South Asia’s economic outlook in the era of COVID-19

Issue Brief Apr 1, 2025

Rescuing Pakistan’s economy

By Aasim M. Husain

For decades, Pakistan has struggled with a declining standard of living, skyrocketing public debt, and economic policies that have failed to address the root causes of its stagnation.
Economy & Business Middle East
South Asia’s economic outlook in the era of COVID-19

New Atlanticist Mar 25, 2025

Starlink’s India launch is a crash course on New Delhi’s approach to tech sovereignty

By Trisha Ray

A recently announced partnership to deploy the Elon Musk-led company’s satellite internet in India offers a window into New Delhi’s “hybrid” approach.
Economy & Business India
South Asia’s economic outlook in the era of COVID-19

New Atlanticist Feb 19, 2025

Why India and Armenia are now taking their relationship to new heights

By Tatevik Khachatryan and Srujan Palkar

The growing military and diplomatic cooperation between New Delhi and Yerevan benefits both beyond immediate defense concerns.
Economy & Business India

Programs

The South Asia Center is the hub for the Atlantic Council’s analysis of the political, social, geographical, and cultural diversity of the region. ​At the intersection of South Asia and its geopolitics, SAC cultivates dialogue to shape policy and forge ties between the region and the global community.

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Content

New Atlanticist

Mar 31, 2020

South Asia’s economic outlook in the era of COVID-19

By South Asia Center

Experts from the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center analyze the current efforts of these governments and the potential economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic on South Asia:

Bangladesh Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2020

Coronavirus hits Pakistan’s already-strained economy, and its most vulnerable

By Uzair Younus

During every major economic crisis in Pakistan—and there have been several of them—the wheels of the informal economy have chugged along. Today, the informal sector stands to lose the most, particularly the tens of millions of workers who rely on this cash-based sector to provide them with the bare-minimum income required to meet their daily needs.

Coronavirus Inclusive Growth

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2020

Defusing Bangladesh’s COVID-19 time bomb

By Irfan Nooruddin and Rudabeh Shahid

Bangladesh has a health crisis in the making. The lack of preparation in the United States and Europe that has spawned the ongoing crisis there still exceeds the preparedness of developing countries such as Bangladesh, which will have to battle the COVID-19 pandemic with limited financial resources and a legacy of poor healthcare infrastructure, especially for the urban poor.

Bangladesh Coronavirus

In the News

Mar 27, 2020

Younus in his podcast “Pakistonomy,” episode 11: Economy and Coronavirus

By Atlantic Council

Coronavirus Economy & Business
AI Policy Primer 2020 Peter

Issue briefs and reports

Mar 27, 2020

AI, society and governance: An introduction

By Peter Engelke

AI’s increasing range of applications are having real-world consequences, both positive and negative. Those consequences, in turn, have animated spirited and at times emotional debates about how governments can craft policies to come to grips with a world increasingly shaped by AI.

China Digital Policy

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Mar 27, 2020

Women’s activism in Pakistan: Limits on freedom of choice, speech, and visibility in the public sphere

By Zainab Alam

The crux of this contentious debate does not just hang on freedom of choice. It demands a broader conversation about societal acceptance of women’s visibility in the public sphere and role in politics more broadly. Until Pakistani women are seen as full citizens of the state, and not just national subjects, such seemingly apolitical visual expression will continue to provoke much needed rights-based deliberation.

Pakistan Women

New Atlanticist

Mar 27, 2020

US cuts Afghan aid: Will it bring peace closer?

By South Asia Center

Recent weeks have seen Afghanistan politically paralyzed with both Ghani and Abdullah setting up parallel governments in Kabul, after both claimed victory in the September 2019 presidential elections. Secretary Pompeo attempted to push the Afghan government(s) towards talks with the Taliban and failed.

Afghanistan Conflict

In the News

Mar 26, 2020

Riaz quoted in Scroll.in on Bangladesh’s decision to free ex-PM Khaleda Zia amidst Covid-19

By Atlantic Council

Bangladesh Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Mar 26, 2020

Ending the “Endless War” trope

By Paul D. Miller

The trope about ending endless wars is really a way of arguing that the US foreign policy establishment has failed, that the supposed doctrine of interventionism is ineffective and counterproductive, and that the United States should retrench, withdraw, and do less in the world. It is the latest talking point in a long-running debate between advocates of restraint and advocates of engagement. The debate is not whether we want wars to end or not, but about what strategy is best suited to end them on the best terms.

Afghanistan Conflict

New Atlanticist

Mar 26, 2020

Winning the peace in Afghanistan

By Shuja Nawaz

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s abortive mission to craft a stable coalition government in Kabul capable of holding peace talks with the Taliban raises fresh concerns about the absence of a clear US strategy for exiting its endless war in Afghanistan

Afghanistan Conflict
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Experts

Fellow

Sudeep Kanungo

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoTech Center

Africa Energy & Environment

Staff

Kate Springs

Program Assistant, Strategic Litigation Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Human Rights International Norms

Fellow

Jongsun Kim

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

David H. Young

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Afghanistan Conflict

Fellow

Laura Updegrove

Nonresident Senior Fellow, GeoStrategy Initiative

GeoStrategy Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Politics & Diplomacy Security & Defense

Fellow

Stanislava Mladenova

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Afghanistan Conflict
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Events

Online Event Tue, May 13, 2025 • 10:00 am ET

Rethinking US policy options in Afghanistan
Afghanistan Economy & Business Human Rights Politics & Diplomacy