South Asia Money

How the Money Moves: The Velocity Challenge in South Asia's Growth Story

As South Asia seeks to become one of the principal engines of global growth in the twenty-first century, velocity may emerge as one of the most important indicators of economic vitality. The countries that prosper most will not necessarily be those that create the most money, but those that use it most effectively.

Growing Salience of BIMSTEC : Reconnecting the Bay of Bengal Civilisation Through Trade and Connectivity

If the twentieth century was shaped by the Atlantic and the early twenty-first century witnessed the rise of the Pacific, the coming decades may well belong to the Bay of Bengal. The foundations of that future will not be built solely through trade agreements or infrastructure projects. They will emerge from a shared commitment to connectivity, cooperation and civilisational understanding.

West Bengal's Economic Transformation: A Blueprint for Growth

West Bengal has the resources, talent, culture, and strategic location necessary to become one of India’s most prosperous states. By combining efficient governance, investment-friendly policies, infrastructure development, education, innovation, trade expansion, tourism growth, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion, the state can achieve rapid economic transformation and substantially raise incomes, employment, and overall quality of life.

India’s Balance-of-Payments Challenge: Need for Structural Transformation in Uncertain Times

India possesses immense talent, entrepreneurial capacity, and a large domestic market, yet it still lacks sufficient depth in high-end manufacturing, research and development, semiconductor ecosystems, advanced engineering, and globally dominant product companies.

More on Geoeconomics, Trade and Development

China donates $7m in food aid to Afghan flood victims

China has donated foodstuff including wheat and rice to the flood-affected people in Afghanistan, Afghan officials said

Afghanistan inks $2.2b deal with China

Afghanistan has signed a contract worth a whopping $2.2 billion with China to maintain original status of pine nuts and develops its markets globally

Indian, Chinese troops in rifle range at four places in Ladakh

Despite the Indian and Chinese foreign ministers agreeing to reduce tensions along the disputed border, both the countries troops are in rifle range at four locations at Pangong Lake in Eastern Ladakh, a senior official in the security establishment said

Chinese ambassador dismisses Maldives debt trap as 'fiction'

Chinese Ambassador to Maldives Zhang Lizhong dismissed the allegations that Maldives was facing a Chinese debt trap as "a fiction"

Pakistan, China discuss transport cooperation under CPEC

Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin-ul-Haque held a meeting with China’s Minister for Transport, Li Xiaopeng here on Thursday

China mulls including Afghanistan in $62b CPEC

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is expected to be a game-changer in South Asia. As part of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), CPEC is a $62 billion infrastructure development project, in which Afghanistan would likely be part of it. This project is aimed to connect China’s Xinjiang region to Pakistan’s Gawadar Port

Chinese construction activities observed near Uttarakhand border

Amid border tension at eastern Ladakh, Chinese construction activities were observed near the border at Uttarakhand. "Hut-like structures on the Chinese side, very close to Tinkar-Lipu pass of Nepal, were observed," sources said on Wednesday

Indian Army stocks up for a harsh winter in eastern Ladakh

As the border remains tense in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army has stocked up on special clothing, diet and shelter for the long haul to battle the harsh winter at heights exceeding 12,000 feet and temperature as extreme as minus 50 degrees Celsius

China in illegal occupation of 38,000 sq km of Indian land: Rajnath

China is in illegal occupation of 38,000 square km of Indian land and it considers another 90,000 square km as its own, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament on Tuesday, adding that the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is not clearly delineated

'China, Pakistan jointly testing deadly pathogens'

Under the garb of Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's Wuhan Institute of Virology and Pakistan Army's Defense Science & Technology Organization are conducting experiments on deadly pathogens to expand potential bio-warfare capabilities

SEZ project under CPEC to change region's destiny: PM Imran Khan

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the Rashakai special economic zone (SEZ) to be developed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) will change the destiny of the region by bringing in employment opportunities

FDI inflow from China declines as relations get tense

The tense relations between India and China has affected the investment of Chinese companies as the foreign direct investment (FDI) of Chinese companies in India has declined significantly in the last three years, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur said in a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha

China trains Nepal policymakers on BeiDou navigation system

Nepal's policymakers are undergoing 13 days' offline and online training for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) in Beijing after China "specially invited" them to attend it, sources said

Pakistan, China to ink Rashakai SEZ deal

Pakistan and China are expected to ink an agreement today (Monday) on the development of the Rashakai Special Economic Zone under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Exiting China will ensure subsidies to Japanese firms entering India

Japan has announced a $221 million China exit subsidy for Japanese companies to shift their base to India and other regions