai port

The crew and passengers of ships arriving from China or certain other South-East Asian countries have been barred from entering Mumbai port as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.
 

SriLankan Airlines slashes flights to China

SriLankan Airlines is rationalizing its services to China in accordance with current market conditions as per its long-held commercial policies, with a temporary reduction of frequencies to several cities, the airline said

Coronavirus and the Wuhan spirit: India could have done more than just evacuation

India, in 1938, was the first Asian country from where real help came for China. Today, India is the first Asian country to evacuate its citizens from China, writes Rajendra Shende for South Asia Monitor

India completes evacuation of nationals from Wuhan

India's evacuation of its nationals who were stranded in China's Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus epidemic, was completed on Sunday with around 650 people brought back in two phases

India suspends e-visa entry from China

The Indian government temporarily banned the e-visa entry of Chinese and other foreign nationals into India in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan

Pakistan, Maldives suspend flight operations to and from China as South Asia remains on high alert

Pakistan and Maldives halted flight operations to and from China after the death toll in the country climbed to more than 200 and the first coronavirus positive case was reported in India