Software engineering research is expanding in South Asia. However, due to local social and economic conditions, the region does not always follow global research priorities. Prior studies in Latin America and Africa show that funding, collaboration, and visibility influence who publishes and which topics receive attention. However, a comparable large-scale view has not been produced for South Asia. To address this gap, we conduct a systematic mapping study of software engineering research from Global South countries in South Asia between 2015 and 2025. We compiled 353 papers from the top 20 software engineering venues. Our analysis shows a sharp increase in work on artificial intelligence and machine learning after 2019. We also find that research output is uneven. Specifically, India produced 187 of the 353 papers. This level of output is supported by comparatively stronger domestic funding and research infrastructure. By contrast, Bangladesh and Pakistan produced fewer papers and rely more on international partners, with collaboration rates above 78 percent.
Samiha Tahsin Noshin Institute of Information Technology, University of Dhaka, Proma Chowdhury Institute of Information Technology, University of Dhaka, Adity khisa Institute of Information Technology, University of Dhaka, Soumitra Paul Institute of Information Technology, University of Dhaka, Ishita Sur Apan Institute of Information Technology, University of Dhaka
