Can BIMSTEC replace SAARC? Can India isolate Pakistan in Southeast Asia after Yunus-Modi Talks?

How important is the BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, for India and the countries in southeast Asia? 

Can the seven-member bloc replace the SAARC, or the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation?

Can India assert itself in the region politically and economically through the group?

Why is BIMSTEC important for India?

The importance of the BIMSTEC for India can be gauged by the fact that New Delhi boycotted the SAARC Summit 2016 in the wake of the Uri attack. Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Bangladesh followed New Delhi. Consequently, the SAARC, once dubbed as the EU of South Asia, was suspended, and its activities came to a screeching halt for all practical purposes. 

India tried to consolidate the group founded in 1997. Narendra Modi invited heads of state of all member states for his swearing-in ceremony in 2019. 

Geostrategic significance of BIMSTEC

The seven-member bloc has geostrategic significance for India as it occupies a vast tract of land from the Himalayas in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south. About 21% of the world's population lives in this region. 

BIMSTEC syncs well with the Act East and Neighbourhood First policies of India, besides its geostrategic interests in the region. New Delhi granted $1 million to the BIMSTEC Secretariat for capacity building. It hosted the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers Meeting in July 2024 and an informal meeting of BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York last year. 

BIMSTEC: Equal partnership

In an attempt to take every member on board with equal importance so that no one feels ignored, BIMSTEC's work has been split into seven categories, with each member taking the responsibility of one category. 

Two days after US President Donald Trump announced a reciprocal tariff policy, BIMSTEC Secretary-General Indra Mani Pandey announced at the 6th summit, being held in Bangkok, that a roadmap to a regional free trade agreement would be part of the Bangkok Vision 2030. 

BIMSTEC FTA

The FTA roadmap will be accompanied by a maritime transport cooperation agreement between the member states. The maritime connectivity is immensely important because the Bay of Bengal is predominantly a maritime region with all countries, except Bhutan and Nepal, having access to the waters of the Indian Ocean.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out a 21-point action plan at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. It contains a number of initiatives from energy centre to electric grid integration, from BIMSTEC Games to Maritime Transport System. 

BIMSTEC action plan

Analysts point out that a study of the 21-point action plan can show that the plan is to bring the seven-member group as par with the SARRC. 

Though the details of the Yunus-Modi talks have not been shared, it is believed that the talks may start a new phase of cooperation in the seven-member bloc. 

If Bangladesh finds the grouping beneficial and inches towards New Delhi, it may herald a new phase of cooperation. India can use BIMSTEC to isolate Pakistan in southeast Asia. 

Can India develop BIMSTEC in a way to replace the SAARC?