Sanjay Kathuria

Centre for Social and Economic Progress and Georgetown University

South Asia has long been a region of untapped potential, lagging behind East Asia in economic progress, despite some remarkable successes. “China plus one” presents another opportunity for the region to capitalize on its demographic dividend. Focusing on Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, this article highlights major hurdles to their sust...

The country’s obsession with garments takes an increasingly heavy toll on the rest of its economy. https://bit.ly/2ZUBDRMG

Events are unfolding in favor of the North Eastern Region (NER) of India. Cut off from the rest of India since the partition of 1947, recent developments and global trends could again turn NER into the powerhouse it once was. And instead of being disconnected, the NER can become the Connector. For the North East Region to fulfil the role of connect...

Bilateral cooperation between Bangladesh and India has been on the ascendant. On the economic front, Bangladesh–India trade has grown to become the largest bilateral trade relationship in South Asia. For Bangladesh, increased cooperation with India has resulted in economic gains through different channels including increased exports to India, inflo...

In recent years, regional integration has gained considerable importance among policymakers in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (often referred to as the BBIN region). There is an understanding that enhanced intra-regional trade can be a powerful tool in accelerating economic growth and reducing poverty in the BBIN region. Tapping into this pote...

Trade has played a critical role in global poverty reduction. In harnessing the potential of trade, some of the most successful countries have developed strong trade relationships with their neighbors. However, many South Asian countries have trade regimes that often offset the positive impact of geography and proximity. This report documents sys...

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/30246

South Asia has significant untapped trade potential. It is seen that large gains in welfare and growth could be realised from closer regional cooperation in South Asia. However, there are many obstacles that stand in the way of the region reaching its true potential. These obstacles include: (i) high costs of trading within the region; (ii) absence...

Given the rising importance of MNEs and GVC networks for economic and social upgrading, it is important to understand the more sophisticated trade-investment linkages

This is volume 3 of a three-volume publication on Bangladesh’s trade prospects. Bangladesh’s ambition is to build on its very solid growth and poverty reduction achievements, and accelerate growth to become a middle income country by 2021, and share prosperity more widely amongst its citizens. This includes one of its greatest development challenge...

As the momentum for multilateral trade liberalization has slowed, an increasing amount of liberalization is taking place at a regional level. As of April 2015, there are 406 regional trade agreements (RTAs) in force worldwide, more than double the number in force in 2000. These agreements cover over half of international trade. Countries engage in...

South Asia has significant untapped trade potential. It is seen that large gains in welfare and growth could be realized from closer regional cooperation in South Asia. However, there are many obstacles that stand in the way of the region reaching its true potential. These obstacles include: (i) high costs of trading within the region; (ii) absence...

The primary objective of this study is to analyze the impact on Bangladesh of increased market access in India, both within a static production structure and also identifying dynamic gains. The study shows that Bangladesh and India would both gain by opening up their markets to each other. Indian investments in Bangladesh will be very important for...

A review of the basic economics of the MFA highlights the importance of the discriminatory character of the arrangements when their impacts are being evaluated. While exporting countries can gain from some quota rents, much of this gain is likely to be lost to rent seeking behavior, or shared with industrial country importers. Further, the restrict...

This report discusses the critical constraints to sustainable, job-creating growth, and to present policy options for the region and country Governments to stimulate such growth. It analyzes growth performance in the Caribbean over the last four decades, and highlights key determinants of past and also future growth. Given the recent deterioration...

The authors provide a simple introduction to the economics of the Multifibre Arrangement (MFA) and use available empirical evidence to examine its impact on exports of garments and textiles, focusing on India. Their review of the basic economics of the MFA shows the discriminatory character of the Arrangement. While exporting countries can gain fro...

The Agreement on Textiles and Clothing will abolish all quota restrictions in trade in textiles and clothing by the year 2005. Dismantling the quota regime represents both an opportunity (for developing countries to expand exports) and a threat (because quotas will no longer guarantee markets and even the domestic market will be open to competition...

Since July 1991, there have been dramatic changes in the trade policy regime in India. The objective of these reforms has been to enhance export performance by improving export incentives and eliminating discretionary controls. By means of a simple model, this paper sets out to examine whether export incentives actually improved as a result of the...

India's trade policy regime has changed dramatically since July 1991. The objective of reform has been to improve export performance by improving export incentives and eliminating discretionary controls. Using a simple model, the author sets out to examine whether export incentives actually improved as a result of policy changes. One part of the tw...