BIMSTEC Exercise Strengthens Bay of Bengal Maritime Cooperation
New Delhi, October 31: India has opened the first BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise in Sri Vijaya Puram, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with the aim of deepening cooperation among the grouping's member states. The Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday that the exercise will sharpen operational coordination and interoperability across participating navies and maritime agencies.
The exercise commenced on Friday, October 30, and is scheduled to conclude on November 3, 2026. It is among the principal initiatives that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit held in Thailand last year.
The activity comprises a three-day tabletop exercise, which is conducted in a classroom-style, theoretical format, followed by a two-day harbour phase. Ships from BIMSTEC member nations are participating in the harbour phase.
On social media, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that the exercise puts the shared vision of BIMSTEC leaders into practice. The ministry expects it to reinforce maritime cooperation, improve operational coordination and interoperability, and support the creation of a secure, protected and stable maritime environment in the Bay of Bengal.
The Andaman and Nicobar Command has stated that Vice Admiral Vineet McCarthy, Commander-in-Chief of the Command, formally launched the first BIMSTEC maritime security exercise on Friday. Among those present were Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, National Maritime Security Coordinator, and senior delegations from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
The Command's Saturday post said the exercise, which draws on the Delhi Declaration, marks an important step toward translating maritime security commitments into coordinated action at sea. It seeks to enhance interoperability, strengthen the sharing of information, and encourage a collective response to maritime threats, including terrorism, as well as broader international challenges.
The exercise is also meant to raise maritime domain awareness, establish operational coordination in the Bay of Bengal, reinforce regional security cooperation, and improve humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts. It further aims to build capabilities to address cross-border maritime crime and marine pollution caused by oil or hazardous material spills.
BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, is a regional organisation whose members include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
In recent years, BIMSTEC has developed into an active and dynamic regional organisation. Its members share a common outlook of a free, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean Region.