The Economist is hiring a new South Asia bureau chief. This is a rare opportunity to join our staff at a senior level covering one of the most dynamic regions in the world with a population of 2 billion.
The South Asia bureau chief leads our coverage of the politics, political economy and foreign policy of India and other countries in South Asia. The default location is Delhi although we would be prepared to consider other locations. The mandate is to produce agenda-setting cover stories and other journalistic projects, using our full suite of digital channels.
It’s an exciting time to be covering India. Narendra Modi’s government has returned with a weakened mandate, making the next few years a test case of how democracy can thrive again after a period of strongman rule. India’s economy is growing at speed and its clout in the world continues to rise. Outside of India the region features fragile governments in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which are also geopolitical swing-states. These countries are likely to produce news, as the Gen Z revolution in Dhaka has just shown.
The Economist has been investing in India: we have a dedicated Essential India newsletter, which has already reached a large number of readers. ‘The Modi Raj” podcast was an example of the kind of ambitious journalism we want to excel at. Our coverage of the election was spread over cover leaders, videos, data journalism and podcasts. Stories about India are popular among our subscribers, particularly those in America. As well as the editorial effort The Economist has a large number of commercial staff in India and liaising with them is part of the job.
We are open minded about candidates. Journalistic experience and professional experience of India are helpful but not essential. The right person could be a foreign correspondent looking for a new challenge in a different region, a rising star ambitious to make their mark, or a superb thinker who knows India and wants to cover it.
Applicants should send a CV, a cover letter and an unpublished article of 600 words suitable for publication in The Economist by October 4th to bureauchiefindia@economist.com.
