The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) youth leadership exchange programme held by India highlighted the country's commitment to regional cooperation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
The BIMSTEC Exchange Program for Young Leaders was organised by MEA on Friday in association with Art of Living in Bangaluru (Karnataka) and in Bhubaneswar (Odisha) from April 25-30.
Over 70 young leaders from all walks of life from seven BIMSTEC member countries participated in the week-long programme.
"The programme was organised to implement the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok last year, to promote youth exchanges across the Bay of Bengal region," the MEA added.
The Ministry highlighted that the programme focused on structured leadership development, exposure to regional issues and opportunities to co-create solutions.
The programme provided the participants with an applied-learning and innovation-focused setting, enabling them to learn, experiment and co-create in a holistic and practical way.
According to MEA, the initiative, taken by India in line with its strong commitment to strengthen sustainable regional cooperation in its neighbourhood, is expected to create a foundation for nurturing future-ready regional leaders, with an approach of integrating inner well-being with leadership, systems thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and community engagement.
India also held a BIMSTEC Young Leaders' Summit in September 2025.
The summit was part of the 21-point action plan introduced by Prime Minister Modi to further strengthen the group
The initiative, in line with India's Neighbourhood First, Act East and MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) visions for regional cooperation, as per the Ministry, would prepare the "young leaders of the region to drive policies and development efforts, as well as to deal with the challenges of today and the future, for growth and prosperity in the region".
