Economy

India's Red Fort prepares for Independence Day celebrations. The country is considering legislation to strengthen control over data collected within its borders.
Century of Data

Asian countries build data fortresses to protect new national assets

Limits on cross-border flows hurt business and risk leaving countries poorer

26 November 2020
Sheikh Hasina's government positioned Bangladesh's economy as another haven for multinational companies looking to diversify away from China.
Opinion

Bangladesh confounds the naysayers for all the right reasons

Four ways Dhaka can accelerate the transition to middle-income status

23 November 2020
The Chang'e 5 lunar probe completes vertical transport in Wenchang, Hainan, China on Nov. 17.
Your Week in Asia

China's moonshot, Xiaomi results, and India GDP

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

22 November 2020
A SpiceJet seaplane lands in the Sabarmati river. Also called hydroplanes, these aircraft can land on water, meaning they can access rugged terrain and other areas where building a landing strip may not be an option.
Travel & Leisure

$20 flights, seaplanes and a giant statue: India's tourism plan

New SpiceJet routes draw flood of interest despite coronavirus

21 November 2020
Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a more than $35 billion stimulus package on Thursday.
Economy

India offers 20% wage subsidy to counter coronavirus job losses

New $35bn stimulus also offers help for migrant workers, farmers and exporters

13 November 2020
A container ship is seen at a port in Shenzhen: RCEP will be the first trade agreement to include East Asia's three biggest economies.
Trade

RCEP nations to sign Asian trade megadeal, with clause for India

China, Japan and dozen other countries reach long-sought pact after 'blood, sweat and tears'

12 November 2020
Women work in a garment factory in Dhaka on May 3: there is something here to learn from.
Opinion

India's horrible year just got worse: it has fallen behind Bangladesh

To revive its economic fortunes, Delhi can learn a lot from its eastern neighbor

4 November 2020
A labor strike in New Delhi in January. The Indian government last month passed three key bills that aim to make it easier for companies to hire and fire workers.
Companies

India angers unions with eased rules for firing employees

Industry says reform package will stimulate investment and create more jobs

2 November 2020
Workers gather around the Indian Navy's first Scorpene submarine as it leaves a shipyard Mumbai in 2015. India is beefing up its defense industry, both for its own military and for exports.
International relations

With an eye on China, India gifts submarine to Myanmar

New Delhi's naval diplomacy expected to aid its broader Indo-Pacific vision

22 October 2020
Pakistan, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, left, and India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, have opened a new front in their long rivalry: basmati rice. (Source photos by Reuters) 
International relations

Basmati rice row marks latest front in India-Pakistan rivalry

Islamabad readies objection to New Delhi's geographical indication push in EU

21 October 2020
Shoppers in Kolkata, pictured on Oct. 13: Modi government's policies are putting the squeeze on India's middle class.
Opinion

Narendra Modi must stop squeezing India's middle class

Rent-seeking policies end up slashing disposable income and capping demand

19 October 2020
Transparency International's "Exporting Corruption 2020" report lists only four countries worldwide as practicing "active" enforcement against bribery of foreign public officials.
Economy

China, Japan and India lag behind in international bribery battle

Report warns of lax enforcement and risk of undermining COVID recoveries

13 October 2020
A health care worker in protective gear swabs a construction worker for a rapid antigen test at a construction site in Ahmedabad.
Coronavirus

India unveils new measures to spur domestic demand

Government hopes coronavirus-hit economy will see $10bn boost

13 October 2020
Construction workers build Beijing's new National Speed Skating Oval on Sept. 23 -- one of many infrastructure projects now underway in China.
Economy

China and India infrastructure construction paves way out of crisis

Governments look to buoy COVID-hit economies, setting builders on recovery path

12 October 2020
A man and two children have their photograph taken in front of the Taj Mahal after authorities reopened the monument to visitors amid the coronavirus pandemic in Agra, India on Sept. 21.
Economy

India's central bank predicts economy to shrink 9.5%

RBI offers first GDP estimate for fiscal year, while keeping policy rate on hold

9 October 2020
A healthcare worker in protective gear takes a swab from a man for a rapid coronavirus antigen test at a kiosk in Ahmedabad, India on Oct. 5.
Coronavirus

India's COVID-19 arc slows as daily testing capacity hits 1.5m

Experts see hopeful sign but warn against complacency amid reduced restrictions

7 October 2020
Stacks of containers are seen at Tanjung Priok port amid the coronavirus outbreak in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 3.
Economy

India and ASEAN set to return to growth in early 2021: JCER

Survey shows curbing COVID and income support keys to economic recovery

6 October 2020
India's reputation took a big hit when it slapped Vodafone with a $2.7 billion capital gains tax bill.
Opinion

India must end tax terror spooking foreign investors

Modi government's pursuit of retroactive taxes is making a bad situation worse

6 October 2020
Climate change is altering Asia's seasonal monsoons, making rainfall more concentrated and exposing tens of millions to dangerous and economically damaging flooding.
Asia Insight

Flooded Asia: Climate change hits region the hardest

From China and India to Vietnam, millions face economic peril in coming years

6 October 2020
Shoppers at an outdoor vegetable and fruit market in Ahmedabad on Sept. 7: India's consumer price index for vegetables jumped 11% in August. 
Economy

Rising food prices take rate cuts off table for emerging economies

Pandemic induces inflation even as India, Turkey and Brazil battle downturn

5 October 2020
Demonstrators hold a placard during a protest rally against the rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Kolkata on Sept. 30: what we see is a travesty of justice.
Opinion

India, where brutality against women knows few equals

Shameful distinction the result of society's collective failure

3 October 2020
The only way to eliminate the threat of COVID-19 somewhere is to eliminate it everywhere.
Opinion

A three-part plan to eliminate COVID-19

We need capacity, funding and systems to deliver to vaccinate people

30 September 2020
Last November, India announced it was pulling out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, mainly over fears that its agricultural sector would be swamped with imports. (Illustration by Hiroko Oshima)
Asia Insight

Japan and Australia wary of China as RCEP talks enter last stretch

Economic fallout from COVID-19 gives impetus to negotiations on trade megadeal

29 September 2020
Construction site of Regional Rapid Transit System in Ghaziabad, pictured on Sep. 9: infrastructure projects take years to break even and need long term financing.
Opinion

India is running out of money, Mr. Modi. Embrace foreign debt.

Delhi should take advantage of historically low interest rates and low external debt

28 September 2020
Supporters of India's main opposition party protest farm bills passed by India's parliament, in Kolkata on Sept. 21.
Politics

India braces for mass protests over contentious farm bills

Farmers take to streets fearing reforms will swipe floor from under prices

24 September 2020