Mumbai, April 7 -- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took part in the 6th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit held on 4 April 2025, hosted by Thailand-the current chair of the grouping. The Summit's theme, "BIMSTEC: Prosperous, Resilient and Open", underscored the shared aspirations of member nations and the vision for inclusive growth amidst global uncertainties.

Opening his address by extending condolences over the tragic loss of lives in the recent earthquake affecting Myanmar and Thailand, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin for his leadership. He highlighted BIMSTEC's strategic role as a vital bridge between South and Southeast Asia and stressed the need to enhance the organisation's agenda and institutional capacity.

Several India-led initiatives were announced to strengthen regional cooperation. These include the establishment of BIMSTEC Centres of Excellence in India focused on Disaster Management, Sustainable Maritime Transport, Traditional Medicine, and Agricultural Research and Training. A new human resource initiative-BODHI (BIMSTEC for Organised Development of Human Resource Infrastructure)-was also launched to offer training and scholarships across sectors.

Further, Prime Minister Modi proposed a pilot study to identify regional needs for Digital Public Infrastructure and a capacity-building programme for cancer care. To boost economic integration, India offered to set up a BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce and host an annual BIMSTEC Business Summit.

On the cultural front, he announced India's plans to host a BIMSTEC Athletics Meet this year, the inaugural BIMSTEC Games in 2027 to mark the grouping's 30th anniversary, and a Traditional Music Festival. Initiatives to engage the youth include a Young Leaders' Summit, a Hackathon, and a Young Professional Visitors Programme.

The Summit concluded with the adoption of several key documents:

Summit Declaration

BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030, outlining the roadmap for collective prosperity BIMSTEC Maritime Transport Agreement, enabling closer maritime cooperation Report of the BIMSTEC Eminent Persons Group, offering strategic recommendations for the future of the grouping.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.