BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity


Book Description

The Master Plan presents a comprehensive 10-year strategy and action plan for improving the subregion’s transport linkages across the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) member states. It is intended to guide actions and promote synergies among various connectivity frameworks and help achieve sustainable development of the region. A specific framework is presented here for organizing a set of policies, strategies, and projects toward realizing a shared vision of peace, prosperity, and sustainability. With BIMSTEC’s unique geographical position as a bridge linking South and Southeast Asia, this document is also relevant to its neighboring regions. BIMSTEC was established as a regional organization in June 1997 to promote free trade within the region, increase cross-border investment and tourism, and promote technical cooperation.




Financing Transport Connectivity in the BIMSTEC Region


Book Description

This report assesses how to finance an extensive overhaul of transport infrastructure in the BIMSTEC subregion, considers the challenges of public and private financing, and outlines how to create an overarching financial framework. Underscoring why strong transport connectivity is critical to regional integration, the report highlights how economic and financial analyses can help fund key economic corridors and transport projects in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It analyzes a plan for over 200 projects and sets out ways to boost public-private partnerships, develop capital markets, and establish a regional fund to help close the financing gap.




India’s Relations with Neighboring South and South East Asian Countries


Book Description

This book presents a holistic perspective across various facets of culture, history, politics, economics and strategy in India’s relations with neighbouring South and Southeast Asian countries. This book not only analyses various issues of India’s foreign policy diplomacy but also explores the perspectives of neighbouring countries towards India. It engages experts from India and its South and Southeast Asian neighbours to discuss topics, such as overland linkages, people-to-people interactions, opportunities and implications of India’s Act East policy on its neighbours in changing geopolitical backdrop. The book emphasises on the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and suggests a greater scope of regional cooperation on emergencies such as health crises in the Bay region. This rich collection of essays has strategic and scholarly relevance for researchers working on a wide range of topics related to development studies, cultural studies, Asian studies as well as policy makers and general readers.




New Futures for BIMSTEC


Book Description

BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) represents one of the most diverse regions of the world. Providing a unique link between South Asia and Southeast Asia, it brings together 1.5 billion people and a combined GDP of $2.7 trillion. This volume focuses on issues related to connectivity, commerce, and security challenges facing BIMSTEC. It studies BIMSTEC’s relevance as an inter-governmental organization in the changing international milieu. The volume discusses the necessity of connectivity to enhance Bay solidarity and analyses the political, strategic and security concerns that restrain commercial connectivity. It also looks at the Bay of Bengal region as a zone of competition—and possible collaboration—between the littoral countries and major powers involved in the region. Comprehensive and topical, this volume will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of international relations, South Asian studies, foreign policy, diplomacy, Southeast Asian studies, defence and strategic affairs, maritime studies, international trade, regional cooperation, and political studies.




BIMSTEC Trade Facilitation Strategic Framework 2030


Book Description

This report outlines nontariff barriers to trade between BISMSTEC subregion countries and shows how a structured approach centered on boosting compliance, harnessing technology, and improving infrastructure can bolster intraregional trade. It gives a run-down of the trade infrastructure and regulations of each member country–Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal–outlines the constraints each faces and details progress made to date. Explaining how the region is recovering from the pandemic, it shows how factors such as faster clearing, stronger mutual agreements, and greater automation can streamline trade between the countries and spur economic growth.




Leveraging Thematic Circuits for BIMSTEC Tourism Development


Book Description

This report shows how countries in the BIMSTEC subregion can work together to rebuild their pandemic-battered travel industries and create intraregional thematic tour packages to boost visitor numbers and support sustainable development. It lays out comprehensive action plans involving each member country–Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand–and highlights the potential of cross-border tourism circuits based on themes such as wildlife, trekking, or religion. It explains the potential to grow intraregional tourism, use public–private partnerships, and harmonize infrastructure, connectivity, and marketing to develop seamless travel between member countries and fast-track their economic recovery.




Asian Economic Integration Report 2023


Book Description

This report shows how smart trade and investment policies, and regulatory cooperation in the Asia and Pacific region can help economies tackle climate change, recover from the pandemic, and support resilient and sustainable development. Analyzing topics including global value chains, investment, the movement of people, and regional cooperation initiatives, it outlines the economic and environmental challenges the region currently faces. It explores how trade and investment policies can support climate action and highlights why a joined-up approach is essential to help deepen the digital economy, strengthen supply chains and foster greener businesses, markets, and trade.




Asian Economic Integration Report 2024


Book Description

This report explores how economic forces are affecting cross-border flows of goods and services and the movement of people in Asia and the Pacific. It looks at the extent to which various challenges are prompting deeper economic links. This year’s theme chapter focuses on decarbonizing global value chains, exploring how policymakers can minimize emissions while maximizing the economic advantages of global production networks. It evaluates the impact of initiatives like the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for Asian subregions, suggesting the use of carbon pricing, accounting mechanisms for embedded emissions, increased trade cooperation, upgraded technology, and international cooperation for technology transfer to reduce CO2 emissions.




The Belt and Road Initiative and the Politics of Connectivity


Book Description

This volume analyses New Delhi’s reaction to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the rise of politics of connectivity and infrastructure building which has heightened Sino-Indian rivalry in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It can be evidenced that the BRI has transformed the Sino-Indian dynamics from a ‘managed rivalry’ to an intense geo-political competition. It is contended that competition is inevitable when two powers rise in the same neighbourhood. The Indian government has opposed the BRI since its inception noting that the ‘BRI violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity’ because one of the flagship BRI projects - the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - runs through (Pakistan-controlled) Kashmir which India claims to be its own territory. It has consistently maintained that China’s ‘connectivity initiatives must be based on universally recognized international norms, good governance, rule of law, openness, transparency and equality, and must be pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity’ of other states. Beyond those stated reservations, New Delhi is concerned about the BRI infrastructure and connectivity projects in the smaller South Asian countries and the Indian Ocean littoral states. India has traditionally viewed South Asia and the IOR as its backyard over which it has historically maintained a position of influence. It is apprehensive that the BRI projects will enhance Beijing’s stature and undermine India’s influence in the region. In eleven chapters including Introduction and Conclusion, this book explores the dimensions of the rivalry and analyses the causes, dynamics and implications of an accelerated Sino-Indian competition.




SABKA SAATH, SABKA VIKAS, SABKA VISHWAS


Book Description

This volume is a collection of the speeches of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered during the third year of his second term.