Breaking down barriers to Indian women’s participation in trade is crucial. Simplifying export/import processes and fostering inclusivity will empower women and create a more equal world!

Nora Dihel, Satya Prasad Sahu, Mitali Nikore |

At the border between India and Bangladesh, a new digital platform is helping authorities process trucks faster and make trade more efficient—an important and encouraging first step toward…

Shruti Vijayakumar, Mitali Nikore |

This blog is a biweekly feature highlighting recent working papers from around the World Bank Group. It introduces six papers published in January of 2023 on various topics, including gender,…

Marcelo Buitron, Policy Research Working Paper team |

A tumultuous year of deep uncertainty brought on by multiple overlapping crises in which South Asia was hit by a series of unprecedented shocks. Here's a look back at 2022 in 10 blogs.

Adnan Siddiqi |

New World Bank working paper examines if a change in external trade costs, that is, the cost of importing, on economic activity across regions within a country depend on internal trade costs and…

Arti Grover, Kunal Dasgupta |

For South Asia to reach its full economic potential, it must explore untapped opportunities.

Hans Timmer |

As the gusts of the COVID-19 pandemic quieten, South Asian economies, left fragile and uneven in their recovery, are facing renewed headwinds: high inflation, rising fiscal deficits, and…

Zoe Leiyu Xie, Xiao'ou Zhu |

Driving east from Kolkata on the historic Jessore road, there is little to indicate that India’s busiest Integrated Check Post (ICP) lies ahead on the Bangladesh border. Delays are frequent on the…

Mandakini Kaul |

There are long delays at the borders of the BBIN sub-region - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal - largely due to the inadequate infrastructure at border crossings, a plethora of paper-based…

Shomik Mehndiratta, Erik Nora |

From plastic pollution to remittance flows, climate change to digital technology, human capital to road safety, we look back at the past year and highlight some of the most popular blogs from 2021…

Trishna Thapa |