India on Wednesday provided $1 million to the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Secretariat in Dhaka to increase its operational budget. Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh handed over a cheque for $1 million to BIMSTEC Secretary General Tenzin Lekphell in New Delhi. Read: Connectivity always a priority: BIMSTEC secretary general On March 30, during the 5th BIMSTEC Summit in Colombo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country would provide the BIMSTEC Secretariat with $1 million to increase its operational budget to strengthen its capacity. The contribution to the operational budget will have to be used to complete key institution-building tasks collectively identified by the member states, the regional multilateral organisation said. BIMSTEC members – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand – lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal.