This book is a rich addition to the existing knowledge on models of development partnership among developing countries. Unlike the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which exclusively focuses on physical infrastructure development with a strong financing component by China, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) envisages a holistic approach toward development partnership based on the spirit of triangular cooperation, demystifying the donor-recipient model of development cooperation. By integrating four distinct pillars of cooperation - connectivity and physical infrastructure, capacity building and skill development, development cooperation projects, and people-to-people and business-to-business partnerships - the book provides a succinct account of how a demand-driven people-centric model of engagement among Asian and African countries could help achieve inclusive and sustainable development without creating any fatal dependence on specific countries or institutions for external funding. In sixteen chapters, the book covers various theoretical, analytical, and policy discussions with respect to the concept and modalities of the growth corridor approach under the free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific; potential opportunities and challenges in economic sectors and fields like agriculture, manufacturing, trade and investment, urbanization, industrialization, human resource development, and the blue economy; social sector priorities including health, education, skill development, disaster management, and women's participation; and policy issues relating to trade facilitation, the identification of joint projects, modalities and instruments of project execution, and related aspects. The book offers a valuable resource for students and research scholars working in the fields of development economics, development cooperation, international political economy, and international economic relations. It also serves as a handbook for governments and policymakers on issues concerning the suitability of development projects, sources of and innovations in financing, implementation and execution challenges, private sector involvement, and so on.

This book is a rich addition to the existing knowledge on models of development partnership among developing countries. Unlike the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which exclusively focuses on physical infrastructure development with a strong financing component by China, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) envisages a holistic approach toward development partnership based on the spirit of triangular cooperation, demystifying the donor-recipient model of development cooperation. By integrating four distinct pillars of cooperation - connectivity and physical infrastructure, capacity building and skill development, development cooperation projects, and people-to-people and business-to-business partnerships - the book provides a succinct account of how a demand-driven people-centric model of engagement among Asian and African countries could help achieve inclusive and sustainable development without creating any fatal dependence on specific countries or institutions for external funding. In sixteen chapters, the book covers various theoretical, analytical, and policy discussions with respect to the concept and modalities of the growth corridor approach under the free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific; potential opportunities and challenges in economic sectors and fields like agriculture, manufacturing, trade and investment, urbanization, industrialization, human resource development, and the blue economy; social sector priorities including health, education, skill development, disaster management, and women's participation; and policy issues relating to trade facilitation, the identification of joint projects, modalities and instruments of project execution, and related aspects. The book offers a valuable resource for students and research scholars working in the fields of development economics, development cooperation, international political economy, and international economic relations. It also serves as a handbook for governments and policymakers on issues concerning the suitability of development projects, sources of and innovations in financing, implementation and execution challenges, private sector involvement, and so on.

With comprehensive financial reforms in 1990s, Indian banking sector witnessed several mergers and acquisitions, emergence of financial conglomerates, and wider participation of private and foreign banks. As a result, large and diversified financial entities, called universal banks, started offering traditional banking as well as value-added services including project consultancy, underwriting, investment banking, credit rating and other customized services under one-stop shop model. Complemented by an overall rise in economic activity demand for universal banking services has grown in leaps and bounds over last two decades. Despite encouraging response from industry and consumers universal banking has not yet received undisputed endorsement of policymakers and regulators as a sound and efficient model of financial services. This monograph is an attempt to quantify the extent of universalization among banks operating in India, and empirically measure their technical, allocative and cost efficiency for the period from 1997 to 2002. This study would be highly useful for students and practitioners in the field of banking and finance.