India on Thursday strengthened Blue Economy cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region through the BIMSTEC-India Marine Research Network (BIMReN), hosting its first Biennial Conference in Kochi.
The Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, stated that BIMReN—an MEA initiative launched in 2024—has so far connected 25 institutions and more than 50 researchers from BIMSTEC member countries.
In a post on X, the MEA noted, “The event was an essential milestone in advancing regional cooperation in marine research and sustainable blue economy initiatives focused on marine challenges, ecosystem health, and research innovations. BIMReN, an initiative of MEA, GoI, launched in 2024, has till date connected 25 institutions and over 50 researchers from BIMSTEC countries. It enables institutional collaborations through twinning research grants and split-site PhD fellowships, linking leading Indian research institutions with those in other BIMSTEC countries. The initiative, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aligns with India’s broader regional policy objectives under its Neighbourhood First, Act East, Indo-Pacific and MAHASAGAR strategies.”
According to an MEA statement, the first Biennial Conference of BIMReN was held in Kochi from November 4 to 6, reinforcing India’s Blue Economy cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region. The BIMReN initiative, announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the Colombo BIMSTEC Summit in 2022, aims to strengthen collaborative research in marine sciences. It supports institutional partnerships through research grants and split-site PhD fellowships between top Indian research institutions and those in BIMSTEC countries.
The conference brought together BIMReN partners to review progress and exchange views on activities carried out since the initiative’s launch. During its pilot phase, BIMReN has connected 25 research institutions and over 50 researchers across the BIMSTEC region.
The event marked a major step forward in advancing regional cooperation in marine research and sustainable Blue Economy programs, with a focus on marine ecosystem health, research innovation, scientific networks among young researchers, responsible marine resource management, and coordinated policy development.
The MEA added that the launch of BIMReN reflects India’s long-term commitment to sustainable fisheries management in the Bay of Bengal, which accounts for 6% of the world’s fish catch and hosts more than one-third of the global fishing fleet.
