India hosts BIMSTEC Youth Leadership Exchange Programme for regional cooperation

New Delhi [India], May 2 (ANI): India hosted a week-long BIMSTEC Youth Leadership Exchange Programme from April 25 to 30, bringing together more than 70 young leaders from the seven member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Ministry of External Affairs said.
According to a statement issued on Friday, the programme was organised by the MEA in association with Art Of Living in Bangalore, Karnataka and in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
The initiative was launched to implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok last year, aimed at strengthening youth exchanges across the Bay of Bengal region.
The MEA said the programme focused on "structured leadership development, exposure to regional issues and opportunities to co-create solutions." It added that participants were provided "an applied-learning and innovation-focused setting, enabling them to learn, experiment and co-create in a holistic and practical way."
The ministry said the initiative reflects India's commitment to strengthening sustainable regional cooperation in its neighbourhood and is expected to help " create a foundation for nurturing future-ready regional leaders."
According to the release, the programme emphasised integrating " inner well-being with leadership, systems thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and community engagement" as part of efforts to foster regional cooperation and leadership among youth across the BIMSTEC region.
Earlier in March, the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka, Bangladesh, welcomed ASSOCHAM's launch of the new chapter of India's leadership of the BIMSTEC Business Council, which marked an important step towards deepening intra-BIMSTEC trade and investment by enhancing business-to-business relations, a release said.
The new leadership has set a strategic agenda focused on three core pillars: Trade Facilitation, Multi-modal Connectivity, and MSME Cooperation. These priorities align closely with the BIMSTEC 'Bangkok Vision 2030, which seeks to transform the Bay of Bengal into a resilient, open and prosperous region.
Bangladesh, being the Lead member State for cooperation under BIMSTEC in the Trade, Investment and Development Sector, has a significant role in enhancing business-to-business exchanges and dialogues, the release said.
During the launch, BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey noted that business-to-business relations are important for enhancing intra-BIMSTEC trade and investment.
BIMSTEC Business Council India Chair Tribhuvan Darbari said BIMSTEC represents a USD 5 trillion opportunity. "The time is ripe to unlock this potential through deeper trade integration, stronger supply chains, and seamless connectivity. The real opportunity within BIMSTEC lies in converting policy alignment into business outcomes."
Meanwhile, in India, as part of the initiatives announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit to strengthen youth exchanges in BIMSTEC, the Ministry of External Affairs organised, in association with Bharat Scouts and Guides, the BIMSTEC Youth Heritage and Sustainability Immersion Programme from 17-23 March 2026 in the state of Madhya Pradesh, as per the statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. (ANI)