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Siliguri, a key gateway to Northeast India, is facing significant economic setbacks due to a drop in Bangladeshi visitors amid the escalating political and social unrest in Bangladesh. The town, known for its tourism, education, medical services, and trade, has seen a sharp decline in tourists, particularly from Bangladesh, as the crisis deepens in the neighbouring country. Siliguri's strategic location near the borders of Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan has made it a popular destination for Bangladeshi nationals, who frequent the area for tourism, education, medical treatment, and visa-related matters. However, recent events in Bangladesh have led to a fall in the number of Bangladeshi visitors, severely affecting local businesses, especially hotels and bus services. Hotel owners ...

Reflecting on the just-concluded COP29 deliberations, it’s clear that Asia’s climate journey is entering a more ambitious phase. Talks at Baku highlighted the region’s essential role in tackling global climate challenges, with conversations ranging from robust carbon markets to ramping up adaptation actions. While negotiations over a new collective quantified goal for global climate finance are casting a dark shadow, the conversations coming out of COP29 underscore the willingness of governments, businesses, and communities across Asia to move from commitments to actionable, region-specific climate solutions. For me, these are the key themes emerging as we look back on 2024. Innovation in the mobility sector: Asia’s mobility sector is rapidly innovating to reduce emissions, with a dist...

India’s economy expanded by 5.4 per cent in the July-September quarter of the ongoing fiscal year, marking a slowdown from the previous quarter’s 6.7 per cent growth. Despite this deceleration, India maintains its position as the fastest-growing major economy globally. It’s this kind of sustained growth that had led to expectations that India will surpass Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that this will happen as early as 2025. The international body estimates Indian economy’s size would be $4.34 trillion, compared to Japan’s $4.31 trillion. Here’s a look at five factors that could be responsible for such an achievement: Attraction of global investments: India’s financial markets have become increasi...