Fast-developing Asian economies are bringing the dream of a middle-class lifestyle — cars, homes, consumer goods and leisure time — within reach of millions of their citizens. As more people set their sights on reaching this goal, infrastructure throughout the region will need to be developed and maintained to support the shifting socioeconomic trends. An important part of this shift is the continuing mass migrations of people from rural to urban and suburban areas. Transportation networks, electrical grids, water systems, ports and more will be developed and upgraded in order to support the changes in Asia, and China and India provide a good illustration of these trends.

It’s said that when Henry Ford began rolling Model Ts off his assembly lines, he paid his workers enough that they could buy the cars they made, which helped to develop a market for automobiles. Indian car manufacturer Tata Motors unveiled its US$1,000 Nano in 2008 hoping to emulate Ford’s s