One of the most striking features of South Asian trade is how little the region trades internally. Intra-regional trade within South Asia remains among the lowest in the world relative to geographic proximity. Political tensions — especially between India and Pakistan — have prevented the emergence of a deeply integrated regional production system comparable to ASEAN or the European Union. This is a major missed opportunity.
Scarcity of cooking fuel is pushing people, particularly across South Asia, toward hunger. Livelihoods have been lost among the large unorganised labour force while thousands of self-employed street vendors, smaller restaurants and eateries are being forced to close shop, facing a scary, insecure future. For middle class households across India, everyday snacks like the samosa or dosa have become scarce because of shortage and high prices of cooking gas cylinders.
India is one of the world’s largest suppliers of generic medicines and APIs to Europe. If the EU begins favouring “Made in EU” pharmaceutical production through procurement preferences, subsidies or state aid, Indian drug manufacturers could face reduced access to EU public procurement contracts and tougher supply-chain resilience requirements.
India’s pharma export market has been affected as India supplies medicines to more than 200 countries. Supply chain interruption not only hurts Indian producers but also creates medicine scarcity in the US, UK, and African markets that highly depend on Indian generics. From the logistics end, re-routing of cargo away from conflict-ridden corridors such as the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz has increased freight insurance premiums, distressing Indian exporters who function on lean cost structures.
A Chinese delegation led by Vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Guo Yezhou that met Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Chair of the Federal Council of Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal Baburam Bhattarai separately today downplayed the visit
Caught unawares by the KP Sharma Oli government’s move of dissolving the House of Representatives, which then had an immediate impact on Nepal’s governing Nepal Communist Party, Beijing hurriedly sent a team led by a senior leader of the Communist Party of China to Kathmandu
China on Tuesday rejected reports about gradually ending its financial support to Pakistan pledged under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
In a visible sign of turbulence in their relationship, the visiting Chinese delegation led by Guo Yezhou, a vice minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was accorded a frosty reception at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International airport on Sunday
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that a railway project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will boost the country's exports by improving connectivity
US President Donald Trump has signed it into law a decision that strengthened the American policy on Tibet and reaffirmed the government's steadfast support for the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration based in India
Concerned over the recent political crisis in Nepal following the dissolution of the House of Representatives, a high-level Chinese Communist Party (CCP) delegation arrived in Kathmandu and started marathon meetings with the top leadership of the Himalayan nation
US financial support will be contingent on Sri Lanka asserting its sovereignty “against influence by the People’s Republic of China,” and improving human rights and promoting inter religious and ethnic reconciliation, a 900 billion dollar spending bill before the congress says
With the Nepal Communist Party unity falling apart, China is sending a vice minister of the Chinese Communist Party to Kathmandu in what is believed to be Beijing's effort to assess the ground situation
A Chinese national was among four people arrested by Cyberabad police on Friday during a raid on a call centre in Hyderabad in the continuing crackdown on illegal loan apps
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is moving towards a new direction of industrial and agricultural development, which needs a proactive role by the private sector combined with technology companies, said Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood
After banning Chinese apps, India has now launched an offensive against Chinese companies trying to enter into security-related sectors
As the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) is all set to split into two factions, Chinese Ambassador Hou Yanqi held talks with the top political leadership of the ruling party
The Dhabeji Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be developed under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Sindh province will generate $1 billion investment and provide 100,000 direct and indirect jobs for local population, a top official said
The Pakistan-China joint air exercise “Shaheen-IX” culminated on Thursday with a resolve to jointly cope with shared security challenges, said a statement released by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF)
