This book is a practical and comprehensive guide to succeeding in ASEAN countries. It allows for a deeper understanding of the business environment of these diverse economies. You will be better able to evaluate the risk factors and make meaningful decisions.

This book presents case studies of South Asian companies that have strategic business implications, highlighting the complex interplay of business and social dynamics in South Asia. This region is a wide agglomeration of very different countries that share somewhat common cultures and issues and yet it is torn apart by religion and politics. There is an abundance of local entrepreneurship but a widespread institutional void. The book investigates how local companies survive and thrive in this environment and discusses those companies that have withstood the competitive pressure of MNCs, depicting their management and business practices. In today’s world, where multinationals are so omnipresent that their management and business practices are considered as the de facto recipe for success, there is a need to have an alternative view that challenges the ubiquitousness of multinational management practices. The case studies in this book focus on the business and management practices of local organizations in South Asia and thus provide that alternative viewpoint of how to achieve success in South Asia. Exposing readers to a local perspective on doing business in South Asia, it is a valuable resource for students and practitioners of management.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows started gaining traction in South Asia from the late 20th century onwards, when nations from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) began moving away from highly controlled regimes and adopting liberal and open economic policies.In the context of surplus labour and capital scarcity faced by South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, to varying degrees, the economic reform process has provided an opportunity to actively promote inward FDI flows, with the goal of providing the much-needed capital for the growth of this region. Several policy initiatives were undertaken to attract FDI and incentives were announced to fascinate investors, resulting in the inflow of FDI across the region.This book examines FDI inflows in SAARC nations in the light of regional policy changes in the 21st century. It investigates the relationship between trade and FDI in the region, and also provides insights into the ease of doing business in the SAARC region.

During the 1990s, the governments of South Asian countries acted as ‘facilitators’ to attract FDI. As a result, the inflow of FDI increased. However, to become an attractive FDI destination as China, Singapore, or Brazil, South Asia has to improve the local conditions of doing business. This book, based on research that blends theory, empirical evidence, and policy, asks and attempts to answer a few core questions relevant to FDI policy in South Asian countries: Which major reforms have succeeded? What are the factors that influence FDI inflows? What has been the impact of FDI on macroeconomic performance? Which policy priorities/reforms needed to boost FDI are pending? These questions and answers should interest policy makers, academics, and all those interested in FDI in the South Asian region and in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Seventeen in a series of annual reports comparing business regulation in 190 economies, Doing Business 2020 measures aspects of regulation affecting 10 areas of everyday business activity.

This book offers a comprehensive look at the business environment in South Asia, particularly Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It explores the historical, economic, social and political impacts of trade and commerce in this region to give insight into how it has learned the lessons of failure from the past and is poised to capitalize on them. Bangladesh is considered an Emerging Tiger as one of the fastest-growing economies in South Asia, having witnessed exponential growth in exports. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is still recovering from its civil war and FDI makes up a very small percentage of its GDP. Nevertheless, it also represents a unique opportunity for investors looking to do business in this growing region. Identifying the key drivers of South Asian economic growth and development, this book is aimed at scholars who seek to learn more about what must be done to take advantage of the opportunities in both countries to move into the future.

This concise textbook comprises selected case studies on the strategic challenges and opportunities faced by real-world organizations operating in South Asia. The collection includes 15 short case studies from across the region, allowing easy comprehension and class discussion, and covers strategic management, localization strategies, strategic challenges, emerging global brands, digital transformation, sustainability, inclusive business, and economic development. Each case has corresponding reflective questions, references, and further reading and activities, making this a perfect comprehensive guide to help students understand and apply concepts to real-world situations. Providing a solid understanding of the South Asian business environment, this is ideal recommended reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying South Asian and International Business, Strategic Management, Emerging Markets, and Global Entrepreneurship. Online, instructors will find complementary teaching notes to support learning.