Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the Indian delegation at the 3rd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministerial Meeting (BAMM), held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by agriculture ministers and senior officials from all seven BIMSTEC member nations — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
The high-level dialogue aimed to strengthen regional cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock. BIMSTEC, which connects South and Southeast Asia, continues to play a crucial role in advancing regional development and food security. Agriculture remains one of the core sectors of BIMSTEC cooperation.
In his address, Chouhan reaffirmed India’s commitment to regional agricultural collaboration and emphasized BIMSTEC’s alignment with India’s “Neighbourhood First” and “Act East” policies. Highlighting India’s agricultural reforms under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he spoke of initiatives such as direct cash transfers to farmers, institutional credit access, the Soil Health Card, crop insurance, the National Food Security Mission, and the “Namo Drone Didi” scheme empowering rural women through drone technology.
Chouhan announced that India has taken the lead under the BIMSTEC Agriculture Cooperation 2023–2027 framework by organizing capacity-building workshops in seed development, animal health, and pest management. India is also offering fully-funded BIMSTEC scholarships for M.Sc. and Ph.D. studies in agriculture to students from member countries.
A major highlight of India’s participation was its proposal to establish a BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence for Agriculture Cooperation in India. The centre will focus on areas such as precision farming, natural and organic agriculture, climate risk mitigation, gender equality, and the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture. It is envisioned as a hub for sharing knowledge, emerging technologies like drones and digital tools, and best practices across the region to enhance food and nutritional security.
Chouhan also invited BIMSTEC countries to participate in the upcoming World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit 2025, announced by Prime Minister Modi. The event, scheduled in Mumbai from May 1–4, aims to foster international collaboration in media, entertainment, and digital innovation.
The Kathmandu meeting marks the third ministerial gathering under BAMM, following previous meetings in Myanmar (2019) and India (2022), as the BIMSTEC group continues its mission of regional integration and agricultural advancement.
