Why has work on 1,400-km India-Myanmar-Thailand highway stalled? S Jaishankar reveals reason

Speaking at the event, S Jaishankar said that "ASEAN is a partner of enormous consequence."

A mega 1,400-km-long highway that can boost India’s infrastructural reach is currently facing a key hurdle. Addressing a session at the Advantage Assam 2.0 Summit, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway "can be a real game-changer and all efforts should be made to advance it."

Speaking extensively on the Modi Government’s commitment to "Act East, Act Fast, and Act First," Jaishankar stated that the highway is currently facing some issues in strife-torn Myanmar. He said that work on the highway has been halted due to the "situation in Myanmar."

However, he added that this highway is a "momentous" initiative and cannot be impacted due to internal strife. Jaishankar advocated for some "practical solutions" so that work on the IMTT Highway project can resume.

As of July 2023, around 70 percent of the critical construction work on this key Asian highway had been completed. The 1,400-km-long route will link India with Southeast Asia by land. From Manipur’s Moreh, the highway will extend to Thailand’s Mae Sot, passing through Myanmar. Once completed, the highway will serve as a crucial channel for trade, commerce, and tourism. While all stakeholders remain committed to its completion, no concrete timeline has been shared so far.

Pleased to address Advantage Assam Summit 2.0 in Guwahati alongside CM @himantabiswa, Ambassadors and delegates.Spoke about Modi Governments commitment to Act East, Act Fast and Act First.Highlighted: Act East starts with a change of approach by Delhi towards Assam https://t.co/uZyWtrtkba pic.twitter.com/P1Kj1hoFac
Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 25, 2025

This is not the first time that work on the highway has been stalled. The infrastructure initiative has experienced multiple delays. Previously, India aimed to make the IMTT Highway operational by 2019.

According to official records, New Delhi undertook two sections of the IMTT Highway: the Kalewa-Yagyi road section in Myanmar and the construction of 69 bridges on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK) road section in Myanmar. As per the 2018 estimate by the Government of India, the cost of these two construction projects was estimated at Rs 371.58 crore for the 69 bridges on the TKK road project and Rs 1,459.29 crore for the Kalewa-Yagyi road project.