Courtesy: MSN
The war in the Persian Gulf has already caused significant disruption in India’s South Asian neighbours. A prolonged conflict is likely to push the region back into economic and political crises from which it had been hopeful of emerging this year.
Courtesy: High Commission of India, Colombo
Cyclone Ditawah has put a serious dampener on Sri Lanka’s rosy post-budget economic outlook. Sri Lanka can help itself by using available national resources, but India can help too, by partnering with multilateral development banks to manage the post-Cyclone Ditwah reconstruction implementation strategy. It can also share its experience of implementing gradual economic reforms and policy planning under Niti Ayog to support Sri Lanka’s efforts.
Courtesy: New Spotlight Magazine
Building a robust engagement with India on energy can help offset some of the economic and political crises that most of India’s neighbours are facing. Smaller South Asian neighbours will benefit from cheaper electricity and oil, paving the way for greater regional economic cooperation.
Courtesy: Reuters
Sri Lanka is playing a balancing act as it manages its ties with India and China. It is heavily dependent on the two rival Asian giants for its economic revitalisation and future growth, but it must be strategic in its approach with both countries as it attempts to manage its foreign debt and ensure project sustainability while maintaining geopolitical neutrality.
Courtesy: Economic Times
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to India last month laid the foundation for a new era of cooperation in key areas like energy, connectivity, trade and tourism. By working together on trade facilitation, central bank cooperation, and IMF capacity-building, market-led regionalism can be the pragmatic way forward for India and Sri Lanka to achieve prosperity.
Courtesy: Business World
The Sri Lankan economy is showing signs of stabilizing after experiencing the worst contraction in its history in 2022. Decisive policies by President Ranil Wickremasinghe, timely Indian aid, and an IMF Programme have laid the groundwork for a return to growth. India and Sri Lanka must now shift from an aid relationship to one which deepens bilateral trade and investment flows.
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, India
The recently concluded BIMSTEC summit is now a regional intergovernmental organization with a formal charter, giving it a clear mission and legality and a destiny linked to South and South East Asia. It is now better equipped to accelerate economic development for the fifth of the world’s population, which contributes only 4% of global GDP.
Courtesy: Sri Lanka Guardian
2022 marks 35 years since the Indian Peace Keeping Forces were deployed to oversee the Indo-Sri Lankan Peace Accord. An attempt to diffuse civil unrest, this engagement eventually turned into war. The incident serves as a reminder that India can learn more from its errors than its victories.
Courtesy: Twitter/@MaithripalaS
India is subtly adding four new elements in the policy matrix
Courtesy: Gateway House
China has replaced India as Sri Lanka’s biggest economic partner. It is gaining control of Sri Lanka’s ports, which can give it leverage over India’s external trade