Indo-Nepal economic cooperation: A subregional perspective

The present paper explores how a subregional engagement with bordering regions can stimulate economic cooperation among countries in the context of low levels of trade within the South Asian subregion. With special reference to shared historical legacy and culture-driven interaction — formal and informal — between Nepal and the state of Bihar in India, the paper develops a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat) framework to rationalize and reflect on the need for a subregional perspective towards promotion of regional cooperation. With complementary applications of secondary data and field research, it shows how irrespective of formal country-level initiatives, Nepal and Bihar have engaged in successful economic partnerships and argues that those existing nodes represent the potential for greater subregional and regional economic cooperation. The paper also offers insights into formal and informal challenges and policy imperatives associated with the operationalization of the new perspective.