Chief Economist & Political Strategist, CrossASEAN Research

Prasenjit K. Basu

PK Basu has 35 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

Taiwan: Rates to Buck Global Loosening as Growth Stays Robust and Inflation Too High

US: SCOTUS Upends Trump's Tariff Framework; Good for Global Trade

Taiwan: The Rich World's Growth Star Continues to Shine

US: You Ain't Seen Nothin' yet on the Impact of the Trump Tariffs

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

<ul>
<li>Real GDP grew 8.7% in 2025, after a surge to 12.7%YoY growth in Q4'25. Soaring AI- and cloud-computing demand for semiconductors caused the trade surplus to nearly double in 2025. </li>
<li>Inflation moderated to a 5-year low of 0.67%YoY in Jan'26; the US trade deal will keep inflation tame. We expect 12.5bp rate cuts at both June and September CBC meetings. </li>
<li>We expect 11% real GDP growth in H1'26 and 9% growth for 2026. Stay OVERWEIGHT Taiwan, particularly its world-leading technology sector. </li>
</ul>


Real GDP grew 8.7% in 2025, after a surge to 12.7%YoY growth in Q4'25. Soaring AI- and cloud-computing demand for semiconductors caused the trade surplus to nearly double in 2025. 
Inflation moderated to a 5-year low of 0.67%YoY in Jan'26; the US trade deal will keep inflation tame. We expect 12.5bp rate cuts at both June and September CBC meetings. 
We expect 11% real GDP growth in H1'26 and 9% growth for 2026. Stay OVERWEIGHT Taiwan, particularly its world-leading technology sector. 


TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) (TSM US)

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing)

Taiwan: Global Growth Leader Is the Genuine Goldilocks Economy