India, Myanmar Hold First Joint Tri-Services Disaster Relief Exercise in Chennai

Chennai: India and Myanmar have concluded their first bilateral tri-services Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, ‘Rahat Mitra’, in Chennai. The two-day exercise was held on November 5 and 6.

Conducted under the theme ‘Together for Humanity, Stronger through Partnership’, the exercise aimed to strengthen defence cooperation, improve operational coordination and build mutual trust between the armed forces of the two countries.

More than 300 personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force of both nations took part in the exercise. The programme focused on sharing operational experience, exchanging expertise and improving joint response capabilities during natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies.

Coordinated by the Indian Navy, the inaugural exercise marks a step towards strengthening defence ties between the neighbouring countries.

The initiative also reflects India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and its regional maritime vision. It seeks to enhance the ability of both countries to coordinate disaster response efforts and contribute to regional peace and stability.