India, Myanmar armies hold 8th staff talks; Army hands over simulators

India and Myanmar have held the eighth round of Army-to-Army Staff Talks in Naypyidaw, with the focus on deepening military cooperation through joint training, exercises, capacity building and professional exchanges, the Indian Army said.

The Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) said in a social media post that the Indian delegation also met the Chief of Armed Forces Training of the Myanmar Army to strengthen ongoing collaboration and look for new areas of engagement, The Assam Tribune reported, citing IANS.

Training simulators handed over

As part of India's support for capacity building, the delegation handed over training simulators to the Myanmar Army. The ADGPI said the step further reinforced bilateral military ties and mutual trust. The Army did not give details of the type or number of simulators.

Follow-up to the Guwahati meeting

The talks come less than a month after the third India-Myanmar Defence Cooperation Meeting, held in Guwahati on October 7, 2026. That meeting was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Lt Gen Pyae Sone Linn, Myanmar's Chief of Armed Forces Training.

According to the Ministry of Defence spokesperson, the two sides reviewed progress on initiatives agreed at the previous meeting in Yangon in 2025 and discussed new ones, with special emphasis on training, capacity building and mutual security. The Myanmar side also appreciated India's help under 'Operation Brahma', the relief mission India launched as first responder after the devastating earthquake in Myanmar.

Why it matters for the North East

India shares a land border of about 1,643 km with Myanmar, running along Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. The border is largely guarded by the Assam Rifles and has seen cross-border movement of refugees, insurgent groups and contraband, including drugs and smuggled goods, since the 2021 military takeover in Myanmar.

Security cooperation with the Myanmar military has a direct bearing on these frontier states, where enforcement agencies have reported a series of large drug and smuggling seizures in recent weeks. The staff talks are a regular mechanism between the two armies; the sixth round was also held in Naypyidaw, in June 2024.

The statement did not say when or where the next round of talks will be held.