About Sydasien — South Asia Journal

Sydasien is an independent, non-profit journal based in Sweden. Sydasien.se is free and open to all visitors, featuring advanced translation tools and a searchable archive dating back to 1977. We focus on society, culture, politics, and history in South Asia – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

Our goal is to provide background and context to current events and developments. Journalistic integrity, equality, human rights, democracy, justice, and freedom of expression are our unshakable cornerstones. Sydasien has no political or religious affiliation.

The journal was founded in 1977 as a quarterly publication by journalists and researchers in Stockholm, Lund, and Gothenburg. It soon became an important source for in-depth reports and analyses on South Asia, appealing to readers who want to look beyond the surface.

The era of printed issues ended in 2011 with the launch of Sydasien.se. In 2018, Sydasien returned to print alongside the online edition. Since 2023, we have published one book per year in a series often referred to as a “bookazine.”

Sydasien.se can easily be translated into your language – go to Translate and select language. We hope that readers from the region will explore how the eight countries are covered.

All web articles, around 150 printed issues (pdf), and tables of content, can be found in our searchable archive.

The editorial office is located near Gothenburg, but we never lose sight of our eight countries. Sydasien’s writers and photographers are based both in Sweden and across South Asia.

Sydasien, classified as a cultural journal, received production support for 2025 from the Swedish Arts Council (kulturradet.se) and is a member of the Swedish Magazine Publishers Association (sverigestidskrifter.se).

In recent years, our magazines and books have received praise from readers for their content, design, and themes. Sydasien will continue to follow developments in society, culture, politics, and human rights, and to address topics that inspire debate.

Sydasien is ad-free and open to everyone. To keep the journal active and evolving — and to uphold the principle of open and independent journalism — we rely on the financial support of our members, readers, and sponsors.

Their contributions make it possible to publish new material, reach more people with insights from and about South Asia, and strengthen our social and cultural impact.