The first phase of the First BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017’ began in New Delhi on August 8, 2017. It is being organized by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). BIMSTEC stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). It is a regional organization comprising seven Member States Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. It came into being on June 6, 1997.