It is the first time Min Aung Hlaing has traveled to the neighboring country since he was sworn into office as president in April following an election that critics say was orchestrated to maintain the military’s tight grip on power.
His last visit to India was in 2019 as military chief.
India has maintained ties with Myanmar’s military-backed administrations despite Western sanctions imposed after the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and launched a crackdown on opponents that evolved into a nationwide armed conflict and humanitarian crisis.
State-run MRTV television said Min Aung Hlaing departed on a flight from the capital, Naypyitaw, Saturday morning and landed at Gaya International Airport in India’s eastern state of Bihar, near Bodh Gaya, a major Buddhist pilgrimage site.
For Indian political coverage, the most important question is whether the development changes governance priorities, party strategy, parliamentary work, electoral positioning or the public record around a policy decision.
