Moreh, Aug 6, 2026: India and Myanmar are exploring a possible territorial exchange to finally settle a decades-old undemarcated section of their shared international border in Kuki areas of Manipur. The proposal centres on a sensitive 2.8 kilometre stretch between Boundary Pillars 65 and 68 in Chandel district, which adjoins Myanmar’s Kabaw Valley in the Sagaing Region.
The development was addressed by Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a press briefing on Tuesday, August 5. Responding to speculation that India has sought a land swap while border fencing work is underway, Jaiswal did not confirm a deal but acknowledged that discussions are ongoing. He said there are certain areas on the border between the two countries that are yet to be settled, and discussions on those particular sectors are ongoing between the two sides.
His clarification came weeks after US-based magazine The Diplomat reported that India was examining a proposal to complete demarcation in the Chandel sector. According to that report, the proposal involves exchanging around 1.4 square miles of territory in Chandel district. An official document dated May 26, 2026 cited by the report had suggested that the demarcation exercise was expected to be completed within three months. The Government of India has not officially confirmed that a land swap has been agreed upon.
India and Myanmar share a 1,643 kilometre international boundary passing through four states – Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, around 1,472 kilometres of the border has been demarcated, while nearly 171 kilometres remains unresolved, including stretches in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lohit sector and Kabaw Valley region. The frontier is largely mountainous, densely forested and difficult to monitor, and it cuts across tribal communities that have historically lived on both sides.
New Delhi has been pushing to strengthen surveillance and border infrastructure along this frontier amid concerns over illegal immigration, drug trafficking, insurgency and movement of armed groups. In February 2024, the Centre announced plans to fence the entire 1,643 kilometre India-Myanmar border and construct a patrol track to improve surveillance. The government also announced the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime, which had allowed tribal communities to travel up to 16 kilometres into each other’s territory without a visa with a border pass, to tighten security.
Officials have stressed that there is no broader territorial dispute with Myanmar and that only certain boundary pillars and stretches remain to be settled through bilateral mechanisms. The current boundary is based on the 1967 bilateral agreement, while discussions on unresolved portions have continued through diplomatic channels. Territorial exchanges with neighbours are not unprecedented, as seen in 2015 when India and Bangladesh implemented the Land Boundary Agreement and exchanged enclaves to resolve a decades-old issue.
For Manipur, particularly Chandel, a land swap if finalised could have major implications. The area has remained a flashpoint due to unclear demarcation, cross-border insurgent movement and community ties. Any final demarcation would also clear the way for fencing and completion of border roads in the sector.
