India shares approximately 1,000 miles of border with Myanmar and yet it accounts for a mere 6.5 percent of Myanmar’s external trade. Sadly for a rising power, India has as a trade deficit with Myanmar, with imports amounting to $1.4 billion and exports amounting to approximately half a billion dollars. Many factors such as Myanmar’s weak financial infrastructure and absence of land and maritime connectivity networks have contributed to such dismal trade relations. However, Myanmar’s recent tentative political transition and economic liberalization open up new opportunities for India. In order to capitalize on these openings, India should conceptualize its relations with Myanmar in three sectors.
