Abstract
The contribution of infrastructure to economic growth is two-fold. Firstly, infrastructure facilitates development of other sectors by contributing in the production process of other sectors. Secondly, the presence of good infrastructure reduces the transaction and other costs, thereby increasing the total factor productivity and allowing the use of existing inputs more efficiently. This chapter throws light on the existing infrastructure networks in South Asia. It elucidates the deficits in these existing networks and suggests policy steps to improve the state of infrastructure in South Asia and bridge the deficits, highlighting the core of the problem being infrastructure-financing. In the light of building infrastructure, the chapter discusses the collective initiatives—public, private and public–private partnerships of the South Asian economies that are being undertaken. It also examines some success stories of infrastructure development which impart lessons that can be emulated. Finally it concludes with the way forward with respect to co-operation in the infrastructure development in South Asia.
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Acknowledgment
The author is thankful to Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS for stimulating discussions on this subject. The author is also thankful to Ms. Disha Mendiratta for providing research support. Usual disclaimers apply.
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Das, R.U. (2017). Some Aspects of Connectivity in South Asia: Issues and Way Forward. In: Bandyopadhyay, S., Torre, A., Casaca, P., Dentinho, T. (eds) Regional Cooperation in South Asia. Contemporary South Asian Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56747-1_5
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