Economic and financial integration in South Asia

Many countries in the South Asia region are global players in many aspects due to the nature of emerging markets as well as being democratic countries irrespective of the fact that many people in the region are troubled by higher level of poverty. Many years of regulation in the South Asian region has hampered economic growth and reduced the level of efficiencies in almost all economic activities. However, implementation of market deregulations since the early 1980s in many sectors has benefited the majority of countries in the region in a number of ways. Among others, one of the most significant benefits is the integration of markets in the financial as well as other economic sectors generating better economic achievements. In this study, we examine the process of economic and financial market integration as well as cost/benefit of such a process. We find significant benefits of economic and financial market integration to the region.