Vinod Bhat
New Delhi, 23rd March 26: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has reinforced India’s commitment to BIMSTEC reflecting its strategic vision of strengthening regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region as part of its “Neighbourhood First” and “Act East” policies.
India as a founding member, has consistently played a proactive role in advancing connectivity, trade facilitation, energy cooperation, and capacity building among member states. India’s support for institutional strengthening, including the BIMSTEC Secretariat, and its emphasis on inclusive growth, resilient supply chains, and sustainable development underscore its long-term commitment to making BIMSTEC a vibrant and effective regional grouping.
ASSOCHAM, as a founding member and India Secretariat of the BIMSTEC Business Council, under the aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, has revitalised the BIMSTEC Business Council India secretariat by launching the leadership of India for the BIMSTEC Business Council. ASSOCHAM’s commitment to BIMSTEC lies in institutional leadership, industry mobilization, and policy advocacy, making it a key driver in transforming BIMSTEC from a regional grouping into a vibrant economic partnership platform.
Tribhuvan Darbari, India Chair, BIMSTEC Business Council, said in his opening address, “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. From trade facilitation and logistics integration to MSME collaboration and digital innovation, there is strong potential to deepen regional value chains. ASSOCHAM will focus on creating a robust platform for industry-government engagement, enabling businesses to scale across borders and leverage emerging opportunities in manufacturing, services, and sustainable sectors.”
Nirmal K. Minda, President, ASSOCHAM, who joined the launch and in his address he put impetus on ASSOCHAM’s vision for BIMSTEC and emphasised its commitment to strengthening connectivity, empowering MSMEs, and unlocking new avenues for investment and innovation across member nations.
Furthermore, Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General, BIMSTEC, emphasised, “We need to create dependency regionally rather than depending on the global supply chains, whether in energy security, health security etc. We can deal with such challenges working together”
Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM, added, “This marks not just an institutional milestone, but a lasting commitment to businesses across seven nations. Our focus is on turning intent into action through robust industry–government collaboration.”
H.E. Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma, Ambassador of Nepal to India, Mr. Penday Dorji, Counsellor (Economic), Royal Bhutanese Embassy, New Delhi, Mrs. Thin Pyant Thida Kyaw, Deputy Chief of Mission/Minister Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, New Delhi, Mr. Geshan Dissanayake, Minister Counsellor (Commercial), The High Commission of Sri Lanka to India and Ms. Charoenporn Raksapolmuang (Counsellor), Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi, participated in the deliberations and shared their support to ASSOCHAM in BIMSTEC initiatives.
ASSOCHAM remains committed to supporting the formation of the BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce and Industry and will work closely with counterpart chambers across member countries to chart a forward-looking roadmap for regional cooperation. The roadmap unveiled under this initiative focuses on enhancing intra-regional trade and investment, accelerating multimodal connectivity, promoting MSME internationalisation, and advancing collaboration in key sectors such as fintech, agritech, renewable energy, and the blue economy—laying a strong foundation for deeper economic integration in the BIMSTEC region ahead of its 30-year milestone in 2027.
