South Asia’s Path to Sustainable and Inclusive Growth highlights the remarkable development progress in South Asia and how the region can advance in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Steps include a renewed push toward greater trade and financial openness, while responding proactively to the distributional impact and dislocation associated with this structural transformation. Promoting a green and digital recovery remains important. The book explores ways to accelerate the income convergence process in the region, leveraging on the still-large potential demographic dividend in most of the countries. These include greater economic diversification and export sophistication, trade and foreign direct investment liberalization and participation in global value chains amid shifting regional and global conditions, financial development, and investment in human capital.

India is on track to be one of the fastest growing major economies in the world this year, underpinned by prudent macroeconomic policies. Nonetheless, the economy is facing global headwinds, including a global growth slowdown in an increasingly fragmented world.

While India’s growth has been strong in recent decades, its structural transformation remains incomplete. In this paper, we first take stock of India’s growth to date. We find that economic activity has shifted from agriculture to services, but agriculture remains the predominant employer. Catch up to the technological frontier has been uneven, with limited progress in agriculture, but also in construction and trade, which have grown the most in terms of employment. We do find some Indian firms already operating at the technological frontier. These strong performers tend to be large firms. We then consider India’s employment challenge going forward. We find that India needs to create between 143-324 million jobs by 2050 and that doing so and with workers shifting towards more dynamic sectors could boost GDP growth by 0.2-0.5 percentage points. Structural reforms can help India create high-quality jobs and accelerate growth.

In the current fast-paced business environment, organizations face the challenge of improving operational efficiency and driving innovation while dealing with complex technological landscapes. Many organizations require assistance exploiting intelligent process automation's full potential (IPA). This is often due to a need for more comprehensive understanding or clear implementation strategies. As a result, they need to help their workflows, optimize resources, and adapt effectively to changing market demands. Advancements in Intelligent Process Automation bridges this gap by providing a holistic view of IPA, encompassing RPA, AI, and ML, among other key technologies. Through real-world case studies, strategic guidelines, and interdisciplinary perspectives, the book offers actionable insights that are not just theoretical, but practical and implementable. This ensures that organizations seeking to implement IPA can do so seamlessly, without feeling overwhelmed or unsure. Addressing ethical and regulatory considerations ensures responsible AI practices and compliance, fostering a sustainable approach to automation.

India, home to over 1.3 billion people, is highly vulnerable to the devastating impacts of global warming. As a rapidly developing economy, it faces the uphill task of balancing economic growth, social equity, and environmental conservation. In these trying times, this book presents a compelling case for investing in sustainable and climate-resilient development strategies to avert a climate-challenged future while safeguarding its economy and ecology. Rich in theory, empirical evidence, and practical insights, the book aims to serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, academics, students, and practitioners. It unearths unique insights to inspire informed actions toward shaping a more sustainable and climate-resilient future for India and the world.

South Asia has had a tumultuous and varied experience with constitutional democracy that predates the recent rise in populism (and its study) in established democracies. And yet, this region has remained largely ignored by constitutional studies and democracy scholars. This book addresses this gap and presents a contribution to the South Asia-centric literature on the topic of the stability and resilience of constitutional democracies. Chapters deal not only with relatively well known South Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, but also with countries often ignored by scholars, such as Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Afghanistan. The contributions consider the design and functioning of an array of institutions and actors, including political parties, legislatures, the political executive, the bureaucracy, courts, fourth branch / guarantor institutions (such as electoral commissions), the people, and the military to examine their roles in strengthening or undermining constitutional democracy across South Asia. Each chapter offers a contextual and jurisdictionally-tethered account of the causes behind the erosion of constitutional democracy, and some examine the resilience of constitutional institutions against democratic erosion.

Focusing on hope rather than challenges, this edited collection presents a powerful evocation of ongoing opportunities for building a better future in the Global South and beyond.