India’s policy on Myanmar will be pragmatic, says official

India will follow a ‘pragmatic’ policy on Myanmar, said a senior official on Friday (May 29, 2026), indicating that criticism aimed at Indian policymakers for engaging Myanmar’s President U Min Aung Hlaing would not deter Delhi from forging ties with the military-backed regime of Myanmar. The remarks were shared with The Hindu a day before Mr. Min Aung Hlaing arrives in India for a five-day visit on Saturday (May 30, 2026).

A senior official pointed out the need to be realistic about India’s neighbourhood as otherwise extra-regional powers may take advantage of the situation.

Responding to questions from reporters during the weekly press briefing on Friday (May 29), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasised that India and Myanmar have “civilisational ties”, indicating that the two sides have to take care of the broader relationship. Earlier, announcing the visit, the MEA had said Mr. Min Aung Hlaing’s visit would “further strengthen and deepen the multi-faceted relations between the two countries”.

“There is also an important business component of the visit which is how the two countries can strengthen the economic ties as well. All issues that form the gamut of relations between Myanmar and India will come up for discussion,” said Mr. Jaiswal in response to a question on whether India would raise issues related to security and connectivity projects during the visit.

To meet PM Modi

Mr. Min Aung Hlaing will arrive at the Gaya International Airport on Saturday (May 30) and proceed to the Mahabodhi Temple, which will be followed by his visit to the Sujata Temple. He will arrive here in the afternoon and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will be the first to call on him. On Sunday (May 31), the Myanmar’s President will attend a Myanmar-India Business Forum, which will be followed by a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and press statements at the Hyderabad House. He will call on President Droupadi Murmu after that. On June 2, he will proceed to Mumbai for meeting industrialists and investors. The May 30-June 3 visit has attracted attention of pro-democracy groups, which have been fighting the military junta since the 2021 coup that toppled the government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar’s opposition’s members, based in New Delhi, tried to organise a protest in Jantar Mantar on Friday (May 29) but the individuals were detained after the Delhi Police refused them permission. Exiled pro-democracy activist and editor of the Mizzima news Soe Mynt said Mr. Min Aung Hlaing, who was earlier the Senior General and Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission before the election of December 2025-January 2026, did not consider India as an adversary. “That is the reason that India and Mr. Min Aung Hlaing are able to build a working relationship. A visit to India is more important for him than a visit to China, which is not a democracy. In comparison, by visiting India, which is the largest democracy, he hopes to gain some credibility for his government, both at home and abroad,” said Mr. Mynt.

India had tried to build dialogue between various Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) and the junta prior to the election but the junta did not relax control over the polity and chose to go for the tightly controlled election which did not include Myanmar’s opposition, raising questions over the polls that led to the transition of Mr. Min Aung Hlaing from a military to a civilian position.