About: India Myanmar relations

  • India shares a long land border of over 1600 Km with Myanmar as well as a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.

  • Four north-eastern states viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram share boundary with Myanmar.

  • Further, Myanmar is the only ASEAN country adjoining India and, is therefore, India’s gateway to South East Asia.

Bilateral Cooperation in Regional/ Sub-regional context:

  • Myanmar's membership of ASEAN, BIMSTEC and Mekong Ganga Cooperation has introduced a regional/sub-regional dimension to bilateral relations.

  • Myanmar has generally been supportive of India's stand to various international organisations.

  • India has also supported Myanmar's association with SAARC as an observer; Myanmar formally acquired the observer status in 2008.

Commercial Cooperation:

  • India is the fifth largest trading partner of Myanmar but trade remains below potential.

  • India is the tenth largest investor with an approved investment of US$ 740.64 million (till 2017) by 25 Indian companies. India's investments have mostly been in oil & gas sector.

  • Bilateral trade has been growing steadily to reach US$2178.44 million (2016-17), of which Indian exports amounted to US$1111.19 million and Indian's imports to US$1067.25 million.

  • Agriculture sector dominates trade, particularly supply of beans, pulses and timber to India. India's exports to Myanmar include sugar, pharmaceuticals etc.

Development Assistance:

  • India has extended development assistance to Myanmar on generous terms, which is now over $1.75 billion. Various projects under the assistance are:

  • The Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, which connects the port of Kolkata with Sittwe port in Myanmar. The project provides three modes of transport viz. sea, river, & road.

  • The Trilateral Highway Project, which is an East-West corridor connecting India’s Northeast with Myanmar and Thailand.

  • Assistance for border area development in Chin State (in Myanmar) and the Naga Self- Administered Zone by financing bridges, roads, schools and small health centres.

  • Assistance in setting up institutions for higher learning and research, in Myanmar.

Disaster relief aid:

  • India has helped Myanmar in humanitarian relief operations following natural calamities like Cyclone Mora (2017), Komen (2015), Cyclone Nargis in 2008, and earthquake in Shan State in 2010.

  • India provided US$ 1 million to Myanmar in Rakhine State which was used to construct 10 schools.

  • India has also offered to provide support in capacity building in disaster risk mitigation as well as in strengthening Myanmar's National Disaster Response Mechanism.

Cultural cooperation:

  • Both countries share a heritage of religious, linguistic and ethnic ties due to India’s Buddhist heritage.

  • Building on this shared heritage India has undertaken restoration of the Ananda Temple in Bagan.

  • India has also responded to Myanmar's interest in restoring and renovating two historic temples in Bodh Gaya built by Myanmar rulers King Mindon and King Baygyidaw.

  • These temples and inscriptions will be restored with the assistance of the Archaeological Survey of India as a bilateral friendship project.

  • India has donated a 16 foot replica of the Sarnath Buddha Statue which has been installed at the premises of Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon.

  • Performances by cultural groups have been organized on a regular basis. Myanmar troupes and artistes have participated in South Asian and ASEAN cultural events in India.

Indian Diaspora in Myanmar:

  • The origin of the Indian community in Myanmar is traced to the mid-19th century with the beginning of the British rule in Lower Burma in 1852.

  • The two cities Yangon and Mandalay had a dominating presence of Indians in civil services, education, trade and commerce during the British rule.

  • Today, there are varying estimates of 1.5-2.5 million people of Indian origin living and working in various parts of Myanmar.

  • A large number of the Indian community (150,000) is primarily engaged in farming. The 7000 strong NRI community in Myanmar is mainly engaged in export-import business or are employees of MNCs based in India, Singapore and Thailand.
 International Relations