Emerging market equities, along with Japan and Europe, were one of asset allocators' favoured regions at the start of the year. But retail fund flows have remained lacklustre, despite a sign of resurgence.

So what has affected demand for developing world companies, and what factors have underpinned the region's returns this year?

How will India and China, two of the world's biggest economies and the benchmark for emerging market growth, perform in the future, and what political and economic factors should fund buyers take into account.

Futhermore, what should asset allocators consider when allocating to emerging markets, and which sectors dominate returns?