In this issue of Asia Briefing Magazine, we break down the various types of development zones available in China, India and Vietnam specifically, as well as their key characteristics and leading advantages. We then go on to provide a snapshot of the latest development zones across the rest of Asia. We hope that this issue will provide the basic fundamentals to understanding one of the most important business tools available to international businesses operating in Asia. 
India is often perceived as an investment destination full of red tape and bureaucracy, yet in fact with some attention to detail, the legal and financial operational procedures can be relatively easily expressed – if you know what you are doing. Annual audit procedures help assess companies for purposes of taxable income, but can also help management evaluate company efficiencies and deficiencies. 
In this issue of India Briefing Magazine, we examine how India’s accounting standards differ from the globally accepted IFRS and IAS protocols, and why it is important to be aware of such discrepancies. We also outline the standard steps an auditor will go through during the audit process and explain pre-audit preparations that can be carried out to make the process easier to follow for foreign executives. 
The new ASEAN Briefing website houses an extensive archive of the several hundred double taxation avoidance agreements that exist between ASEAN, its members states, and other countries and regions around the world. It also contains a news section providing updates on regional trade issues, developments within ASEAN, and other information such as the ASEAN-India trade dynamics and the agreements that are already in place between the two nations. 
In this issue of Asia Briefing Magazine, we discuss why China is no longer the only solution for export-driven businesses, and how the evolution of trade in Asia is determining that locations such as Vietnam and India represent competitive alternatives. With that in mind, we examine the common purposes as well as the pros and cons of the various market entry vehicles available for foreign investors interested in Vietnam and India. India to Launch “Impact Investment” Regulatory Body
May 17 – In India, nine renowned investment entities have joined forces in order to launch the Indian Impact Investor Council (IIC), which is to act as a self-regulatory body for the practice of “impact investment” in India.
Impact investment is the practice of investing in areas and industries with the direct intent of generating a social return along with a financial return, or “impacting” the target investment location in a positive fashion. The topic of impact investment is set to be one of the key themes at this year’s G8 Summit, and is also a growing trend in funds all around the world.
In India’s case, the initiative for a self-regulatory body to deal with impact investing has roots in its previous experience with microfinance, an equally revolutionary form of social investment that began with Bangladeshi businessman and Nobel Laureate Mohammed Yunus. Microfinance, although a highly lauded industry, is widely believed to have resulted in reckless lending in some cases, and investors are determined not to let this happen to impact investing. Continue Reading
