BIMSTEC

Also: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation

Definition

BIMSTEC is a regional grouping of seven countries around the Bay of Bengal: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Formed in 1997, it links South and Southeast Asia and has become India's preferred regional platform as SAARC has stalled.

Deep-dive lesson: India's Foreign Policy: Principles and Neighbourhood. This page is a quick reference that connects the term across subjects; read the lesson for the full treatment.

Summary card: BIMSTEC. Founded: 6 June 1997, Bangkok Declaration (as BIST-EC: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand). Myanmar joined in December 1997; Nepal and Bhutan in 2004. Present name adopted: 2004. Secretariat: Dhaka (since 2014). Charter: adopted at the 5th summit, Colombo, 2022; entered into force in 2024. Sectors reduced to seven, each led by a member; India leads security — Summary card © UPSCPrep.in

Background and evolution

BIMSTEC began as a sub-regional economic initiative, promoted by Thailand's "Look West" policy and India's "Look East" policy. It brought together countries that share the Bay of Bengal, home to about a fifth of the world's population. For many years it remained low profile, with infrequent summits and limited funding.

Its importance grew after 2016. When the SAARC summit in Islamabad was cancelled after the Uri attack, India invited BIMSTEC leaders to an outreach meeting with BRICS in Goa. BIMSTEC leaders were also invited to PM Modi's swearing-in in 2019. The Colombo summit of 2022 adopted a Charter giving the group legal personality, and the sixth summit in Bangkok in April 2025 adopted a long-term vision document.

Key features and provisions

Seven sectors after reorganisation: trade, investment and development (Bangladesh); environment and climate change (Bhutan); security, including counter-terrorism and energy (India); agriculture and food security (Myanmar); people-to-people contacts (Nepal); science, technology and innovation (Sri Lanka); connectivity (Thailand).
Master Plan for Transport Connectivity: adopted in 2022, with projects worth tens of billions of dollars.
Free trade area: a framework agreement signed in 2004; negotiations are still not complete.
Bridge between regions: five members are from South Asia and two from Southeast Asia.

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Last reviewed: 23 October 2026 · Original UPSCPrep.in content.