BIMSTEC has emerged as a strategically vital regional grouping bridging South and Southeast Asia, gaining renewed relevance as SAARC remains paralysed by bilateral tensions between its members.
BIMSTEC's membership — Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan — excludes Pakistan, making it less susceptible to the India-Pakistan deadlock that has stalled SAARC summits. Its geographic span connects the Bay of Bengal littoral, linking South Asia with mainland and peninsular Southeast Asia, unlike SAARC's purely South Asian composition.
BIMSTEC aligns with India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision, providing an institutional channel for connectivity projects such as the BIMSTEC Motor Vehicles Agreement and energy grid linkages. The Bay of Bengal, as a shared maritime commons, offers scope for blue economy cooperation, disaster management, and counter-terrorism frameworks.
The BIMSTEC Secretariat, established in Dhaka, remains under-resourced relative to ASEAN-level institutions. A comprehensive Free Trade Agreement has been under negotiation for over two decades without entering into force, reflecting divergent tariff sensitivities among members. The Chairmanship rotates among member states; no permanent chairmanship exists.
The Colombo Summit formalised a BIMSTEC Charter, giving the grouping a legally binding foundational document for the first time. This institutionalisation is a meaningful step toward converting summit-level commitments into operational outcomes.
BIMSTEC's value lies precisely in what SAARC cannot currently deliver — functional multilateralism across a strategically critical maritime region. Translating its institutional framework into enforceable trade and connectivity agreements remains the defining challenge ahead.
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