Recent studies26 have shown that all countries in South Asia would derive huge economic benefits from transport connectivity improvements, irrespective of their size. The bulk of trade takes place through maritime corridors rather than inland corridors because of poorly developed road and rail connectivity, requiring multiple trans-shipments and explaining the high cost of bilateral trade within the subregion. A number of inland cross-border transport corridor development projects have already been proposed to remedy this situation. India, Myanmar and Thailand have been developing a trilateral highway (the IMT Highway) that links the key trade centres.