South Asia is undergoing a rapid economic transformation and has the potential to become the next major middle-income region of the world. More than a million young people are reaching working age every month, and the population of the region's mega agglomerations and sprawling cities is expanding at roughly the same pace. By 2030 more than a quarter of the world's working adults will live in South Asia. But the region has not been particularly successful in integrating within itself and with the global economy. The demographic transition and urbanization on the one hand, and poor competitiveness on the other, are South Asia's greatest opportunity and greatest challenge. At a time when the growth rate of international trade has dramatically slowed, what will determine the region's ability to become an export powerhouse, create jobs, reduce poverty, and boost shared prosperity? South Asia's Turn: Policies to Boost Competitiveness and Create the Next Export Powerhouse looks for answers in the dynamics of firms, value chains, cities, and clusters across the region. The book identifies several factors that limit the ability of South Asia to compete with the rest of the world, and proposes new perspectives on opportunities to boost productivity.
