The Art of Living, in collaboration with India’s Ministry of External Affairs, launched a six-day BIMSTEC Youth Leadership Exchange Program in Bengaluru on 25 April 2026 to nurture future leaders from the BIMSTEC region.

The initiative brought together young leaders and policy practitioners from member countries representing a region of 1.7bn people and a $5trn economy. It aims to address shared regional challenges such as political instability, brain drain, and limited intra-regional cooperation.

The program was part of a three-to-four-month mentorship framework designed to transform ideas into community impact projects. It focused on holistic leadership development through emotional resilience, self-awareness, and inner wellbeing.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar emphasized that leadership should be rooted in service, compassion, and unity, encouraging youth to realize their inner potential and lead change.

Key focus areas included conflict resolution, entrepreneurship, innovation in the age of AI, and cultural exchange to strengthen regional ties.

With over 60 percent of BIMSTEC’s population under the age of 35, the initiative aimed to empower youth as future policymakers and bridge gaps in connectivity, trade, and cooperation through value-based leadership.