BIMSTEC: The Bay of Bengal’s Rising Regional Power Bloc
“The Bay of Bengal is not just a body of water—it’s a bridge to prosperity, peace, and partnership.” — BIMSTEC Summit Declaration, 2022
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization comprising seven countries lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. Established in 1997, BIMSTEC seeks to harness shared resources, cultural linkages, and geographic proximity to advance economic integration, connectivity, and regional cooperation.
In a time when SAARC remains stalled due to geopolitical frictions, BIMSTEC has emerged as a more pragmatic and functional alternative. It connects two dynamic regions—South Asia and Southeast Asia—while enabling India to pursue Act East Policy and maritime diplomacy.
🌍 What is BIMSTEC?
- Full form: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
- Founded: June 6, 1997 as BIST-EC; renamed BIMSTEC in 2004
- Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand
- Combined population: 1.73 billion (~22% of global population)
- Combined GDP: $3.8 trillion (2023)
🕰️ Timeline of Key Developments
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1997 | BIST-EC formed (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand) |
| 1998 | Myanmar joins; renamed BIMST-EC |
| 2004 | Bhutan and Nepal join; renamed BIMSTEC |
| 2014 | BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat established in Dhaka |
| 2018 | 4th BIMSTEC Summit held in Kathmandu |
| 2022 | Charter of BIMSTEC signed, granting legal personality |
| 2023 | BIMSTEC Master Plan on Connectivity endorsed |
🎯 Key Objectives and Priority Sectors
- Promote economic growth and regional integration
- Enhance connectivity (land, air, sea, digital)
- Facilitate trade and investment
- Promote people-to-people contact
- Foster cooperation in security, energy, climate change, disaster management
Priority Sectors (7 Lead Sectors by Country):
| Country | Lead Sector |
|---|---|
| India | Security, Counter-Terrorism, Energy, Transport |
| Bangladesh | Trade and Investment |
| Bhutan | Environment and Climate Change |
| Nepal | People-to-People Contact |
| Myanmar | Agriculture |
| Sri Lanka | Science and Technology |
| Thailand | Connectivity and Tourism |
📊 Economic and Strategic Significance
- Represents a massive consumer and labor market
- Key for India’s Act East and Neighborhood First policies
- Reduces reliance on SAARC, especially amid India-Pakistan tensions
- Supports development of India’s North-East region through transit to ASEAN
- Facilitates Blue Economy and maritime security
- Promotes energy trade, including hydropower and renewable energy
🚦 Connectivity Initiatives
- BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity (2022–2030): 167 infrastructure projects
- Focus on multimodal connectivity: highways, ports, rail, air, and digital links
Projects include:
- India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway
- Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project
- Port linkages: Chattogram, Colombo, Chennai, Hambantota
🌐 Trade and Investment Framework
- BIMSTEC FTA negotiations underway since 2004
- Trade among members remains low: <7% intra-BIMSTEC trade
- Major trade partners: India, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
- Push for Trade Facilitation Agreement, e-commerce, and digital payment systems
🔐 Security Cooperation
- BIMSTEC Coastal Security Forum and annual meetings of NSAs
- Focus on counter-terrorism, cybercrime, maritime security, and trafficking
- Joint military exercises like MILEX-2018, coordinated HADR drills
- Collaborative info-sharing for disaster relief and early warning systems
🧭 India’s Role and Strategic Leverage
- India is a founding member and de facto leader of BIMSTEC
- Pushes maritime security under SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)
- Leads multiple sectors including security, energy, and transport
- Invests in capacity building, digital platforms, and academic exchanges
- Uses BIMSTEC as platform to engage Myanmar and Thailand beyond ASEAN
📈 Multidimensional Impact
💰 Economic:
- Potential to increase intra-regional trade by $50–60 billion annually
- Investments in logistics hubs, industrial corridors, and SEZs
- Infrastructure funding by ADB, JICA, India’s LOCs, World Bank
🛡️ Security:
- Stronger coastal surveillance, HADR capability, and joint exercises
- Enhances India’s naval diplomacy and maritime deterrence
🌱 Climate and Environment:
- Regional cooperation on disaster preparedness, carbon offsetting, and Himalayan ecology
- Common frameworks for sustainable fisheries and marine biodiversity
📚 People-to-People:
- Academic exchange programs, BIMSTEC scholarship schemes, language and heritage promotion
- Cultural festivals and Buddhist circuit development
🔍 Challenges and Criticism
- Lack of institutional capacity and legal enforcement
- Delays in FTA negotiations (over 15 years)
- Infrastructural bottlenecks and high logistics cost
- Myanmar’s political instability post-2021 coup
- Overlapping memberships with SAARC, ASEAN, IORA, etc.
🔮 Future Vision and Roadmap
- Full operationalisation of Master Plan on Connectivity by 2030
- Establishment of BIMSTEC Development Fund and BIMSTEC Energy Centre
- Finalisation of FTA with robust digital and services trade chapter
- Establish BIMSTEC University and Cultural Heritage Network
- Promote BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection for electricity trade
🏁 Conclusion: The Bay of Bengal Awakens
“BIMSTEC offers what SAARC could not—a pragmatic, cooperative, and forward-looking model.”
As the Indo-Pacific becomes the new geopolitical theatre, BIMSTEC’s role as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia is becoming more central. Its emphasis on connectivity, resilience, and regional solidarity aligns well with India’s vision of inclusive maritime regionalism. BIMSTEC is still evolving, but its potential is immense—if backed by political will, timely execution, and visionary leadership.
