[10th June 2026] The Hindu OpED: India’s road through Myanmar is one of engagement

PYQ Relevance[UPSC 2022] India is an age-old friend of Sri Lanka. Discuss India’s role in the recent crisis in Sri Lanka in the light of the preceding statement.Linkage: The PYQ examines India’s approach towards political and economic instability in its neighbourhood. Similar to Sri Lanka, India’s engagement with Myanmar reflects a pragmatic neighbourhood policy that prioritises regional stability, connectivity, and strategic interests despite domestic political challenges.

Mentor’s Comment

Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing visited India from May 30 to June 3, 2026, marking the first visit by a Myanmar President to India since the 2021 military coup. The visit highlights New Delhi’s preference for pragmatic engagement over diplomatic isolation. The visit gains significance amid China’s growing influence in Myanmar, delays in India’s connectivity projects, instability along the India-Myanmar border, and the strategic importance of Myanmar in the Act East Policy.

How Does Myanmar Occupy a Central Position in India’s Strategic Calculus?

1. Geographical Gateway: Connects India directly with Southeast Asia and serves as the land bridge for the Act East Policy.
2. Shared Border: Shares a 1,643-km border with four Northeastern States of India.
3. Neighbourhood First Imperative: Ensures stability in India’s immediate strategic environment.
4. Regional Connectivity: Supports physical, economic, and people-to-people integration with ASEAN.
5. Strategic Buffer: Limits excessive external influence in India’s eastern neighbourhood.

Why Has India Chosen Engagement Instead of Isolation?

1. Pragmatic Diplomacy: Maintains engagement irrespective of Myanmar’s internal political arrangements.
2. Strategic Necessity: Recognises Myanmar’s importance for connectivity, trade, and security interests.
3. Policy Continuity: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reiterated that India does not intend to comment on Myanmar’s internal political arrangements.
4. Regional Stability: Ensures sustained communication channels during political transitions.
5. Counter-Isolation Approach: Prevents strategic vacuum creation in Myanmar.

How Does China’s Expanding Influence Shape India’s Myanmar Policy?

1. Strategic Competition: China has expanded engagement with Myanmar after the 2021 coup.
2. Infrastructure Financing: Beijing filled gaps created by Western disengagement.
3. Arms Supplies: Increased military cooperation with Myanmar authorities.
4. Diplomatic Cover: Provides international support to Naypyidaw.
5. Strategic Concern: Complete Chinese dominance in Myanmar would constrain India’s strategic space.

Why Are Connectivity Projects Central to India’s Myanmar Engagement?

Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project

1. Objective: Connects Kolkata to Sittwe Port by sea and further links Myanmar’s inland waterways and roads to Mizoram.
2. Maritime Component: Operational.
3. Riverine Component: Operational.
4. Cargo Milestone: First cargo shipment reached Sittwe in May 2023.
5. Critical Gap: 109-km Paletwa-Zorinpui Road remains incomplete.
6. Target Completion: Full operationalisation targeted for 2027.

India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway

1. Route: Moreh (Manipur) to Mae Sot (Thailand).
2. Length: Approximately 1,360 km.
3. Regional Ambition: Planned extensions to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
4. Strategic Outcome: Converts Northeast India into a gateway to Southeast Asia.
5. Implementation Challenge: Missed the original completion target of 2019.

Significance of IMT for Northeast India

1. Market Access: Expands export opportunities.
2. Economic Integration: Facilitates participation in ASEAN supply chains.
3. Infrastructure Development: Improves logistics and transport efficiency.
4. Employment Generation: Supports trade-led economic growth.

What Challenges Continue to Delay Connectivity Projects?

1. Internal Conflict: Myanmar’s civil conflict has intensified since the 2021 coup.
2. Territorial Control: Armed groups control large stretches along project corridors.
3. Construction Disruptions: Security threats increase costs and delays.
4. Administrative Constraints: Weak governance affects implementation.
5. Political Uncertainty: Creates investment and operational risks.

How Does Security Cooperation Influence Bilateral Relations?

1. Counter-Insurgency Cooperation: Addresses activities of Indian insurgent groups operating from Myanmar.
   1. NSCN-K (National Socialist Council of Nagaland–Khaplang): Historically operated camps in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region and carried out activities in Nagaland, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.
   2. ULFA (Independent): Maintained safe havens in Myanmar after being pushed out of Bangladesh; cadres reportedly used Myanmar’s border areas for training and logistics.
   3. PLA (People’s Liberation Army of Manipur): One of several Meitei insurgent groups that established bases across the border.
   4. UNLF (United National Liberation Front): Operated from Myanmar’s territory for decades before several leaders and cadres were apprehended or surrendered.
   5. PREPAK (People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak) and KYKL (Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup): Maintained camps in Myanmar’s remote border regions.
2. Territorial Assurance: Myanmar reiterated that its territory would not be used against India.
3. Cybercrime Cooperation: Joint efforts target transnational cyber-scam networks.
4. Rescue Operations: More than 2,400 Indian nationals rescued from scam centres in the last 18 months.
5. Border Management: Enhances coordination against illegal activities.

How Can Economic Cooperation Deepen India-Myanmar Relations?

1. Bilateral Trade: Reached approximately $1.95 billion during 2025-26.
2. Rupee-Kyat Settlement Mechanism: Reduces dependence on third-country currencies.
3. Critical Minerals Cooperation: Supports supply chain diversification.
4. Rare Earth Cooperation: Enhances strategic resource security.
5. Investment Potential: Strengthens regional economic integration.

Conclusion

Myanmar remains central to India’s Act East strategy, border security, and regional connectivity goals. The recent engagement reflects New Delhi’s pragmatic approach that prioritises strategic interests, recognising that sustained cooperation is essential for stability, connectivity, and balancing external influence in the region.

Value Addition: 

China’s Key Interests in Myanmar

1. China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC): Connects Yunnan province with the Indian Ocean.
2. Kyaukpyu Port: Provides maritime access bypassing the Malacca Strait.
3. Energy Security: Facilitates oil and gas pipelines from the Bay of Bengal.
4. Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): Expands China’s regional footprint.

Major Ethnic Armed Organisations

1. Kachin Independence Army (KIA): Active in northern Myanmar.
2. Arakan Army (AA): Influential in Rakhine State.
3. Karen National Union (KNU): Active in southeastern Myanmar.
4. Three Brotherhood Alliance: Significant anti-junta coalition.

Security Concerns Along the India-Myanmar Border

1. Insurgency: Provides safe havens for Northeastern insurgent groups such as NSCN-K, ULFA(I), PLA, PREPAK and KYKL, complicating border security and counter-insurgency operations.
2. Drug Trafficking: Myanmar forms part of the Golden Triangle (Myanmar-Laos-Thailand), one of the world’s largest narcotics-producing regions, facilitating the trafficking of heroin and synthetic drugs into India’s Northeast.
3. Arms Smuggling: Enables illicit movement of small arms and ammunition through porous borders, strengthening insurgent and criminal networks.
4. Human Trafficking: Facilitates cross-border trafficking of women, children and migrant workers through informal routes and weak border controls.
5. Cyber Fraud Networks: Hosts transnational scam centres involved in online fraud, cryptocurrency scams and human trafficking; over 2,400 Indian nationals have been rescued through bilateral cooperation in the past 18 months.