BANGKOK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and policies are revitalising the BIMSTEC, reflecting India's leadership and influence on the group's direction and commitment to its Neighbourhood First and Act East policies while aligning with its broader Indo-Pacific vision.
Presently, PM Modi is in Bangkok to participate in the 6th Bay of BIMSTEC Summit, where he is expected to make big announcements about India's role in promoting regional cooperation.
Despite establishment of BIMSTEC in 1997, its progress gained momentum only after 2016, when PM Modi took a significant initiative by inviting group leaders to a retreat in Goa alongside the BRICS Summit.
This move underscored India's leadership in steering the grouping's agenda forward.
PM Modi's Neighbourhood First policy, Act East policy, MAHASAGAR vision and Vision for the Indo-Pacific, have also given the group the attention it needs, benefiting the member nations.
The BIMSTEC Summit serves as a crucial platform for fostering regional cooperation, bringing together leaders from India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Bhutan.
The focus remains on enhancing collaboration in areas such as connectivity, development, and regional economic integration while also striving to ensure shared growth and stability.
Over the years, India has actively worked towards strengthening BIMSTEC as a regional bloc. In 2019, PM Modi extended a special invitation to BIMSTEC leaders to attend his swearing-in ceremony, signalling India's commitment to deepening ties within the grouping.
More recently, in May 2024, BIMSTEC adopted its charter, marking a milestone in institutionalising the organisation. The adoption of the charter has given BIMSTEC an international personality, defined its guiding principles, and established its institutional architecture.
India has played a pivotal role in reinforcing BIMSTEC's institutional foundation. It appointed Indra Mani Pandey, a seasoned diplomat with extensive multilateral experience, as the Secretary-General, injecting new energy into the group's functioning. India has also committed $1 million to the BIMSTEC Secretariat to aid capacity building and institutional development.
Further advancing BIMSTEC's agenda, India hosted the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Meeting in July 2024 and an informal gathering of BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA in September 2024. These engagements have significantly expanded the group's scope of work.
Under India's leadership, BIMSTEC has been restructured into seven key sectors, each led by a different member nation.
India spearheads the Security pillar, focusing on creating a robust legal framework to combat terrorism, violent extremism, and transnational crimes. Other sectors include Trade, Investment, and Development (led by Bangladesh); Environment and Climate Change (Bhutan); Agriculture and Food Security (Myanmar); People-to-People Connectivity (Nepal); Science, Technology, and Innovation (Sri Lanka); and Physical Connectivity (Thailand).
Recognising the importance of connectivity, India has taken substantial steps to enhance physical, digital, and energy linkages within BIMSTEC. It hosts the BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluru, which plays a crucial role in coordinating regional power grid interconnections under PM Modi's 'One World, One Sun, One Grid' vision.
In addition, India has facilitated disaster management cooperation, a critical aspect given the region's vulnerability to natural calamities.
A testament to this commitment was India's swift response under 'Operation Brahma' to assist Myanmar after a catastrophic 7.7 magnitude earthquake.
India has also been instrumental in strengthening BIMSTEC's contribution to global sustainability efforts. It hosts the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate in Noida, which provides crucial meteorological data for disaster preparedness.
The country has consistently prioritised people-to-people engagement, cultural exchanges, and youth empowerment within BIMSTEC.
Several major initiatives have been launched in recent months, reinforcing India's proactive role in BIMSTEC. These include the BIMSTEC-India Marine Research Network, inaugurated in February 2024, and the BIMSTEC Aquatic Championship, held in New Delhi in the same month.
August 2024 saw the BIMSTEC Business Summit in Delhi, while the BIMSTEC Cultural Troupe participated in the Bali Jatra festival in Cuttack in November 2024.
Other events, such as the BIMSTEC Pavilion at the Surajkund Mela in February 2025, the BIMSTEC Youth Summit in Ahmedabad, and the BIMSTEC Youth-led Climate Change Conference in Delhi, underscore the growing engagement across multiple domains.
As PM Modi participates in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, his vision for the organisation, first outlined at the Goa Retreat in 2016, continues to shape its trajectory. Two key decisions made in Goa are being formally adopted at this Summit -- the BIMSTEC Vision 2030 document and the BIMSTEC Eminent Persons Group report.
With India's leadership at the forefront, BIMSTEC has evolved into a dynamic and action-oriented grouping, set to play an even greater role in regional cooperation and integration in the years to come.
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