BIMSTEC Youth Summit 2025 | 10 Feb 2025

Source: PIB 

The first-ever Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Youth Summit 2025 was inaugurated in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, the event emphasized skill development, entrepreneurship, and regional cooperation. 

• Key Highlights of Summit: 
  • Theme: "Youth as a Bridge for Intra-BIMSTEC Exchange." 
  • Youth-Centric Focus: The summit highlighted that over 60% of BIMSTEC’s 1.8 billion population comprises youth, underlining their role in regional growth. 
    • Highlighted India's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, stressing youth participation. 
  • Startup Network: India proposed a BIMSTEC-wide startup network to boost innovation and entrepreneurship. 
• BIMSTEC: The BIMSTEC is a regional organization comprising India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan. 
  • It tackles climate change, poverty, and sustainability while strengthening cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region. 
• India’s Commitment to Youth Empowerment: India’s Skill India Mission, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and PM Internship Scheme have trained 15 million youth in AI, robotics, and digital technologies. 
  • India’s startup ecosystem is the world’s third-largest, with 157,000 startups, nearly half women-led. 

Read more: BIMSTEC Charter