OPINION | India Must Focus On Raising BIMSTEC Profile

As New Delhi remains unreceptive to calls from other members to reconvene the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the India-promoted Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has launched an important initiative: its first-ever maritime security exercise. The exercise could help build trust and confidence among member countries and strengthen belief in BIMSTEC’s ability to deliver practical cooperation in economic, trade and security matters. Yet despite its promise, the organisation has not clearly established that it can outperform SAARC or fulfil the regional aspirations that its members and people expect.

BIMSTEC’s Growing Role Amid SAARC’s Stagnation

Headquartered in Dhaka and currently led by Indian diplomat Indramani Pandey, BIMSTEC comprises India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bhutan and Thailand. It includes several SAARC members but excludes Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Maldives. Thailand hosted the organisation’s sixth leaders’ summit in April 2025.

Although BIMSTEC has existed for nearly 29 years, it has held only six leaders’ summits, suggesting that its members have not consistently prioritised its development as a powerful regional grouping. BIMSTEC remains overshadowed by SAARC, which has not convened a summit since 2014; and just as SAARC has fallen short of public expectations, BIMSTEC has yet to inspire comparable confidence or enthusiasm.

Held from 30 October to 3 November 2026, the inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise brought together the security forces of member countries and marked a significant step towards closer maritime cooperation. It reaffirmed the members’ shared commitment to security, stability and prosperity in the Bay of Bengal.

If sustained through regular joint initiatives and stronger political engagement, the exercise could provide a foundation for deeper cooperation and help BIMSTEC demonstrate its practical value to the region.

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First Maritime Security Exercise Focuses On Shared Seas

The 2025 Bangkok Summit adopted the theme “Translating Vision into Action: Shared Seas, Shared Security and Shared Prosperity.” Building upon the outcomes , the 6th BIMSTEC Summit,  offered a practical framework for strengthening maritime cooperation and operational links among member states. It reflected their shared resolve to advance collaboration on common maritime priorities and reinforce regional security mechanisms.

The Bay of Bengal is a vital maritime region linking South and Southeast Asia and supporting trade, connectivity, energy security and economic growth. The exercise seeks to improve interoperability, maritime domain awareness and coordination, while encouraging the exchange of best practices among BIMSTEC members.

The exercise also underscored the strategic importance of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), India’s first integrated tri-service command. Located near critical sea lanes, the ANC contributes to regional maritime security through surveillance, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, search and rescue, and regional engagement.

By participating in this inaugural exercise, BIMSTEC members reaffirm their commitment to a secure, open and inclusive maritime domain. The initiative embodies the principle of “Shared Seas, Shared Security and Shared Prosperity” and demonstrates regional solidarity in support of peace, stability and sustainable development.

As BIMSTEC continues discussions on a Free Trade Area agreement, its members have already signed a Maritime Transport Cooperation Agreement to strengthen transport connectivity across the region and facilitate the movement of goods and services. BIMSTEC’s first maritime security exercise is intended to build confidence in the safe movement of goods across the Bay of Bengal, including between Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India. It could also improve access to ports in neighbouring coastal states for landlocked members. Founded in 1997 as BIST-EC by Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, the organisation now has seven members and is known as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.

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Political Differences Remain A Challenge

Despite political differences among its members, BIMSTEC has expanded its cooperation agenda through its first home ministers’ meeting and a security dialogue among national security advisers. However, tensions—particularly between India and Bangladesh—could hinder efforts to establish the group as a model of regional cooperation. Although Bangladesh has called for SAARC’s revival, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s strong statements on BIMSTEC’s relevance also signal his commitment to strengthening the organisation.

At a United Nations conference in Bangkok in late October, Bhutanese official Sonam Namgyel highlighted BIMSTEC’s role and importance, proposing that regional cooperation be understood through a connected “mountains–rivers–coasts–ocean continuum.” This perspective underscores how the region’s shared geography links inland communities with coastlines and the Bay of Bengal, creating opportunities for collaboration across borders and sectors.

Speaking on 26 June at the celebration of the 29th BIMSTEC Day, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stressed the grouping’s strategic importance. He noted that the Bay of Bengal region is home to nearly a quarter of the world’s population and has considerable potential in trade, connectivity, energy, technology, maritime cooperation, and the blue economy. Amid global transformation, he said, BIMSTEC can become a strong regional voice for the people of South and Southeast Asia. Rahman also emphasized the region’s deep historical and cultural ties, shaped by centuries of interaction across the Bay of Bengal, and argued that stronger people-to-people connections—through education, tourism, cultural exchange, youth engagement, and academic collaboration—are essential to building lasting regional solidarity.

Bangladesh, which hosts the BIMSTEC Secretariat, has a strong interest in the successful development of this regional organisation, whose member states together represent nearly one-fifth of humanity. Amid growing geopolitical uncertainty, BIMSTEC offers its members an opportunity to cooperate, share resources and address common challenges. By working together, the countries can advance prosperity while tackling poverty, unemployment and social instability. As cooperation within SAARC has been undermined by Pakistan’s policies and continued support to terrorism, BIMSTEC deserves renewed attention as a practical alternative for regional collaboration. International institutions such as the IMF and World Bank, as well as major powers, should support its development.

India Has A Key Role In BIMSTEC’s Future

India can help strengthen BIMSTEC and raise it’s profile through sustained, focused engagement with its neighbours. Recent initiatives, including the maritime security exercise that brought member states together around the Bay of Bengal, demonstrate the value of practical cooperation. Such efforts should be expanded and pursued consistently, enabling countries to build trust, improve coordination and respond more effectively to shared regional concerns.

As an economic and technological power, India has an important responsibility to share its expertise and support the development of both smaller and larger member states. This cooperation should serve not only India’s interests but also the collective progress of the region. With sustained commitment from its members and meaningful support from the wider international community, BIMSTEC can help improve the lives of nearly one-fifth of humanity and establish the region as a global example of inclusive development.

(Ranjit Kumar is a senior journalist and strategic affairs analyst)