Northeast India fosters closer economic ties with Myanmar

Chandra Mohan Patowary, Assam’s minister of commerce and industry and head of the mission, said the visit aims to brief decision-makers in Myanmar on the growth potential of Assam and the larger northeastern region of India as well as their proximity to Myanmar.
“Connectivity is our main target. Once connectivity is strengthened, business will automatically take off,” he said.
“In this regard, we are looking at improving air travel connectivity as well as transportation and roads to connect the [India’s] Northeast with Myanmar, as we see good opportunities for both sides.”
Patowary said the Assam government would facilitate cooperation between Indian and Myanmar businesses.
“Many big names are here and there are many more to follow,” he said, referring to two Indian companies -- Oil and Gas Corporation Ltd and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd -- that are already engaged in oil and gas exploration and production in Myanmar.
The India-Myanmar Chamber of Commerce is also organising a business mission to India next month, including top officials from Indian and Myanmar corporations . It will also meet with the governments of Rakhine and Mandalay states to explore further opportunities for cooperation in Northeast India.
Patowary said oil and gas, health, education, tourism and manufacturing are among the most promising sectors for bilateral ventures.
“By aggressively addressing challenges in these sectors, Myanmar’s economy will grow fast. We must work together to make it happen,” he said.
“We are exploring opportunities in many Southeast Asian countries, and Myanmar is really important to us. We also want Myanmar businesses to explore opportunities in the Indian market, particularly in the Northeast. Under our Act East Policy, we have opened our trade routes so we can connect through railways, waterways and airways.”
India plans to build cross-border infrastructure to enable stronger international economic ties eastwards. It will include construction of roads and international highways as well as providing seaport and rail links to boost logistics for traders across India, Bangladesh, China, and Asean, he said.
Recently, Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Ltd exported wax to Myanmar, which Patowary has hailed as a development that underlines India’s increasing engagement with its eastern neighbour.
“Myanmar can export minerals and forest products thanks to advantages in transport cost to Northeast India. Additionally, Myanmar’s coastal areas have huge deposits of natural gas,” he said.
Patowary said India’s demand for energy is expected to rise rapidly and the growing economy and gas supply from Myanmar are of great advantage to the nation.
“Services like healthcare, hospitality and tourism can improve trade between Myanmar and Northeast India,” he said.
He foresees bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector, citing high potential for destination weddings and movie-making as well as visits to the border areas where various ethnic groups reside.
“Many ethnic groups are living along the Indo-Myanmar border from Arunachal Pradesh through Nagaland and Manipur to Mizoram. The political boundary keeps them separate,” he said.
“Softening of the border is bound to increase contacts between people sharing the same ethnicity across the boundary.”
At the event, India’s Ambassador to Myanmar Saurabh Kumar stressed the importance of connectivity in all dimensions: physical, transport and air with Southeast Asia and South Asia.
“We need more people-to-people and cultural contacts, so we build relationship between Southeast Asian countries and India. This trip reflects the initiatives that we are taking to implement the Act East policy,” he said.
India is currently the 11th largest investor in Myanmar and the country’s fifth largest trading partner. Kumar foresees a surge in the inflow of Indian investments from both public and private sectors.
“We look forward to more delegations from India visiting this country, and we also welcome delegations from Myanmar visiting India. This has already started picking up and we look forward to moving ahead,” he said.