Sage Publications Los Angeles/London/New Delhi/Singapore DOI: 10.1177/097152310601300212 REGIONAL GROUPINGS: AN OVERVIEW OF BIMSTEC AND MGC

In the last decade, India has shown a keen interest in the formation of sub-regional groupings such as Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the Mekong Ganga Project (MGC). There are five reasons for this: the need to find a working alternative to a non-functional South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the importance of this contiguous region with regard to geopolitics and security, rivalry with China, the growing economic links between India and the Asso-ciation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the strategic advantages of enhanced relations with Myanmar. There are barriers to regional integration within the region mentioned, such as weak political institutions and human rights violations, but ASEAN offers a good model. India needs to adopt a multi-dimensional consultative approach in this matter. IN THE LAST decade, India’s keen interest in the formation of sub-regional cooperation forums like BIMSTEC and the MGC is clearly discernible. The establishment of various regional initiatives has marked the beginning of a new era of political and economic cooperation among neighbours in South Asia and Southeast Asia, in which India is not only a participant but an active initiator. This is an interesting brea