An outlook of BIMSTEC as emerging trading Bloc in Asia-A Literature Review

BIMSTEC was established in 1997 as an expression of the merging of economic welfares with India's Look East strategy and Thailand's Look West strategy. The paper is an attempt to review the available literature on BIMSTEC Region. It covers the economic as well as political factors such as trade, investment, economic cooperation etc. The objective of BIMSTEC was to integrate the states on both sides of the Bay of Bengal. It cover the one fifth of the world's population, comprising nearly a third of its poorest members. The BIMSTEC member countries are demographically undeveloped, politically growing and ethnically assorted. The inter-regional alignment of BIMSTEC meant to serve as a bridge among the five SAARC nations and two ASEAN nations. BIMSTEC objectives stretch from construction of economic and social prosperity based on equality, to development of mutual benefits in economic, social and technological aspects.