<h1>BIMSTEC pushes Bay of Bengal trade hub strategy to boost blue economy, energy, disaster resilience and tourism growth</h1> The Bay of Bengal has been identified as a central trade hub within the Indo-Pacific, with BIMSTEC facilitating multilateral cooperation among member states in areas including the blue economy, energy, disaster management and tourism. The conclave highlighted the region's economic significance-accounting for over 60% of global GDP-and the role of maritime and trade partnerships in regional growth. BIMSTEC, established in 1997 and comprising seven South and Southeast Asian states, was portrayed as a mechanism for strengthening economic integration and addressing regional currency and political challenges through enhanced intra-regional collaboration.