NEW DELHI/BANGKOK (Bloomberg): India and Myanmar agreed to fast-track infrastructure projects to strengthen economic ties, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing on his first overseas trip since taking office after a widely criticized election.
The two countries agreed to accelerate work on the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in New Delhi on Monday. He did not provide a timeline for its completion.
The roughly 1,400-kilometer highway will link India’s northeastern state of Manipur with Thailand via Myanmar, boosting trade and connectivity between India and Southeast Asia. The project has faced repeated delays because of political instability in Myanmar.
The security situation in Myanmar remains an obstacle to infrastructure projects, Misri said. The two leaders also discussed opportunities to expand cooperation on critical minerals, he added.
Accessing Myanmar’s mineral resources may prove challenging for India. "India is certainly interested in Myanmar’s rare earths and critical minerals. But these are more in rebel held areas than central control,” said Gautam Mukhopadhaya, a former Indian ambassador to Myanmar.
Min Aung Hlaing, who is sanctioned by the US and several Western countries for leading Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, arrived in India on May 30. The decision to make India Min Aung Hlaing’s first foreign destination as president has been viewed by local media as a strategic signal.
Located between India and China, Myanmar is trying to balance ties with the world’s two most populous nations. Beijing remains deeply involved in the country’s turbulent politics, particularly as Myanmar has emerged as one of the world’s largest producers of rare earth minerals and a critical supplier to China.
Relations with India were strained following the coup, but New Delhi now sees opportunities to expand trade and investment with Myanmar, according to Rajiv Bhatia, a former Indian ambassador to the country.
Myanmar has sent a high-level delegation comprising cabinet ministers, senior officials and business leaders to accompany the president, who will also attend a business forum.
Myanmar has been isolated for about five years since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected civilian government in February 2021, with coup leader Min Aung Hlaing being banned from regional summits. He was sworn in as president on April 10, and is seeking international recognition after an election from which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy and major opposition parties were banned.
Min Aung Hlaing has already invited Indian businesses to invest in neighboring Myanmar, including the Yadanabon Cyber City project in the Mandalay region, according to Myanmar state media, which reported he assured them of a trustworthy business environment in a meeting in New Delhi on Sunday.
The Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project and the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway are expected to facilitate bilateral trade while opening up the Asean-India economic corridor, he said, according to the report.
Prior to his meeting with Modi, Min Aung Hlaing met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on May 30, visited Bodh Gaya in Bihar and prayed at the Mahabodhi temple. He will travel to Mumbai on Tuesday for business and industry interactions and site visits.
--With assistance from Unni Krishnan and Cecilia Yap. -- ©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
