Reinvigorating BIMSTEC
India’s Leadership and the Promise of Regional Renaissance
Ritesh Kumar
T
he sixth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit held in Bangkok on 4 April 2025 heralded a new chapter for the initiative. With Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiling a 21-point action plan, India has firmly reasserted itself as the principal architect of BIMSTEC’s future—moving the organisation from perennial underachievement toward pragmatic multilateralism rooted in shared prosperity and collective security.
BIMSTEC: A Forum in Search of Momentum
Founded in 1997, BIMSTEC comprises seven countries: India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand. Despite its geopolitical relevance—connecting South and Southeast Asia, representing 1.7 billion people and a combined GDP of over US $5 trillion—the grouping has remained largely dormant, with only five summit-level meetings until now.
The Bangkok Summit was therefore a critical moment. For the first time in over a decade, BIMSTEC is witnessing structured reform, multilateral enthu-siasm, and a tangible roadmap. India’s 21-point proposal and the adoption of the BIMSTEC Bangkok Declaration, alongside new agreements on maritime transport cooperation and partnerships with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), aim to overhaul the forum’s mandate, purpose, and global standing.
India’s Strategic Repositioning
India’s active role in revitalising
BIMSTEC is not incidental—it is strategic. With the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) rendered ineffectual due to Indo-Pak hostilities, BIMSTEC has become India’s preferred vehicle for regional cooperation. Since hosting the BIMSTEC Outreach Summit in Goa (2016), India has steadily positioned itself as a “natural leader” within the group, spearheading key initiatives and now leading the Security pillar (comprising counter-terrorism, disaster management, and energy security).
Prime Minister Modi’s Bangkok address reaffirmed India’s commitment to collective regionalism, pivoting BIMSTEC away from symbolic meetings to institutional and actionable goals. His proposals span across security, digital connectivity, trade, climate resilience, maritime governance, and youth empowerment—a holistic framework reflective of India’s civilisational ethos and developmental diplomacy.
Unpacking the 21-Point Action Plan
1. Institutionalisation of BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Mechanism: India proposed hosting the first meeting of the BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ mechanism to address common security threats. This will strengthen cooperation on cybercrime, terrorism, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, thereby enhancing regional security frameworks.
2. Operationalisation of
BIMSTEC Energy Centre (Bengaluru): The BIMSTEC Energy Centre will serve as a hub for collaboration on renewable energy, grid interconnection, and power security across the region.
3. Electric Grid Interconnection Across the Region: India called for accelerating efforts to interconnect electric grids among member states. This step is crucial for energy security, facilitating cross-border electricity trade and reducing energy costs through shared infrastructure.
4. Sharing India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): India offered to share its DPI model with BIMSTEC members through a pilot study. The DPI, which enabled India’s fintech and e-governance revolution, could assist member countries in delivering transparent, inclusive, and tech-enabled public services.
5. UPI-Linkage with
BIMSTEC Countries: India proposed connecting its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the payment systems of member states. This will facilitate smoother cross-border transactions, boost regional trade, and expand financial inclusion.
6. Establishment of
BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce: India recommended setting up a BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce to enhance private sector collaboration. It will create a unified platform for business leaders to drive investment, entrepreneurship, and intra-regional trade.
7. Annual BIMSTEC Business Summit: An annual business summit will be hosted to deepen trade relationships and economic integration. This event will act as a catalyst for regional networking, partnerships, and policy dialogue.
8. Feasibility Study on Trade in Local Currencies: India suggested a feasibility study on promoting trade in local currencies. This will help reduce dependence on external currencies, strengthen monetary sovereignty, and stabilise regional trade during global economic volatility.
9. BIMSTEC Maritime Transport Agreement: The Maritime Transport Agreement signed at the summit aims to boost shipping and logistics. It will improve sea connectivity, reduce freight costs, and support blue economy initiatives in the Bay of Bengal.
10. Establishment of Sustainable Maritime Transport Centre: India proposed creating a centre for sustainable maritime transport to promote capacity building and innovation. This initiative will also bolster maritime security, environmental resilience, and policy coordination across BIMSTEC nations.
11. BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence for Disaster Management: A new Centre of Excellence will be set up in India to build disaster preparedness and response capacity. Given the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters, it will enable coordinated early warning systems and emergency relief mechanisms.
12. Fourth Joint Exercise on Disaster Management:
India will host the fourth joint disaster management exercise later this year. These simulations strengthen institutional readiness and foster interoperability among emergency response teams.
13. Cancer Care Training and Capacity Building: India will offer training support for cancer care to BIMSTEC nations. This initiative promotes public health collaboration and addresses the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in the region.
14. Centre of Excellence for Traditional Medicine: A centre will be established in India to promote research and knowledge exchange in traditional medicine. It will preserve indigenous healing systems while contributing to affordable, holistic healthcare.
15. Centre of Excellence in Agriculture: India proposed a Centre of Excellence focused on agriculture and food security. It will support climate-resilient farming, knowledge transfer, and capacity building for sustainable agricultural practices.
16. BIMSTEC Space Cooperation (Nano-Satellites & Remote Sensing): India offered to develop and launch nano-satellites and share remote sensing data. This will empower member countries in areas such as agriculture, weather forecasting, disaster response, and resource mapping.
17. Training Ground Station for Space Cooperation: A ground station for training personnel in space technology will be set up. This capacity-building initiative reflects India’s commitment to sharing its space expertise with the Global South.
18. Launch of the BODHI Initiative (Human Resource Infrastructure): The BODHI (BIMSTEC for Organised Development of Human Resource Infrastructure) programme will train 300 youth from member states annually. It promotes skill development, employment, and youth mobility across borders.
19. Expansion of BIMSTEC Scholarships (Nalanda & Forestry Institute): India will expand scholarships at Nalanda University and the Forestry Research Institute. This academic collaboration deepens people-to-people ties and empowers future regional leaders.
20. BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival: India will host the first BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival to celebrate cultural bonds. It showcases the region’s shared heritage and fosters soft power diplomacy through cultural exchange.
21. BIMSTEC Young Leaders’ Summit, Hackathon, and BIMSTEC Games: A series of youth-centric events will be organised—Young Leaders’ Summit, Hackathon, and BIMSTEC Games by 2027. These platforms aim to harness youth innovation, leadership, and sportsmanship to build a future-oriented
BIMSTEC identity.
This 21-point action plan represents a bold vision for a revitalised BIMSTEC, driven by India’s leadership, capacity - building, and development diplomacy. If implemented with sincerity and inclusivity, it could transform BIMSTEC into a model of regional cooperation, resilience, and renaissance in the Bay of Bengal and beyond.
Institutional Backbone and Functional Realities
While the Permanent Secretariat in Dhaka, established in 2014, has facilitated administrative continuity, India’s proactive hosting of thematic centres—such as the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate in Noida and the BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluru—underscores its role as an institutional backbone of the grouping.
However, challenges persist: coordination fatigue, bureaucratic hurdles, and divergent national priorities can still slow down implementation. India must therefore not only propose but also fund and monitor the execution of its initiatives, ensuring smaller states feel ownership and equal partnership in BIMSTEC’s evolution.
The Bangkok Summit may well go down as BIMSTEC’s renaissance moment. It demonstrated not just the resilience of regionalism, but the emergence of India as a credible leader capable of galvanising fragmented forums into functional frameworks.
Prime Minister Modi’s 21-point action plan reflects a nuanced understanding of regional needs—bridging developmental asymmetries, technological divides, and institutional gaps. More than that, it redefines BIMSTEC as a model for South-South cooperation, anchored in shared heritage and collective futures.
By placing “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas” at the heart of his speech, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi reaffirmed a simple yet powerful message in the complex world of international relations. It is not only economic weight but moral clarity and consistent commitment that shape regional destinies.
If the momentum generated in Bangkok is sustained through political resolve, financial commitment, and institutional cooperation, BIMSTEC can transform from a long-dormant acronym to an action-oriented alliance—with India leading the way.
(The author is Correspondent of an international multi-media platform. Feedback can be sent to feedback.employmentnews@gmail.com. Views expressed are personal.)