At the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled an extensive 21-point action plan to boost multi-national collaboration across sectors. His bold plan underscores India’s leading role in reinvigorating The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation – an international organisation comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. This push, in line with New Delhi’s Neighbourhood First and Act East policies, reinforces New Delhi’s broad strategic outlook vis-à-vis the Indo-Pacific region.
Formed on 6 June 1997 after the signing of the Bangkok Declaration, BIMSTEC initially comprised only Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka as members. With the subsequent addition of Myanmar in December 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in 2004, it is now an organisation of seven countries bordering the Bay of Bengal.
BIMSTEC’s main aim, at inception, was to strengthen economic cooperation between member countries. However, it was overshadowed by other active regional cooperation platforms – such as SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) – with its revival only occurring in the last decade. India’s active leadership and strategic investments have made BIMSTEC a vital platform for regional cooperation, especially as SAARC stagnates.
BIMSTEC’s history
India turned to BIMSTEC to address limitations in regional cooperation after a stalemate in SAARC. Bilateral disagreements between India and Pakistan, which stemmed from a lack of consensus on issues such as terrorism and the South Asia Motor Vehicles Act, were a major cause.
India also turned to BIMSTEC to connect with South and Southeast Asian nations—without the involvement of Pakistan. The first step in this direction was taken in 2016, when PM Modi conducted an outreach summit in Goa and invited leaders from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and BIMSTEC. This allowed India to deepen connectivity and build security and economic ties with like-minded countries in the Bay of Bengal region, where its leadership is both welcomed and more effective.
The recent BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok, and PM Modi’s comprehensive 21-point action plan, has only strengthened this relationship.
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Key areas of success
Security & counter-terrorism: Security cooperation has always been a key focus in Prime Minister Modi’s proposals. This was evident in Bangkok, where he proposed hosting the inaugural meeting of BIMSTEC Home Ministers in India later this year, establish a ground station for manpower training, initiate the production and launch of nano-satellites, and utilise remote sensing data to support regional development and planning efforts.
BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey had stressed last week on intensifying counter-terror cooperation between member countries. “We have robust cooperation in the security sector. There is greater focus on dealing with the shared challenge of counterterrorism, and issues like drug trafficking, and human trafficking in the region,” he had said, adding that a convention on counterterrorism and drug trafficking is already in force.
Efforts were also made to coordinate anti-terror strategies and maritime security. On the sidelines of the Bangkok summit, members signed the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation to facilitate the movement of cargo and passengers, because enhancing maritime safety is important for promoting regional logistics and developing the Bay of Bengal economy.
Connectivity & infrastructure: For those unaware, 25 per cent of the world’s traded goods travel through the Bay of Bengal, making it an important conduit in the Indo-Pacific region. PM Modi, thus, emphasised the importance of keeping the Indian Ocean free, open, and secure, describing it as “a common goal” for all BIMSTEC countries. He welcomed the signing of the Maritime Transport Agreement, noting that it will enhance partnerships in cargo shipping and boost trade.
To deepen cooperation at sea, he suggested establishing a Sustainable Maritime Transport Centre in India, which would focus on building skills, encouraging research and innovation, and coordinating policies related to maritime security. Some key projects to note in this context are the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project, and the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. The India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway, once operational, will establish a direct overland link between India and its Southeast Asian neighbours, greatly cutting down on travel time and transportation costs. Likewise, the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMPTT) is designed to link India’s Northeastern states with Myanmar’s Sittwe Port, offering an alternative trade route and easing reliance on the heavily congested Siliguri Corridor.
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Economic & technical cooperation
PM Modi, in 2022, suggested setting up a BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Colombo to encourage cooperation in emerging technological fields. Through this, he emphasised the importance of shared growth in emerging technologies—an area crucial for long-term economic and strategic resilience in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Last week, in a major step in that direction, he proposed connecting India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the payment systems of BIMSTEC member countries. This would enable smoother trade between member countries in a rapidly digitising world, enhancing ease of business transactions, and facilitating tourism across the region.
The PM also suggested the creation of a BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce, an annual BIMSTEC business summit, and the exploration of trade using local currencies to further boost economic ties among member nations. In the context of India’s role in the region, these initiatives show leadership and a willingness to invest in collective progress, rather than an assertion of unilateral dominance.
Disaster management efforts: Highlighting the importance of stronger collaboration in disaster preparedness, Prime Minister Modi put forward a proposal to establish a BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence for Disaster Management in India. This centre would concentrate on disaster response, recovery efforts, and building the disaster management capabilities of member nations. This focus is all the more relevant in light of the massive earthquake in Myanmar last week, where India was among the first responders, sending in teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Army to facilitate rescue missions.
BIMSTEC also recognises climate change as a shared challenge affecting all member nations, and promotes cooperation in areas such as renewable energy and environmental sustainability. Though it wasn’t a central focus at this year’s summit, strengthening regional climate resilience is a key part of BIMSTEC’s broader agenda for sustainable development.
Youth Engagement: In a major push for human resource development of the youth of BIMSTEC member states, Prime Minister Modi launched the BODHI (BIMSTEC for Organised Development of Human Resource Infrastructure) initiative, aimed at training 300 youth from BIMSTEC nations in India each year.
He also announced scholarships for students from the region at the Forest Research Institute and Nalanda University, alongside annual training programmes for young diplomats. Additionally, the Tata Memorial Centre will provide specialised training in cancer care. PM Modi also proposed the creation of Centres of Excellence—one focused on traditional medicine research, and another dedicated to farmer knowledge exchange, research, and capacity building.
Emphasising energy security and youth empowerment, he spotlighted the launch of the BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluru, which will train young professionals in the energy sector. He further urged accelerated progress on establishing electric grid interconnections across member countries. To boost youth engagement, PM Modi said that a BIMSTEC Young Leaders’ Summit will be held later this year, along with a regional hackathon, and a Young Professional Visitors Programme. India will also host the BIMSTEC Athletics Meet this year and host the inaugural BIMSTEC Games in 2027.
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Overcome minor hiccups
The BIMSTEC Free Trade Area remains stalled since 2004, delaying trade liberalisation and weakening investor confidence. The BIMSTEC secretariat in Dhaka faces staff shortages and has limited authority, affecting coordination and programme oversight. Key transport connectivity projects suffer from delays and cost overruns due to poor funding and cross-country coordination.
Regional instability, particularly in Myanmar and Bangladesh, hampers collective planning and disrupts progress. Without a dedicated funding mechanism, BIMSTEC projects rely on uneven national contributions, leading to inconsistent implementation. But these are minor challenges and can be managed if the member states have a will to make this regional cooperation organisation work. After all, the stakes are high as everyone wants a piece in the developmental pie.
BIMSTEC must shift from lofty ideals to tangible outcomes. Strengthening institutions, establishing clear trade mechanisms, and fostering inclusive participation are key to building its credibility. Through steady leadership, joint financial commitment, and robust diplomacy, the bloc can move from aspirational talks to becoming a practical force for Indo-Pacific integration—promoting stability, growth, and regional unity. India and BIMSTEC can together build a strong and multifaceted geopolitical alliance that will provide a resourceful regional alternative to NATO, the Arctic Circle, and BRICS.
Meenakshi Lekhi is a BJP leader, lawyer and social activist. Her X handle is @M_Lekhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
BIMSTEC is another utter flop scheme of socialist India which doesn’t know how to trade. Courtesy —Jawaharlal Nehru, M K Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi. All of them buried India under six feet of socialism.