BIMSTEC Adopts ‘Bangkok Vision 2030’ as India Unveils Ambitious Plan for Collective Growth

• The charter’s adoption has set up BIMSTEC’s institutional construction, defined its core values, and given it a global reputation.
• At the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok on April 4, 2025, Prime Minister Modi announced that India would establish BIMSTEC Centers of Excellence in Disaster Management, Sustainable Maritime Transport, Traditional Medicine, and Research and Training in Agriculture.
• In order to increase communication and interaction among member countries, the BIMSTEC Summit, with the theme ‘BIMSTEC: Prosperous, Resilient and Open,’ additionally endorsed the ‘Bangkok Vision 2030, a Maritime Transportation Agreement, and the Report of BIMSTEC Eminent Persons Group’.
• For India, BIMSTEC is therefore an embodiment of inclusive growth and collective security.”

INTRODUCTION 

Since its founding in 1997, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC, has greatly increased the pace of its operations, especially under India’s direction. Bringing together leaders from India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Bhutan, the BIMSTEC Summit is an essential forum for promoting regional cooperation. The group has regained momentum since PM Modi invited BIMSTEC leaders to a retreat in Goa during the 2016 BRICS Summit. BIMSTEC has been revitalized by India’s foreign policy initiatives, such as “Neighbourhood First, Act East, the MAHASAGAR vision, and the Indo-Pacific strategy”, which have opened up possibilities for increased regional cooperation. India’s commitment to strengthening ties within the grouping was demonstrated in 2019 when PM Modi invited BIMSTEC leaders to attend his swearing-in ceremony. The organization’s institutionalization reached a significant milestone in May 2024 when BIMSTEC adopted its charter. The charter’s adoption has set up BIMSTEC’s institutional construction, defined its core values, and given it a global reputation.

India has been essential in strengthening the institutional underpinnings of BIMSTEC. It gave the group a fresh beginning by appointing Indra Mani Pandey, a seasoned diplomat with an array of multilateral experience, as its Secretary-General. Additionally, India has pledged $1 million to support institutional development along with capacity building through the BIMSTEC Secretariat. India hosted the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in July 2024 and a private conference of BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers in New York during the UNGA in September 2024, both of which furthered the organization’s goals. The group’s work has been greatly broadened by these engagements.

At the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok on April 4, 2025, Prime Minister Modi announced that India would establish BIMSTEC Centers of Excellence in Disaster Management, Sustainable Maritime Transport, Traditional Medicine, and Research and Training in Agriculture. The Prime Minister emphasized that the Group has developed into a significant forum for regional coordination, cooperation, and advancement. He urged BIMSTEC’s agenda and capabilities to be further strengthened. 

In Bangkok, PM Modi paid a visit to the Wat Pho Buddhist temple. PM Modi complimented Prime Minister Shinawatra for the unique gesture of going to the temple with him in a social media post. Wat Pho also represents Thailand’s rich artistic and cultural legacy, he continued. He claimed that an ancient cultural connection between India and Thailand is also based on the doctrinal teachings of Lord Buddha.

ADOPTION OF BANGKOK VISION 2030 

Prime Minister Modi made a speech at the 6th BIMSTEC summit, which Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was attending. In this Summit, PM Modi was joined by Bangladesh chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, Bhutan Prime Minister Tsering Tobgay, and others at the BIMSTEC Summit, the first face-to-face gathering in seven years. At the Summit, the regional grouping’s chairmanship was transferred to Bangladesh.

To increase communication and interaction among member countries, the BIMSTEC Summit, with the theme “BIMSTEC: Prosperous, Resilient and Open,” additionally endorsed the “Bangkok Vision 2030, a Maritime Transportation Agreement, and the Report of BIMSTEC Eminent Persons Group”. The adoption of the Summit Declaration was also made by the BIMSTEC member nations. Between South and Southeast Asia, BIMSTEC acts as a bridge. The Prime Minister stated that it is becoming a powerful platform for creating new opportunities for regional cooperation, connectivity, and prosperity. “Our shared priority is a free, open, safe, and secure Indian Ocean,” the prime minister stated. PM Modi further claimed that the BIMSTEC coalition is a crucial platform for advancing global welfare and that the BIMSTEC countries must intensify and deepen their participation.

21-POINT ACTION PLAN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 4th April 2025, proposed a 21-point action plan covering different aspects of our cooperation and deepening engagement, as mentioned as follows:

1. BUSINESS
   • To improve communication among the group’s members, BIMSTEC countries will create and implement a BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce. 
   • PM Modi urges that the BIMSTEC Business Summit be held annually. PM Modi suggested conducting a thorough analysis of the viability of local currency trade in the BIMSTEC arena.
2. SECURITY AND SPACE
   • PM Modi praised the formalization of the Home Ministers Mechanism, emphasized the necessity of continuously enhancing the BIMSTEC grouping’s capabilities and reach, and offered to host its inaugural meeting in India. In the battle against terrorist activity, cybercrime, dangers to cybersecurity, and drug trafficking, as well as human trafficking, this forum can be very beneficial. The Prime Minister praised the Home Ministers Mechanism’s institutionalization and emphasized the necessity of continuously enhancing the BIMSTEC grouping’s capabilities and reach.
   • PM Modi promised to build nanosatellites for the BIMSTEC member countries, investigate the establishment of ground stations, and encourage the use of remote sensing data, building on India’s space sector advancements. This would be done by setting up ground stations for manpower training. 
3. ENERGY AND YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
   • PM Modi stated that the work on the BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluru has begun.
   • In this regard, the Electric grid interconnection is progressing more quickly. 
   • PM also further announced the launch of the BIMSTEC Hackathon and Young Professional Visitors program, as well as the upcoming BIMSTEC Young Leaders’ Summit, as ways to engage young people. 
   • PM later declared that India would host a BIMSTEC Athletics Meet this year for the region’s youth. 
   • There was a suggestion to hold the BIMSTEC Games in 2027 to mark the grouping’s 30th anniversary.
4. TRAINING AND CAPACITY-BUILDING
   • The BIMSTEC for Organised Development of Human Resource Infrastructure initiative (BODHI), which is part of Prime Minister Modi’s action plan, intends to train 300 young people from BIMSTEC nations annually in India. It is possible that BIMSTEC will serve as a model for capacity-building frameworks. According to Modi, we will all develop and learn from one another.
   • Likewise, PM Modi offered scholarships to BIMSTEC students at Nalanda University and the Forest Research Institute of India. 
   • An annual training program for BIMSTEC countries’ young diplomats. 
   • The Tata Memorial Center will assist BIMSTEC nations with cancer care training and capacity building.
   • PM Modi also recommended the creation of a Center of Excellence for traditional medicine research and dissemination, as well as a Center of Excellence in India for knowledge and best practice sharing, research, and infrastructure developing for farmers’ benefit. 
5. CONNECTIVITY AND CULTURE 
   • To improve coordination within capacity building, study, innovation, and maritime laws and regulations, PM Modi also suggested the creation of a Sustainable Maritime Transport Center in India. PM Modi claimed that the Maritime Transport Agreement, which was signed, would speed up trade and improve collaboration in merchant shipping and cargo transport. This center will concentrate on maritime policy coordination, research, innovation, and capacity building. Additionally, he said, it will foster collaboration in maritime security and policy making, increasing the Maritime Domain Awareness.  This would enhance India’s role as First Responder and Net Security Provider in the Indian Ocean Region. 
   • The plan calls for the BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival to take place in India this year. 
6. MITIGATION AND DIASASTER MANAGEMENT 
   • The Prime Minister began by expressing his sympathies for the people and property lost in Thailand and Myanmar as a result of the terrible earthquake that struck on March 28. The necessity of cooperation in disaster management is highlighted by the recent earthquake that struck Thailand and Myanmar. India’s prompt action under “Operation Brahma” to aid Myanmar following a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake served as evidence of this dedication. creating the Indian BIMSTEC Center for Excellence in Disaster Management. This center will collaborate on relief, rehabilitation, and disaster management. This year, India will host the fourth joint exercise between the BIMSTEC Disaster Management authorities. 
7. IT DEVELOPMENT 
   • As part of the plan, PM Modi also suggested conducting a pilot study to learn more about the requirements of BIMSTEC nations and exchange their experiences with Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). 
   • PM Modi also suggested connecting the payment systems in the BIMSTEC area to India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI). It is believed that the trade, industry, and tourism at all levels will benefit from this. 

CONCLUSION 

To enhance regional collaborations, BIMSTEC will sign several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with foreign entities such as the “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)”. Particularly in the areas of social development, economic expansion, and security, these accords will create new avenues for cooperation.

For India, BIMSTEC is, therefore, an embodiment of inclusive growth and collective security. In this sense, India’s leadership and influence over the group’s direction are reflected in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and policies, which are revitalizing the BIMSTEC. Under the leadership of India, BIMSTEC has developed into a vibrant, action-oriented organization that will likely play an even bigger part in regional integration and cooperation in the decades to come.

REFERENCES:

• _{BIMSTEC Summit: Prime Minister Modi announces several India-led initiatives towards capacity building. Akashvani. https://www.newsonair.gov.in/bimstec-summit-prime-minister-modi-announces-several-india-led-initiatives-towards-capacity-building/}
• _{ANI. (2025). PM Modi reaffirms India’s commitment to boosting cooperation in BIMSTEC region. The Print. https://theprint.in/world/pm-modi-reaffirms-indias-commitment-to-boosting-cooperation-in-bimstec-region/2577715/}
• _{Anonymous. (2025). PM Modi offers linking UPI with payment systems of BIMSTEC nations. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/prime-minister-narendra-modi-attends-sixth-bimstec-summit/article69411646.ece}
• _{News agent reporter. (2025). PM Modi unveils 21-point action plan at 6th BIMSTEC summit, strengthening regional cooperation. DD News. https://ddnews.gov.in/en/pm-modi-unveils-21-point-action-plan-at-6th-bimstec-summit-strengthening-regional-cooperation/}
• _{Kulkarni, Sagar. (2025). BIMSTEC Summit: PM Modi Proposes 21-Point Action Plan. Rediff.  https://money.rediff.com/news/market/bimstec-summit-pm-modi-proposes-21-point-action-plan/24642820250404}

Lakshmi Karlekar

Lakshmi Karlekar is a PhD Research Fellow at the Department of International Relations, Political Science and History at the CHRIST (Deemed to be) University, Bengaluru. Views expressed are the author’s own.