As India undertakes an exercise to secure its borders and demarcate boundaries, reports of the union government examining an internal proposal to exchange approximately 1.44 square miles of territory with Myanmar has led security analysts to believe that India is preparing a landmark Land Boundary Agreement with Myanmar along the sensitive India-Myanmar border.
When the Ministry of External Affairs was asked to clarify on speculation that India has sought to exchange territory to demarcate the border as fencing work is going on, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “There are certain areas on the border between the two countries which are still to be settled and discussions on those particular sectors are going on between the two sides.”
The proposal of a potential swap could provide a solution to the long held up border demarcation in sensitive areas like Manipur’s Chandel district and ensure border fencing continues at the desired pace to address security challenges in the region. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement confirms that talks on unsettled border sectors are ongoing, though no final swap has been announced officially.
Since 2023, India has been expediting border fencing and regional infrastructure in the area and a land swap could be a solution to remove security vulnerabilities due to an unfenced border.
India and Myanmar share a 1,643-kilometre (1,021 miles) border in four northeastern states which are Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram. Out of the 1,643 kilometres, Arunachal Pradesh has 520 km border, Mizoram has a 510 km border, Manipur has 398 km border and Nagaland has a 215 km border with Myanmar.
The civil war and political instability in Myanmar post-2021 have posed new challenges for India as it has triggered refugee influxes, aggravating internal ethnic tensions in Manipur. Recent friction has also involved delayed India’s border fencing projects.
In December 2025, a section of the newly constructed border fencing was cut up and an FIR was also registered after the incident at the Molcham Police Station in Chandel district of Manipur.
India is fencing its 398-kilometer international border with Myanmar in Manipur to stop illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and cross-border insurgent movement.
The Union Government decided to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar. The Free Movement Regime (FMR)-previously allowed tribes living along the border to travel 16 kilometers into each other’s territories without visas or documents-to tighten security.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah has said that union government is committed to building impenetrable borders.
It is Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji’s resolve to secure our borders.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 8, 2024
In February 2024, in a post on X, the Union Home Minister said, “It has been decided to construct a fence along the entire 1643-kilometer-long Indo-Myanmar border. To facilitate better surveillance, a patrol track along the border will also be paved”.
In the same post, the Union Home Minster added that “Out of the total border length, a 10 km stretch in Moreh, Manipur, has already been fenced. Furthermore, two pilot projects of fencing through a Hybrid Surveillance System (HSS) are under execution. They will fence a stretch of 1 km each in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Additionally, fence works covering approx 20 km in Manipur have also been approved, and the work will start soon”.
The Modi government is committed to building impenetrable borders.
It has decided to construct a fence along the entire 1643-kilometer-long Indo-Myanmar border. To facilitate better surveillance, a patrol track along the border will also be paved.
Out of the total border length,…— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 6, 2024
BJP Rajya Saba MP from Manipur, Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba said the main reason for the slow progress of the project is the high number of disturbances related to border fencing in the Manipur sector.
Leishemba added that theft of fencing materials, damage to iron poles and detection of explosives along the border areas have posed a serious challenge to the fencing work.
In March this year, Former Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh, said, “According to the latest data provided by the Ministry to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, of the total 1,643 km of fencing approved by the government, 390.39 km has been sanctioned and only 43.75 km of fencing has been completed so far. A further 346.64 km is currently under construction. It is also noteworthy that 20 out of 43 designated gates to regulate free movement of people are now operational.”
A strong and secure border is taking shape along the Indo Myanmar boundary in Manipur, reflecting a firm commitment to national security. Sincere gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji and Hon’ble Home Minister @AmitShah Ji for undertaking this critical… pic.twitter.com/FApTC6Uu4q
— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) March 21, 2026
“With this progress, we will be able to launch a strong crackdown on illegal immigration and regulate movement through the amended Free Movement Regime (FMR), with biometrics as part of the strengthened framework,” N Biren Singh added.
