New Delhi, 10 December 2023: Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) is a member of ERIA’s Research Institutes Network in India. RIS celebrated its 40th year of establishment on 9 and 10 December 2023.  The two-day event covered the various aspects of South Asia Integration. ERIA’s President, Tetsuya Watanabe, delivered the keynote address on the theme of ‘Developing Asia at the Centre of Global Economy: Lessons in Resilience and Growth’ during the plenary and inaugural session.

On the sidelines of the 40th Anniversary events, ERIA and DAKSHIN (Development and Knowledge Sharing Initiative) - the Global South Centre of Excellence at RIS, signed a letter of Association (LoA) to explore collaborative opportunities. ERIA’s association with DAKSHIN aims to create resilient and trustworthy supply chains in developing countries. This will include developing capacities and infrastructure in countries of the Global South and creating linkages with other developed economies.

DAKSHIN, which also means the South in Hindi and Sanskrit, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Second Voice of Global South Summit on 17 November 2023. This initiative follows Prime Minister Modi's proposal during the inaugural Voice of Global South Summit in January 2023, where he aligned India’s development priorities with its commitment to advancing development and prosperity in the Global South.

President Tetsuya Watanabe and Prof Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General of RIS, signed the LoA on behalf of ERIA and RIS, respectively. President Watanabe expressed gratitude to RIS for establishing the partnership with DAKSHIN. He emphasised the importance of the Global South in the global economy and reiterated ERIA’s commitment to supporting the developmental initiatives of the Global South.