The book “India’s Economic Miracle and Nepal” reiterates the time-tested view that no two countries of the world are as close to each other, particularly at the people-to-people level, as Nepal and India. The relationship between both countries in the socio-cultural, economic, political and spiritual spheres is well known.

On 24 July 2020, the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) hosted an online discussion on “Possibility of Developing Regional Value Chain in South Asia”. The panel included, Dr Sreeradha Datta, Mr Bipul Chatterjee, Mr Pratim Bose, Mr Analraj Bhattarai, Mr Shaquib Quoreshi, and Dr Nuwanthi Senaratne. From the VIF, Dr Arvind Gupta, Amb Ranjit Rae, Lt Gen Ravi Sawhney, Mr Aayush Mohanty, and Ms Cchavi Vasisht also participated in the event.

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative that was officially launched in April 2015, promised to be a game changer. The economic corridor that would link Kashgar in Xinjiang to Gwadar in Baluchistan five years later has entered its second phase. While the first phase was essentially about electricity projects and railway lines the second phase has special emphasis on development of special economic zones, agriculture, industry, trade and science and technology.

The Vivekananda International Foundation recently hosted a talk Bangladesh: Promise and Performance, delivered by Prof. Rounaq Jahan and Prof. Rehman, chaired by Dr Arvind Gupta, Director VIF. Prof. Rounaq Jahan began her talk by giving a detailed account of the promises made by Bangladesh and the expectations within and outside the country. She emphasized on the fact that the emergence of Bangladesh was unique because it was the first case of successful emergence of state based on linguistic nationalist movement in the postcolonial scenario.