* THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED. NEW DATE IN DUE COURSE.* Join us for a meeting with Alan Gemmell, HM’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for South Asia and also British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India. In his role as Trade Commissioner, Alan oversees the work of the Department for International Trade (DIT) in growing bilateral trade and investment relationships, improving market access for British companies, and supporting the development of finance and trade policy. As HMTC he also works closely with High Commissioners, Ambassadors, the wider diplomatic network and colleagues across the UK to support the global agenda. We look forward to hearing from Alan about DIT’s priorities in the region and areas of opportunity for UK companies.
The impact of the covid-19 pandemic on South Asia’s economies has resulted in slower growth than previously anticipated. Recovery continues as countries put in place containment measures, but the expected rebound has been affected the recent waves of new variants.
According to the World Bank, the regional growth is set to increase by 7.1 percent in 2021 and 2022, as the economic recovery in South Asia continues. South Asia’s largest economy, India is expected to grow by 8.3 percent in the fiscal year 2021-22. Whilst in Sri Lanka, real GDP is expected to grow by only 3.3 percent in 2021. With recovering exports and consumption Bangladesh growth rates are expected to increase to 6.4 percent in fiscal year 2021-22. Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan are all excepting GDP growths above 3.4, 3.9 and 3.6 for the fiscal year 2021-22 as they also slowly start on the road to recovery. The general outlook is still uncertain as the pandemic challenges continue and progress will depend on the extent of vaccinations whose roll-out has been uneven at the expense of the poorer countries. As South Asia looks to recover and also grapple with the climate emergency governments need to reconsider the long-term development frameworks.
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