India Hosts Inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise at Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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India hosted the inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise at Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair), Andaman and Nicobar Islands, from 30 October to 3 November 2026. All seven member states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) participated in the exercise, conducted under the theme "Shared Seas, Shared Security and Shared Prosperity." This marks the first time the seven-nation grouping has held a dedicated joint maritime security exercise.

Background

BIMSTEC was established on 6 June 1997 in Bangkok as BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation). Myanmar joined the same year, prompting the renaming to BIMSTEC. Nepal and Bhutan acceded in 2004, completing the current seven-member composition.

The grouping connects South Asia and Southeast Asia, spanning a combined population of approximately 1.7 billion people and a combined GDP of over $4.4 trillion. Its Secretariat is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. BIMSTEC covers fourteen priority sectors, including trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, fisheries, agriculture, cultural cooperation, environment, public health, people-to-people contact, counter-terrorism, transnational crime, and disaster management.

The BIMSTEC Charter, which gave the grouping a formal legal personality, was signed at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit in Colombo (2022), along with the Colombo Declaration. At the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced several India-led initiatives, including the proposed maritime security exercise and Centres of Excellence in India on Disaster Management, Sustainable Maritime Transport, Traditional Medicine, and Agricultural Research and Training. India also proposed establishing a Sustainable Maritime Transport Centre during the Summit.

In April 2026, BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey confirmed that the inaugural joint maritime security exercise would be conducted in November 2026, facilitated by India's Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC).

Current Developments

The exercise was conducted at Sri Vijaya Puram (the administrative capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, renamed from Port Blair) and hosted by the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) — India's only integrated tri-service command, combining the Army, Navy, and Air Force under a single Commander-in-Chief.

Four of the seven members — Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand — contributed naval and coast guard assets, including Sri Lanka's SLNS Gajabahu and Myanmar's UMS King Aung Zeya. The remaining two landlocked members, Bhutan and Nepal, participated through official delegates.

The exercise comprised two phases:

• Tabletop Phase (three days): Scenario-based desktop exercises on maritime security contingencies, including coordinated responses to piracy, smuggling, and humanitarian crises at sea.
• Harbour Phase (two days): Professional exchanges, planning sessions, and live maritime coordination drills in the waters around the Andaman archipelago.

Key Facts

Constitutional Provisions

Article 51 of the Constitution of India is a Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP) under Part IV that directs the State to promote international peace and security, maintain just and honourable relations between nations, foster respect for international law and treaty obligations, and encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration. India's active multilateral maritime diplomacy through BIMSTEC is consistent with this directive.

Article 53 vests the supreme command of the defence forces of the Union in the President of India, to be exercised in accordance with law. The deployment of the Andaman and Nicobar Command for this multilateral exercise flows from this constitutional authority.

Union List, Entry 14 (Seventh Schedule) gives Parliament exclusive power over entering into treaties and agreements with foreign countries and implementing them — which includes executing bilateral and multilateral maritime security cooperation agreements.

Legal Framework

India's maritime jurisdiction is defined under the Maritime Zones of India Act, 1976, which delineates territorial waters (12 nautical miles), contiguous zone (24 nautical miles), and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ, 200 nautical miles) — the latter representing India's primary zone of maritime economic and security interest.

The Coast Guard Act, 1978 governs the Indian Coast Guard, which has primary responsibility for maritime law enforcement, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching, pollution response, and Search and Rescue (SAR) within the EEZ. The Indian Navy handles deep-sea maritime security and power projection.

At the multilateral level, the BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Transnational Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking provides a legal foundation for cross-border maritime crime cooperation — one of the key themes of the exercise. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, to which India is a signatory, frames the rights and duties governing maritime security operations.

Institutional Framework

BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is an international regional organisation with headquarters in Dhaka. Its current Secretary General is Indra Mani Pandey (India). BIMSTEC covers 14 priority cooperation sectors.

The exercise is hosted by the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), headquartered at Sri Vijaya Puram. Established in 2001, it is India's first and only integrated tri-service command combining the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force under a single Commander-in-Chief. Its strategic location — astride the 10-Degree Channel and proximate to the Malacca Strait — makes it India's key base for maritime security projection in the Bay of Bengal and beyond.

India's multilateral maritime engagement is also shaped by the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine enunciated by PM Modi in 2015, which underpins India's vision of a rules-based, open, and safe Indian Ocean.

Economic Dimensions

The Bay of Bengal is an economically vital maritime zone. It carries a significant share of global container trade passing through the Malacca Strait — one of the world's busiest chokepoints. BIMSTEC economies are collectively home to approximately 1.7 billion people, with a combined GDP exceeding $4.4 trillion. Maritime trade among BIMSTEC members — in goods such as cotton, garments, seafood, energy, and manufactured products — depends on safe sea lanes.

Disruptions from piracy, illicit trafficking, or uncoordinated disaster response inflate logistics costs and insurance premiums. The exercise's focus on cross-border maritime crime and marine pollution is thus directly linked to protecting the region's trade and fishery resources. India's proposed Sustainable Maritime Transport Centre, announced at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, will also address green shipping, decarbonisation of maritime logistics, and port capacity building across member states.

Environmental Dimensions

The Bay of Bengal hosts unique marine biodiversity, including coral reefs around the Andaman Islands, mangrove ecosystems in the Sundarbans (Bangladesh and India), and fish stocks that sustain tens of millions of livelihoods. Marine pollution — especially oil spills from commercial shipping along the Malacca Strait corridor — poses a severe ecological threat. The exercise includes a marine pollution response component, focusing on coordinated responses to oil and hazardous-material spills, in alignment with the MARPOL Convention (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships), to which all BIMSTEC members are party.

International Relations

The BIMSTEC maritime exercise has significant strategic dimensions. The Bay of Bengal has seen growing naval presence by external powers, raising the premium on regional cohesion. By hosting this exercise, India reinforces its role as the net security provider for the Bay of Bengal, consistent with the SAGAR doctrine. It also advances India's Act East Policy by deepening defence engagement with Myanmar and Thailand — ASEAN-linked members of BIMSTEC.

The exercise signals a step-change for BIMSTEC, which has historically been stronger on economic dialogue than on security cooperation. The BIMSTEC Maritime Transport Agreement, signed at the 6th Summit, supplements this by providing a legal framework for merchant shipping cooperation — giving BIMSTEC a credible maritime pillar.

The exercise also enhances India's Neighbourhood First Policy by building trust and operational familiarity with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, strengthening collective response capacity to non-traditional security threats including cyclones (the Bay of Bengal is one of the most cyclone-prone basins globally) and the Rohingya crisis-related maritime movements.

Challenges

• Political tensions among members: Myanmar's post-coup military government complicates participation; Bangladesh and India have periodic bilateral frictions.
• Capability asymmetry: Landlocked members (Bhutan, Nepal) have no maritime assets; significant naval capacity gaps exist between India and smaller members.
• Overlapping memberships: BIMSTEC members overlap with SAARC (South Asian), ASEAN (Southeast Asian), and IORA groupings, risking duplication and diluting institutional focus.
• Implementation lag: BIMSTEC has repeatedly been criticised for slow operationalisation of agreed frameworks; converting this exercise into a standing annual format requires political will and dedicated institutional mechanisms.
• Maritime domain awareness gaps: Absence of a unified regional MDA (Maritime Domain Awareness) network means surveillance, information-sharing, and incident response remain fragmented.

Government Initiatives

• SAGAR Doctrine (2015): PM Modi's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region, anchoring India's Indian Ocean strategy on cooperative security, blue economy, and humanitarian assistance.
• BIMSTEC Centres of Excellence: India proposed dedicated Centres on Disaster Management, Sustainable Maritime Transport, Traditional Medicine, and Agricultural Research and Training at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit.
• Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC): India's integrated tri-service command providing operational capacity for Bay of Bengal security.
• Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR): Established at Gurugram (2018), IFC-IOR acts as a maritime information hub for the region, sharing white-shipping and MDA data with partner nations.
• HADR exercises: India regularly conducts HADR exercises, including Milan (multilateral naval exercise hosted biennially at Visakhapatnam) and bilateral exercises with Sri Lanka (SLINEX) and Thailand (Indo-Thai CORPAT).

Way Forward

• The exercise should be institutionalised as an annual BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise, with rotating host responsibility among member states, to build sustained interoperability (consistent with NITI Aayog's recommendation in its Bay of Bengal Strategy report for deeper regional integration).
• BIMSTEC should establish a Joint Maritime Coordination Centre — ideally co-located with or linked to India's IFC-IOR — for real-time information sharing among member navies and coast guards.
• A dedicated BIMSTEC maritime security treaty (akin to the ARF-ASEAN maritime security arrangements) would provide a binding legal framework beyond the existing transnational crime convention.
• Member states should invest in capacity building for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar's maritime forces, leveraging India's defence cooperation framework.
• The exercise should progressively include a Sea Phase with live drills, beyond tabletop and harbour phases, to test operational integration under realistic conditions.

Possible Mains Questions

1. "BIMSTEC has been described as a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia, yet it has underperformed relative to its potential." Examine India's role in energising BIMSTEC's maritime security agenda with specific reference to the 2026 Maritime Security Exercise. (GS-II, 250 words)
2. Analyse the strategic significance of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for India's maritime security and multilateral engagement in the Bay of Bengal. (GS-III, 250 words)

Possible Prelims MCQs

1. Q: Which of the following statements about the BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise 2026 is/are correct?
   1. It was the first-ever joint maritime security exercise under BIMSTEC.
   2. It was held at Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
   3. All seven BIMSTEC member states contributed naval assets to the exercise.
   Select the correct answer: (a) 1 and 2 only   (b) 2 and 3 only   (c) 1 and 3 only   (d) 1, 2 and 3
   Answer: (a) — Bhutan and Nepal (landlocked members) sent delegates, not naval assets.
2. Q: The theme of the inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise (2026) was:
   (a) Blue Economy, Safe Seas   (b) Shared Seas, Shared Security and Shared Prosperity   (c) United Maritime Front   (d) Bay of Bengal — Common Destiny
   Answer: (b)
3. Q: BIMSTEC was established in 1997 with which of the following original member countries?
   (a) Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand   (b) Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand   (c) India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal   (d) Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Thailand
   Answer: (a) — Original members: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand (as BIST-EC); Myanmar joined same year.

Essay Dimensions

1. Maritime security as a force multiplier for regional economic integration in the Indo-Pacific.
2. From SAARC to BIMSTEC: India's pivot towards more functional regional frameworks.
3. The Bay of Bengal as a common maritime space: cooperative governance versus strategic rivalry.
4. Non-traditional security threats and the transformation of regional multilateral institutions.
5. India as a net security provider: responsibilities, resources, and limits.

Interview Questions

1. How does BIMSTEC complement India's Act East Policy and Neighbourhood First Policy?
2. What is the strategic importance of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, and why was it chosen to host this exercise?
3. Compare the maritime security architecture of BIMSTEC and IORA in terms of membership, mandate, and effectiveness.
4. The Bay of Bengal is increasingly contested. How should India balance cooperative security with deterrence?
5. What structural reforms are needed to transform BIMSTEC from a dialogue forum into an operationally effective security organisation?

FAQ

Q: What is BIMSTEC and who are its members?
A: BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is a regional organisation established in 1997, connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia. Its seven member states are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The Secretariat is in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Q: Why was the inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise held in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
A: The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) is India's only integrated tri-service command and is strategically located astride the Bay of Bengal. It has the infrastructure and operational capacity to host multinational maritime exercises, making Sri Vijaya Puram a natural choice.

Q: What is the SAGAR doctrine?
A: SAGAR stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region. It is PM Narendra Modi's vision (articulated in 2015) for the Indian Ocean, emphasising cooperative security, freedom of navigation, sustainable use of the blue economy, and India's role as a net security provider for smaller littoral states.

Further Reading

• PIB: PM Modi's Statement at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, Bangkok — pmindia.gov.in
• BIMSTEC Secretariat: bimstec.org
• MEA India: India-BIMSTEC Relations — mea.gov.in
• The Maritime Zones of India Act, 1976 — India Code: indiacode.nic.in