Together We Deliver 2026 features stories illustrating how the Asian Development Fund (ADF) delivers impactful solutions through grants and concessional financing for countries with the greatest development needs. Among the SASEC highlights are support for women farmers and agribusinesses in Nepal to move into higher-value agriculture, investments that modernized Bhutan’s health system and expanded digital health services, and financing that helped connect Cox’s Bazar to Bangladesh’s national railway network.

Author: Asian Development Bank

Year: 2026

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Tags: Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Rail, Transport, Agriculture, Health

Digital payments are a key enabler of cross-border trade, supporting faster, more secure transactions and expanding opportunities for businesses to participate in regional and global markets. Recognizing the importance of digital transformation, Bhutan’s 13th Five Year Plan (2024–2029) identifies a stronger digital ecosystem as a critical driver of economic growth and a means to overcome the challenges of its landlocked geography and relatively small domestic market. As part of this vision, Bhutan aims to achieve 99.9% uptime for domestic and international payment gateways by 2029. To support the Government of Bhutan in achieving these ambitious targets, this report assesses the country’s digital payment ecosystem, identifies key barriers to the adoption and growth of digital payments, and draws on international experiences to provide strategic recommendations for strengthening Bhutan’s digital payments landscape.

Author: Asian Development Bank

Year: 2026

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Tags: Bhutan, Trade Facilitation,

This brief explores how Sri Lanka can deepen its trade with India by leveraging its location, skilled workforce, and existing exporting sectors, and addressing the limitations of the Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA). Highlighting more than $800 million in untapped annual export potential, it outlines practical measures to expand market access, reduce trade barriers, and position Sri Lanka as a supplier of high-potential products and intermediate goods to India's rapidly growing industrial sector.

Author: Dinuk de Silva, Jules Hugot, Chethana Ranatunga

Year: 2026

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Tags: India, Sri Lanka, Trade

Amid the effects of an energy market dislocation, South Asia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to slow to 6.3% in fiscal year (FY) 2026 before regaining momentum at 6.9% in FY2027. In Bangladesh, growth will hasten to 3.9% in FY2026 and 4.6% in FY2027. The Bhutan economy is projected to grow 7.1% in FY2025-2026 and 6.4% in FY2026-2027. Growth in India is estimated to reach 7.6% in FY22026 before decelerating to 6.6% FY2027. In Maldives, disruptions in tourism brought down GDP growth to 0.7% in FY2026. A 7.2% GDP is projected for Maldives in FY2027. In Nepal, after growth dipped to 2.3% in FY2025-2026, economic activity will rebound to 4.2% in FY2026-2027. Sri Lanka is projected to experience moderate growth of 3.6% in FY2026 and rebound to 3.8% in FY2027. Inflation remains low in South Asia in 2026.

Author: World Bank

Year: 2026

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Tags: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, WB, Tourism, South Asia

Across all subregions in developing Asia and the Pacific, growth is projected to moderate in fiscal year (FY) 2026, due in part to conflict in the Middle East that has resulted in disruptions in the energy market. In South Asia, gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to grow at 6.3% in FY2026 and 6.8% in FY2027. GDP in Bangladesh is forecast to recover to 4.0% in FY2026 and 4.75% in FY2027 due to financial sector reforms. In Bhutan, the construction of new hydropower plants will bolster growth to 6.9% in FY2026 and 7.2% in FY2027. In India, GDP growth will moderate to 6.9% in FY2026 and expand to 7.3% in FY2027. Growth is forecast to slow in Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in FY2026, before experiencing an acceleration of growth in FY2027. In Southeast Asia, GDP in Myanmar is forecast at 2.4% in FY2026 and 2.7% in FY2027. Inflation in South Asia is projected at 5% in FY2026 and 4.6% in FY2027.

Author: Asian Development Bank

Year: 2026

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Tags: ADB, Bangladesh, SASEC, Hydropower, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Energy, South Asia