Bangkok : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and policies are injecting dynamism into BIMSTEC as India's leadership and various policies have shaped the group. The BIMSTEC group relies on India's leadership to advance its agenda. With India leading, the PM's focus on the Neighbourhood First policy, Act East policy, MAHASAGAR vision, and Vision for the Indo-Pacific imparts added dynamism to the group. This convergence of policies enunciated by India creates new synergies and benefits for the member countries.
Under the PM's direction, BIMSTEC is strengthening its institutional anchoring. The BIMSTEC secretariat was established some time ago, but the organization's real institutional push came after its charter was adopted in May 2024. This has given it an international personality and established its guiding principles and basic institutional architecture.
India appointed Indra Mani Pandey, a diplomat with vast experience of multilateral work, as Secretary General. These developments have brought new energy, purpose, and action to the group's work. India has focused on institution and capacity building. It has granted USD 1 million to the BIMSTEC Secretariat for this purpose.
India hosted the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers Meeting in July 2024 and an Informal meeting of BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of UNGA in September 2024 in New York. Under India's leadership and direction, the BIMSTEC agenda has expanded manifold. The BIMSTEC area of work has been categorized into seven segments, with each country leading one--India leads the Security vertical. The other verticals are Trade, Investment and development (Bangladesh), Environment and Climate (Bhutan), Agriculture and Food Security (Myanmar), people-to-people (Nepal), Space and Technology and Innovation (Sri Lanka), and Connectivity (Thailand).
India leads the security pillar of BIMSTEC. It has worked to create a strong legal framework to fight terrorism, violent extremism and transnational crimes in the region India has placed special emphasis on enhancing connectivity--physical, digital, and energy. India hosts the BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluru. The Centre coordinates the work towards creating a BIMSTEC regional grid interconnection. This is in line with PM's 'One World, One Sun, One Grid' vision.
India is working to help BIMSTEC contribute to the global sustainability agenda. India hosts regular disaster management exercises among member countries. This aspect of the group's collaborative work has been highly resonant due to the region's vulnerability to natural disasters. India also hosts the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate in Noida.
Under India's leadership, BIMSTEC has seen a spurt in activities to promote people-to-people ties and foster regional integration. PM has placed a high priority on engaging the youth, promoting culture, and nurturing the environment. These aspects are being given due focus in BIMSTEC.
Some of the recent activities are: BIMSTEC Aquatic championship in February 2024 in Delhi, BIMSTEC Business Summit in August 2024 in Delhi, BIMSTEC Cultural troupe's participation in Bali Jatra in Cuttack in November 2024, BIMSTEC Pavilion in Surajkund Mela in February 2025, BIMSTEC Youth Summit in Ahmedabad in February 2025, BIMSTEC Youth led Climate Change Conference in Delhi in February 2025 and BIMSTEC- India Marine Research Network launched in February 2024.
PM's direction to BIMSTEC in Goa in 2016 continues to resonate and shape the group's agenda. Two of the Goa Retreat decisions are being unveiled in Bangkok: the adoption of the BIMSTEC Vision 2030 and the adoption of the BIMSTEC Eminent Persons Group report.
Even though BIMSTEC was founded in 1997, the real push to the grouping happened after 2016 when PM Modi took the special initiative to invite BIMSTEC countries for a Leaders' Retreat in Goa in 2016 on the side-lines of the BRICS Summit. Thereafter, he has given personal and special attention to nurturing and strengthening the grouping and, through it, regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region. In 2019, he invited the BIMSTEC leaders to his swearing-in ceremony.