The Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has emerged as a prominent regional organization with increasing geopolitical and economic clout in the Indo-Pacific. The 2025 BIMSTEC Summit, recently held in Bangkok, Thailand, signaled potential shifts in regional cooperation strategies. Here, we argue that a paradigm shift is essential for BIMSTEC to evolve into a more effective regional body.

Using a theoretical framework based on Regional Integration Theory and Constructivism, we can explore key dimensions to demonstrate the urgency and direction of this much-needed transformation. The geopolitical landscape of South and Southeast Asia is rapidly evolving, necessitating a rethink on regional cooperation mechanisms. BIMSTEC, comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, was initially established to promote economic and technical cooperation.

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However, persistent institutional weaknesses and inconsistent political will have limited its potential. The 2025 BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok took place at a crucial time when member states were grappling with post-pandemic recovery, environmental crises, and significant geopolitical realignments. These include internal turmoil in Bangladesh and Myanmar on one hand, and on the other, the shadow of war between Russia and Ukraine, the unresolved Palestinian issue, and the resurgence of Donald Trump’s tariff-centric policies affecting global trade, all adding to a growing sense of a looming conflict narrative.

Against this backdrop, the 2025 summit provides a strategic opportunity to rethink and refra me BIMSTEC’s vision and functions. The need for a paradigm shift, therefore, is not merely notionally wishful but pragmatic and imperative, necessitated by the demands of a changing world. For any discussion to be meaningful, we link it to two theoretical perspectives: Regional Integration Theory and constructivism. RIT derived from the works of Ernst Haas and others, posits that economic interdependence leads to political cooperation, eventually fostering supranational institutions.

BIMSTEC’s evolution mirrors this trajectory as it gravitates increasingly from technical cooperation to broader political coordination. Constructivism, on the other hand, emphasizes the role of identities and shared values in international relations. The rise of cultural diplomacy and people-to people contact within BIMSTEC exemplifies this approach of shared history and prosperity. These theories thus help us understand BIMSTEC’s transformation. In 2025, BIMSTEC has assumed newfound significance due to several interrelated factors.

As SAARC remains paralyzed by Indo-Pak recrimination, BIMSTEC emerges as a promising alternative free from such bilateral impasse. Strategically located around the Bay of Bengal, the organization is poised to become a hub for regional trade and connectivity. The Bangkok Vision 2030, adopted during the 2025 Summit, articulated a shared roadmap that emphasized resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability, reaffirming the commitment to deeper integration. Natural disasters like the Myanmar-Thailand earthquake prompted calls for better-coordinated efforts towards disaster management. In response, India has proposed and subsequently established the BIMSTEC centre of excellence for disaster management.

Besides, under Prime Minister Modi’s stewardship, India has also proposed

i) the establishment of a sustainable maritime transport centre,

ii) a maritime agreement was also concluded to ensure a free, open, safe Indian Ocean,

iii) upskilling of the youth through BODHI initiative, and,

iv) establishment of a BIMSTEC chamber of commerce.

Through this flurry of initiatives, India wants to transform BIMSTEC as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia, thereby making it a linchpin in the Indo-Pacific regional order. India’s proactive role and Thai land’s centrality have made the group strategically relevant, especially as the global community increasingly views the IndoPacific as vital to global stability. The identification of priority areas like financial inclusion demonstrates a growing seriousness in institutional capacity-building.

The summit also signified a paradigm shift in how BIMSTEC seeks to upgrade and recalibrate regional cooperation. Departing from earlier declarations, the organization has embraced time-bound, actionable strategies across diverse areas such as maritime security, climate resilience, digital connectivity, and traditional medicine. Importantly, the inclusion of non-state actors ~ civil society, think tanks, private sector ~ reflects a move toward inclusive and participatory governance.

The organization is gradually transitioning from a realist, state centric model to a constructivist framework grounded in shared norms and collaborative policy-making. The issue of China’s absence from BIMSTEC remains central to debates on the organization’s future. While some view China’s exclusion as a missed opportunity for financial investment and connectivity, others argue that it provides BIMSTEC a unique chance to chart its own course, independent of hegemonic pressures.

By forging partnerships with Japan, the EU, and Gulf nations, BIMSTEC can maintain strategic autonomy while attracting alternative sources of investment. However, the re-emergence of President Trump’s protectionist economic policies introduces uncertainties. For BIMSTEC nations, many of which are export-dependent and rely on a stable global economic order, such policies could pose challenges.

However, these constraints also offer a silver lining in terms of a renewed quest to strengthen intra-regional trade, reduce overdependence on western markets, and cultivate self-reliance. To strengthen collaboration and coordination among BIMSTEC business communities, PM Modi has called for an annual BIMSTEC business summit. A critical theme at the 2025 summit was environmental sustainability. Rapid urbanization in cities like New Delhi, Dhaka, and Colombo has led to increased pollution and infrastructural stress.

The Green City initiative can be a panacea insofar as sustainable urban planning is concerned. The dual challenges are to decide the modus operandi to integrate renewable energy and eco-friendly architecture while promoting cultural connectivity as a soft power tool, reinforcing bonds through shared traditions, language, and heritage. These socio-cultural linkages, if institutionalized, can serve as the bedrock for regional solidarity. Economic rejuvenation remains a pressing priority. The pandemic and natural calamities have left economies fragile and fragmented.

BIMSTEC should take up appr – opriate action plans to revitalize growth by revamping its long-pending free trade area and investing in regional infrastructure. Streamlined trade procedures and integration of MSMEs into value chains can accelerate economic recovery. In this regard, special attention must be given to financial mechanisms and capacity-building initiatives to support smaller economies. Developmental disparities among member states continue to hinder progress.

Landlocked and resource-constrained countries like Nepal and Bhutan require targeted support. A dedicated BIMSTEC development fund could offer financial backing for critical projects, while educational exchanges and vocational training programs could help bridge skill gaps. Emphasizing asymmetrical responsibility would ensure equitable contributions based on capacity. Lastly, the simmering tension between Bangladesh and Myanmar, largely due to the unresolved Rohingya crisis, threatens to derail collective efforts. Without addressing this humanitarian concern, trust and transparency within the organization will remain fragile.

Similarly, the controversial presence of Myanmar’s military leader underscored the delicate balance between pragmatism and diplomacy. The leadership handover from Thailand to Bangladesh also highlighted the importance of equitable representation in the organization’s leadership structure. With structured dialogue and active civil society engagement, BIMSTEC has to fulfill its mission and affirm its credibility. The 2025 summit marks a critical turning point in the evolution of the organization. It illuminated both the latent potential and persistent limitations of regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region.

While the Bangkok Vision 2030 and new areas of collaboration signaled a renewed commitment, the implementation gap remains a core concern. Drawing upon regional integration theory and constructivism, we can say that the progress of BIMSTEC is fair, although it must transition from a state-centric, declaration-oriented approach to a more inclusive, norm-driven, and action based framework. Such a transformation requires greater involvement of academia and private stakeholders, as well as the institutionalization of mechanisms for conflict resolution, equitable development, and environmental sustainability.

To move forward, BIMSTEC must not only navigate the complex geopolitical environment marked by great power competition, economic uncertainty, and regional tensions but also build internal cohesion based on shared values, mutual respect, trust, transparency, and strategic interdependence. Only through this multidimensional paradigm shift can BIMSTEC emerge as a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready regional architecture capable of addressing 21st-century challenges.

The writers are, respectively, Head, Department of Political Science, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Purulia, and Assistant Professor, Dept. of History, City College, Kolkata