In a key push to strengthen regional connectivity, India’s Ambassador to Myanmar, Abhay Thakur, alongside National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials, visited Myanmar’s Kalemyo region to review progress on the Kalewa–Yagyi road section, part of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.The Embassy of India in Myanmar posted on X that the visit included interactions with construction teams and the local community along the highway segment. Ambassador Thakur also met members of the Indian diaspora at the Kalemyo Durga Mandir.The India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway spans 1,360 km, connecting India with Southeast Asia. India is undertaking two major infrastructure projects in Myanmar as part of this initiative: the 120.74 km Kalewa–Yagyi road and the construction of 69 bridges with approach roads along the 149.70 km Tamu–Kyigone–Kalewa (TKK) route. The combined cost of these projects is estimated to exceed Rs 10 billion.In May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while inaugurating the Rising North East Investors Summit in New Delhi, emphasised the strategic importance of the Trilateral Highway. He noted that it will offer direct road access from India to Thailand and onward to Vietnam and Laos, boosting India’s connectivity and trade with ASEAN nations.India’s trade with ASEAN currently stands at around USD 125 billion and is expected to surpass USD 200 billion in the coming years. The northeast region, the Prime Minister said, will play a pivotal role as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia.PM Modi also reiterated the government’s commitment to fast-tracking the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Project, linking Kolkata Port to Sittwe Port in Myanmar and further to Mizoram. This project is expected to significantly shorten travel time between West Bengal and Mizoram and facilitate greater trade and industrial activity.In April, during a visit to Thailand, PM Modi and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra agreed to enhance connectivity across all modes—physical, digital, and financial. The two leaders pledged to expedite the Trilateral Highway and its eastward extension, progress on the India-Myanmar-Thailand Motor Vehicles Agreement, strengthen coastal shipping, and explore deeper civil aviation links.