Don't miss the Bimstec bus

More intensive economic integration with countries in the seven-member bloc will enable India to cash in on the abundantly available opportunities

The swearing-in of the Narendra Modi government for its second term had a distinctive guest list comprising leaders from Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec). Bimstec, which comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, is a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia. Looking beyond the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) and engaging with Bimstec has been a cornerstone of India’s policy shift.

The two Southeast Asian countries in Bimstec, Myanmar and Thailand, have a crucial place in India’s ambitious connectivity plans for the north-eastern region. An India-Myanmar-Thailand highway — the