Chief Economist & Political Strategist, CrossASEAN Research

Prasenjit K. Basu

PK Basu has 34 years experience covering Asia's economies and markets (equities, fixed income and currencies), including 20 years covering the global economy. He was Chief Economist (SE Asia & India) at Credit Suisse First Boston for 5 years, and Chief Asia (x-Jpn) Economist at Daiwa Securities for a similar period. Among other roles, he was global head of research at Maybank Kim Eng, Malaysia equity research head and chief ASEAN economist at Macquarie, Chief Economist at ICICI Securities, ASEAN economist and Asia sector strategist at UBS and the first chief economist at Khazanah Nasional (where he was co-head of research, and led all agri-business initiatives). PK Basu started his career in the Asia Service of WEFA (Wharton Econometrics) in Philadelphia in 1990, rising to be Director of their Asia Service in June 1994. 
PK's book, "Asia Reborn: A continent rises from the ravages of Colonialism and War to a New Dynamism" won the Tata Literature First Book Award (non-fiction) for 2018. It is the first single chronicle of the modern economic and political history of the whole of Asia (from Iraq and Turkey to Korea and Japan, and everything in between), told from an Asian perspective.

Chief Economist & Political Strategist

Export-Led Recovery to Broaden as 2nd Covid Wave Recedes

India: Exports Lead Industrial Rebound, While Fiscal Policy Remains Prudent

Receding 2nd Wave Will Allow Economic Acceleration, Spurred by Rate Cuts to Come

India: 2nd Covid Wave Will Delay (Not Halt) The Strength of the Economic Rebound

India: Public Investment, Privatization & Bank Reform Set the Stage for Faster Growth

CrossASEAN Research

At CrossASEAN Research we strive to produce unbiased and differentiated on the ground insights on companies across South East Asia. Our Research is produced for the most part after face to face meetings and conversations with company management to dig deep into the long term vision and strategy of the companies we cover. We seek to deliver investable and actionable themes on sectors and markets across SE Asia, often in collaboration with other Insight Providers across the region, pooling the vast experience of the analysts within the Smartkarma Ecosystem. We also offer bespoke work and tailor made trips for our clients. 

Insights across South East Asia

Macroeconomics

Real GDP (measured from aggregating sectoral value-addition) grew 3.7% YoY, while GDE would have grown 3.1% YoY but for a large statistical discrepancy (which subtracted 1.5pp). Fixed investment spending was up 10.9% YoY, accelerating from 2.6% YoY in the previous quarter. This is likely to remain the key driver of GDP in FY2021/22. Reflecting strong economic growth, government revenue (which is seasonally-weak in April-May) was 1/12th of the annual budgeted figure in April 2021, suggesting there will be ample scope for accelerated spending as privatization receipts flow in. The worst is over for the economy. Real GDP (derived from aggregating gross value-added in each sector of the economy) expanded 3.7% YoY in 4Q-FY2020/21 (January-April 2021), led by strong growth in manufacturing (+6.9% YoY), construction (+14.5% YoY), Utilities (+9.1% YoY), and financial, professional &amp; real-estate services (+5.4% YoY). Agriculture decelerated to 3.1% YoY growth (from 4.5% in the previous quarter, and average growth of 3.7% YoY in the previous 3 quarters), and transport, communication, broadcasting, trade and hotel services declined 2.3% YoY, but the momentum of recovery was evident across the rest of the economy.The less-reliable Gross Domestic Expenditure aggregate showed the economy expanding only a modest 1.6% YoY in 4Q-FY2020/21, but included a huge "discrepancy" item which subtracted 1.5 percentage points! Without that odd statistical discrepancy, the GDE aggregate would also have grown 3.1% YoY (far ahead of the consensus of 1.2%). The most heartening feature was the 10.9% YoY growth in fixed investment spending (accelerating from 2.6% YoY growth in the previous quarter, and following a long period of contraction). Government spending (which is just over 1/4th the size of private consumption) expanded 28.3% YoY -- partly because past food subsidies were paid out during the quarter (which would subtract from the net-indirect-tax component of GDE at market prices). Private consumption grew a modest 2.7% YoY, and net exports subtracted 3.4 percentage points from GDE, although this is where the statistical discrepancy would have widest.

Real GDP (measured from aggregating sectoral value-addition) grew 3.7% YoY, while GDE would have grown 3.1% YoY but for a large statistical discrepancy (which subtracted 1.5pp). Fixed investment spending was up 10.9% YoY, accelerating from 2.6% YoY in the previous quarter. This is likely to remain the key driver of GDP in FY2021/22. Reflecting strong economic growth, government revenue (which is seasonally-weak in April-May) was 1/12th of the annual budgeted figure in April 2021, suggesting there will be ample scope for accelerated spending as privatization receipts flow in. The worst is over for the economy. Real GDP (derived from aggregating gross value-added in each sector of the economy) expanded 3.7% YoY in 4Q-FY2020/21 (January-April 2021), led by strong growth in manufacturing (+6.9% YoY), construction (+14.5% YoY), Utilities (+9.1% YoY), and financial, professional &amp; real-estate services (+5.4% YoY). Agriculture decelerated to 3.1% YoY growth (from 4.5% in the previous quarter, and average growth of 3.7% YoY in the previous 3 quarters), and transport, communication, broadcasting, trade and hotel services declined 2.3% YoY, but the momentum of recovery was evident across the rest of the economy.The less-reliable Gross Domestic Expenditure aggregate showed the economy expanding only a modest 1.6% YoY in 4Q-FY2020/21, but included a huge "discrepancy" item which subtracted 1.5 percentage points! Without that odd statistical discrepancy, the GDE aggregate would also have grown 3.1% YoY (far ahead of the consensus of 1.2%). The most heartening feature was the 10.9% YoY growth in fixed investment spending (accelerating from 2.6% YoY growth in the previous quarter, and following a long period of contraction). Government spending (which is just over 1/4th the size of private consumption) expanded 28.3% YoY -- partly because past food subsidies were paid out during the quarter (which would subtract from the net-indirect-tax component of GDE at market prices). Private consumption grew a modest 2.7% YoY, and net exports subtracted 3.4 percentage points from GDE, although this is where the statistical discrepancy would have widest.  

DSP BlackRock Liquidity Fund (DSLQYDG IN)

Clear Recovery in Jan-Mar, Accelerating Sharply in Apr'21; Ample Scope for Stimulus