Dhaka, March 24 -- The BIMSTEC Secretariat has welcomed a new phase of business leadership aimed at strengthening trade and investment links across the Bay of Bengal region, underscoring the growing emphasis on business-to-business (B2B) engagement within the grouping, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

The initiative follows the launch of the India chapter of the BIMSTEC Business Council under ASSOCHAM, a move that officials say could help accelerate intra-regional commerce by fostering closer collaboration among private sector actors.

The new leadership has outlined a strategic agenda built around three priorities: trade facilitation, multi-modal connectivity and cooperation among micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). These are...