Bangkok: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday presented a comprehensive 21-point action plan during the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, laying out an ambitious road map for cooperation across diverse sectors.
His proposals reflect India’s leadership in revitalising BIMSTEC, aligning with the ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ policies, and dovetailing into India’s broader Indo-Pacific vision.
Sharing his vision on X, PM Modi stated, “BIMSTEC is an important forum to further global good. It is imperative we strengthen it and deepen our engagement. In this context, I proposed a 21-point action plan covering different aspects of our cooperation.”
Emphasising the need for economic integration, PM Modi proposed the establishment of a BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce, an annual BIMSTEC Business Summit, and a feasibility study on conducting trade in local currencies.
“It’s time to boost business across BIMSTEC nations!” he wrote. Focussing on digital transformation, he urged the group to harness the potential of the IT sector and promote technological strength. He called for a pilot study to assess the needs of BIMSTEC nations for sharing India’s Digital Public Infrastructure experience, along with the integration of India’s UPI with regional payment systems.
Referring to the recent earthquake that impacted Myanmar and Thailand, PM Modi highlighted the importance of regional cooperation in disaster preparedness and response. He announced the establishment of a BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence for Disaster Management in India and informed that the fourth joint disaster management exercise will be hosted by India later this year. He also stressed upon the need to strengthen cooperation in the space and security sectors.
Proposals included the first Home Ministers’ meeting to be held in India, training through ground stations, manufacturing and launching of nano-satellites, and use of remote sensing data for regional planning and development.
In the realm of training and capacity building, PM Modi said, “BIMSTEC has the potential to be a shining example of capacity building frameworks. We will all learn from each other and grow!”
He announced the BODHI (BIMSTEC for Organised Development of Human Resource Infrastructure) initiative, under which 300 youths from BIMSTEC nations would be trained annually in India. Scholarships for BIMSTEC students at Forest Research Institute and Nalanda University were also announced. (IANS)
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