Economy

Soldiers patrol a corporate farming project in Pakistan's Punjab province on July 23 (EPA)
Economy

Pakistan army trades tanks for tractors in food-security push

Sprawling military-run farms stoke backlash over armed forces' pervasive presence

24 September 2023
Demonstrators protest on top of a police tear gas truck after they entered the Presidential Secretariat premises, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 9, 2022.
G20 Summit

With China in mind, G20 agrees to boost lending at India summit

Bloc of major economies hopes financing will enhance influence in Global South

10 September 2023
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Most read in 2023

China's Belt and Road at crossroads as more loans turn sour

10 years in, Beijing enjoys greater clout but new investments trend down

7 September 2023
ＡXiaomi store in Mumbai: The phone maker has seen its offices raided for alleged foreign exchange violations and some of its bank deposits seized by Indian authorities.
Opinion

Foreign investors just aren't sold on India

FDI is falling as companies still find competitors like Vietnam more attractive

5 September 2023
Women supporters of Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami party protest against power price hikes in Karachi on Aug. 31.
Economy

Pakistan's inflated electricity rates spark public uproar

Citizens burn bills and protest but IMF terms leave government few options

4 September 2023
Bhutan's decision to discount its "sustainable development fee" for tourists, roughly a year after raising it, highlights the difficulty of calibrating the amount of traffic. (Photo by Phuntsho Wangdi)
Travel & Leisure

Bhutan halves $200 daily tourist tax to spur sluggish recovery

Discount until 2027 highlights challenge of balancing economy, sustainability

1 September 2023
Construction workers build the Ahmedabad-Mumbai High Speed Rail corridor in Ahmedabad, India in May: Heavy spending on infrastructure is fueling the economy.
Economy

India GDP growth hit 7.8% in April-June, fastest in a year

Economy accelerates on services, capex but coming months may bring headwinds

31 August 2023
Apple opened its first directly run store in India this April. (Photo by Ryosuke Hanada) 
Trade

India's PC import curbs draw U.S. concerns

Washington wants time to review licensing scheme ahead of November start

31 August 2023
An open air market in Ahmedabad, India: Food represents 27% of the overall Asian consumer price index, with its national contribution ranging from 14% in South Korea to 46% in India.
Opinion

Rising food prices are clouding Asian rate cut outlook

Governments should review available policy tools to boost supplies

29 August 2023
A shipping container yard in Karachi: The EU is Pakistan's primary export market.
Politics

Pakistan blasphemy law and violence risk EU trade status

Recent legislation, church attacks could have economic consequences, experts say

26 August 2023
Indian Ambassador to Japan Sibi George said he was a "salesman" for his country. (Photo by Shigeru Seno) 
Interview

India aims for tenfold boost in Japanese business presence: envoy

Ambassador Sibi George sets sights on Japan's small businesses with new advisory team

26 August 2023
India's G20 logo in New Delhi: The Ukraine war has complicated the country's year as chair of the grouping.
International relations

G20 trade meeting ends with 'concrete' plans, no Ukraine consensus

Ministers agree on supply chain mapping but formal communique still elusive

25 August 2023
While global leaders make the trek to Port Moresby to court PNG's leader, rising debt, inflation and sluggish growth could derail Prime Minister James Marape's plan to make his country the world's "richest Black Christian nation."
Asia Insight

Papua New Guinea's Marape: Pacific power broker or PM in peril?

Amid U.S.-China balancing act, PNG leader faces mounting pressure at home

22 August 2023
A view of the moon from the Chandrayaan-3 lander during Lunar Orbit Insertion on Aug. 5 in this screengrab from a video released Aug. 6. (Photo by ISRO/Handout via Reuters)
Your Week in Asia

China prime rate, Cambodia's new PM, India moon landing mission

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

20 August 2023
A ship carrying Russian crude anchored in Karachi in June: Pakistan's refinery says the oil was processed successfully, but experts and officials have cast doubt on the viability of the imports.
Economy

Pakistan eyes deeper discounts as Russian oil imports hit snag

Current deal economically infeasible despite official denials, insiders say

19 August 2023
Rescue workers conduct a search operation after a landslide caused by torrential rain in Shimla, in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh, on Aug. 17.
Economy

India's climate extremes force Modi into food-policy balancing act

Northern landslides are latest in string of crises disrupting agriculture

19 August 2023
The multipurpose Padma bridge connects Dhaka with the south of Bangladesh. The repayment of a Chinese loan for a railway portion of the bridge is due to start soon.
Economy

Bangladesh's looming debt bills to China, Russia fuel forex fears

Dhaka must be 'very careful' with reserves as infrastructure loans come due

18 August 2023
Rice sacks in a market in Ahmedabad: India currently holds about 40% of the global rice export market, sending its grain to more than 130 countries.
Opinion

India has better options than banning rice exports

Frequent policy changes may jeopardize country's leading market position

17 August 2023
A farmer works in a rice paddy in Thailand's central Khon Kaen province. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Commodities

India's rice export ban brings chaos to Thai market

Surging demand sparks speculative hoarding, undercuts export opportunity

17 August 2023
Skoda Auto Volkswagen's Vision In compact SUV. The group's Indian factories can manufacture about 240,000 cars annually.
Automobiles

Global automakers see chance to turn India into an export hub

Shift in local demand to pricier vehicles may spur more 'India-first' models

16 August 2023
An Afghan woman walks past a banned beauty salon in Kabul on July 6. Despite international calls to do more to defend women's rights, there is little consensus on what "more" should be. 
Asia Insight

Afghanistan rulers win tacit acceptance as women face 'apartheid'

World struggles to give aid without helping Taliban as regime enters third year

15 August 2023
Foxconn currently has nine campuses in India, including more than 30 factories and roughly 20 dormitories for tens of thousands of employees.
Supply Chain

Taiwan's Foxconn to invest 'billions' in India expansion push

Key iPhone assembler says full-year sales will decline amid slow PC and server recovery

14 August 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with folk artists after addressing the nation during Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort in Delhi in 2022.
Your Week in Asia

India, Indonesia, Singapore leaders to speak; Kishida-Yoon-Biden summit

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

13 August 2023
Signs promoting September's G20 summit can be seen everywhere in New Delhi. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
G20 Summit

India seeks to solidify global power status as G20 chair

Rice export ban a sore topic as New Delhi works to revive Black Sea grain deal

11 August 2023
Strong economic growth has boosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's confidence in securing a third term.
Politics

India's Modi angles for third term with drastic action on inflation

Buoyed by economy, PM takes aim at potential political risk with rice export ban

10 August 2023