What BIMSTEC does

BIMSTEC (the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising seven member states: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Founded through the Bangkok Declaration on 06 June 1997 and originally known as BIST-EC, the grouping expanded to its current seven-state membership by July 2004 and was renamed BIMSTEC at its First Summit on 31 July 2004. It represents roughly 1.7 billion people (about 22% of the global population) and a combined GDP of nearly $5 trillion, positioning itself as the only multilateral framework bridging South Asia and Southeast Asia around the Bay of Bengal.

BIMSTEC's "product" is a coordinated cooperation platform rather than commercial technology. Its work is organised around seven sectoral pillars, each led by a designated member state: Trade, Investment and Development (Bangladesh, including Blue Economy); Environment and Climate Change (Bhutan, including Mountain Economy); Security (India, including counter-terrorism, transnational crime, disaster management, and energy); Agriculture and Food Security (Myanmar); People-to-People Contact (Nepal); Science, Technology and Innovation (Sri Lanka); and Connectivity (Thailand). Technical delivery is supported by four specialised centres - the BIMSTEC Energy Centre, the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate, the BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory, and the BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility - alongside the BIMSTEC Network of Policy Think Tanks (BNPTT) as a knowledge arm. The BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka, established in 2014, serves as the institutional hub, with a Secretary General (currently Indra Mani Pandey) coordinating across National Focal Points in each member state. The legal foundation is the BIMSTEC Charter, signed at the Fifth Summit on 30 March 2022.

BIMSTEC does not generate commercial revenue and does not sell products or services. Its funding model consists of assessed and voluntary contributions from the seven member states, disbursed through the Secretariat and partner-supported programmes delivered via National Focal Points and external partners such as the Asian Development Bank, IFPRI, IORA, and UNODC. Outputs are diplomatic and policy in nature: summit declarations, ministerial joint statements, conventions, MoUs, and thematic initiatives such as the AML/CFT Work Plan (2026-2028) and youth leadership and heritage programmes run in partnership with India's Ministry of External Affairs and civil-society organisations.

Name

BIMSTEC

Legal name

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)

Website

https://bimstec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BIMSTEC is a regional intergovernmental organization of seven Bay of Bengal countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) that coordinates sectoral cooperation across trade, security, climate, agriculture, connectivity, science and people-to-people contact via a Secretariat in Dhaka.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BIMSTEC is a regional intergovernmental organization that facilitates multi-sectoral technical and economic cooperation among seven Bay of Bengal member states across trade, investment, environment, security, agriculture, people-to-people contact, science and innovation, and connectivity. It coordinates work through sectoral lead countries, four specialized centres, ministerial meetings, summits, and a permanent Secretariat that issues declarations, agreements, and joint statements binding member states to shared regional initiatives.

Product overview

BIMSTEC operates as a regional organization with a platform of specialized centres and institutional mechanisms rather than a unified product or technology platform. The organization structures its work through seven thematic sectors led by respective member states: Trade, Investment and Development (led by Bangladesh, including Blue Economy); Environment & Climate Change (led by Bhutan, including Mountain Economy); Security (led by India, including Counter-Terrorism, Transnational Crime, Disaster Management, Energy); Agriculture and Food Security (led by Myanmar, including Agriculture, Fisheries & Livestock); People-to-People Contact (led by Nepal, including Culture, Tourism, Poverty Alleviation); Science, Technology & Innovation (led by Sri Lanka, including Technology, Health, Human Resource Development); and Connectivity (led by Thailand). The organization also operates four specialized centres: the BIMSTEC Energy Centre, BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate, BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory, and BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility, which serve as technical arms for sectoral cooperation. The BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka serves as the institutional hub for coordination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BIMSTEC Energy Centre A specialized centre focused on energy cooperation among BIMSTEC member states, supporting regional energy security and development initiatives.
• BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate A centre dedicated to weather and climate monitoring and cooperation across the Bay of Bengal region, supporting disaster management and climate resilience.
• BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory A centre focused on promoting cultural industries cooperation and research among member states to enhance the cultural economy of the Bay of Bengal region.
• BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility A facility designed to facilitate technology transfer and innovation cooperation among BIMSTEC member states to promote regional technological advancement.
• BIMSTEC Secretariat The permanent secretariat established in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2014 following the Third BIMSTEC Summit, providing an institutionalized framework for deepening and enhancing regional cooperation.

Quantifiable outcome

• The 5th meeting of BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs endorsed guiding principles on maritime law enforcement and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief operations among member states.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered program partner, supporting partner, regional partner and knowledge partner.

• Art Of Livingprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2026Art Of Living partnered with India's Ministry of External Affairs to organize the BIMSTEC Youth Leadership Exchange Programme from April 25-30, 2026, focusing on leadership development, regional cooperation, and community engagement among youth from member nations.
• Bharat Scouts and Guidesprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Partnered with India's Ministry of External Affairs to organize the BIMSTEC Youth Heritage and Sustainability Immersion Programme from March 17-23, 2026, in Madhya Pradesh, focusing on cultural heritage and environmental leadership aligned with Prime Minister Modi's Mission LiFE initiative.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)supporting partnerOthersADB works with BIMSTEC as an external development partner, providing support for regional cooperation initiatives and development programs.
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)supporting partnerOthersIFPRI collaborates with BIMSTEC on agricultural and food security research initiatives within the member states.
• Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)regional partnerOthersBIMSTEC maintains external partnership relations with IORA, another regional organization focused on the Indian Ocean region.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)supporting partnerOthersUNODC partners with BIMSTEC on combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and other transnational crimes. BIMSTEC has an MoU with UNODC for capacity building in these areas.
• BIMSTEC Network of Policy Think Tanks (BNPTT)knowledge partnerOthersA network connecting policy think tanks from member states to foster research and knowledge sharing for regional cooperation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Regional intergovernmental organization of six Gulf states focused on economic, security, and regulatory cooperation. Comparable to BIMSTEC as a regional grouping with a permanent secretariat and sectoral bodies, though focused on a different geography (Gulf rather than Bay of Bengal).
• Mekong River Commission (MRC): Intergovernmental river basin organization for the Mekong region (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, with China and Myanmar as dialogue partners). Comparable to BIMSTEC in being a regional cooperation mechanism focused on shared resources, climate resilience, and connectivity, with overlapping membership (Thailand, Myanmar).
• Pacific Islands Forum (PIF): Regional intergovernmental organization of Pacific Island states. Comparable to BIMSTEC as a regional cooperation forum with thematic working groups, a permanent secretariat, and consensus-based decision making, but serves a very different geographic constituency.

Direct peers

• SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation): Regional intergovernmental organization of South Asian states (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka). Most directly comparable to BIMSTEC in mandate, sectoral structure, and consensus-based decision making, and overlaps in five of BIMSTEC's seven member states.
• Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA): Intergovernmental forum围绕印度洋的23个对话伙伴国BIMSTEC itself names IORA as a regional partner. Operates across overlapping themes (trade, fisheries, disaster risk, maritime security) and serves a similar Bay-of-Bengal / Indian Ocean constituency, making it a direct peer in scope and operating model.
• ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations): Regional intergovernmental organization of ten Southeast Asian states. Comparable to BIMSTEC as a sectoral cooperation platform covering trade, security, connectivity, and socio-cultural engagement, with a stronger institutional secretariat in Jakarta and overlapping membership with three BIMSTEC countries (Myanmar, Thailand, plus India as a dialogue partner).

Broad incumbents

• African Union (AU): Continental intergovernmental organization of 55 African Union member states. Comparable to BIMSTEC as a regional cooperation body with a charter, permanent secretariat, sectoral councils, and consensus decision making, but operates at a much larger scale with a richer institutional architecture.
• APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation): Larger Asia-Pacific regional economic cooperation forum of 21 economies. Comparable to BIMSTEC's trade, investment, and connectivity agenda, with overlapping membership (India, Thailand, Bangladesh is not a member but participates regionally). APEC is a broader incumbent with far deeper resources and a wider remit.
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): Larger Eurasian intergovernmental organization focused on security, economic, and cultural cooperation. Comparable to BIMSTEC in intergovernmental mandate and sectoral approach, but much broader in membership (10 states), deeper institutional footprint, and stronger security framing, with India as an overlapping member.

Emerging players

• Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Project (BOBLME): UNEP/GEF-funded regional project coordinating marine and coastal management in the Bay of Bengal. Comparable to BIMSTEC in thematic focus on Bay of Bengal regional cooperation, but operates as a project-based technical initiative rather than a treaty-based intergovernmental organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BimstecInDhaka
• Facebookfacebook.com/BimstecInDhaka
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bimstec-secretariat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about BIMSTEC