Exercise Rahat Mitra concluded in Chennai on 6 November, bringing the first joint disaster relief exercise between India and Myanmar to a close after two days of drills, briefings and demonstrations.

More than 300 personnel took part, drawn from the Army, Navy and Air Force of each country. The Indian Navy coordinated the exercise from start to finish, as the Ministry of Defence set out in its opening-day release.

The theme was Together for Humanity, Stronger through Partnership. According to the Ministry of Defence, the aim was simple: build trust, learn how the other side works, and make sure both militaries can act together quickly when a flood, cyclone or earthquake strikes. Officials linked the exercise to India's Neighbourhood First policy and the MAHASAGAR vision, short for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.

"Preparing together and working together to enhance interoperability in disaster response, for saving lives, and restoring hope," the Embassy of India in Myanmar said during the exercise.

Exercise Rahat Mitra concluded after two days of drills

The Indian Army carried much of the ground work. Working alongside the Navy and the Air Force, its Flood Relief Columns and Engineer Task Forces showed how they rescue stranded people, pump water out of flooded areas and lay bridges to reconnect villages cut off by water.

Those three jobs usually come first after a disaster. Roads go under water, people are trapped and relief trucks cannot get through.

The programme went further than the Army demonstrations. According to Myanmar state media, the visiting delegation took part in table-top exercises built around a cyclone scenario, watched flood rescue teams at work and saw drones being used to search for survivors. Engineer teams showed temporary bridge construction and the clearing of obstacles from roads and tracks.

The air element was the most visual. Helicopters carried out search and rescue, dropped relief supplies from the air and evacuated injured people, with patients lifted on board using rescue hoists.

Field hospitals and relief stores on show

Myanmar's officers were also shown the equipment that follows the first rescue: emergency shelters, food supplies, communication sets, field hospitals and medical facilities. Indian Army, Navy and Air Force officers briefed the delegation on how each service runs its part of a relief operation. The idea was to show the whole relief chain, from the first rescue through to treatment, food and shelter.

A flight from Yangon and a dinner on board

The Myanmar delegation, made up of military officers and soldiers, flew out of Yangon International Airport on 4 November aboard an Indian military aircraft.

In Chennai, the delegation called on Rear Admiral Upal Kundu, Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area. Its members later attended a dinner hosted on board an Indian naval ship. The delegation flew home to Yangon on the afternoon of 7 November, again on an Indian military aircraft.

The drills ran over two days, 5 and 6 November, and Exercise Rahat Mitra concluded on the second day. The Indian Embassy in Myanmar gave a wider window of 5 to 7 November, covering the full visit.

The opening of Exercise Rahat Mitra on 5 November came on the same day that Tiger Triumph 2026, India's tri-service humanitarian exercise with the United States, closed at Visakhapatnam.

Built on real relief missions

India has already carried relief to Myanmar more than once. In May 2023, after Cyclone Mocha hit the country's coast, India launched Operation Karuna and sent Indian Navy ships loaded with food, tents, medicines and other relief material.

The bigger effort came in March 2025. A powerful earthquake struck central Myanmar on 28 March, and India responded quickly under Operation Brahma, flying in relief stores, search and rescue teams and an Army field hospital, while naval ships carried more supplies by sea.

Those missions were run under pressure, with little time to plan. Rahat Mitra let both sides rehearse that teamwork in advance, on a briefing table and on the ground rather than in the middle of a crisis.

The exercise also adds to a busy year of disaster relief training for the Indian armed forces. In August, the Indian Air Force and the Royal Thai Air Force held Exercise Siam Bharat 2026 at Agra, with the National Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Management Authority joining in.

Staff talks and simulators for the Myanmar Army

Rahat Mitra followed closely on the eighth India-Myanmar Army-to-Army Staff Talks at Nay Pyi Taw. The talks focused on joint training, exercises, capacity building and professional exchanges, the Indian Army said.

The Indian delegation also met the Chief of Armed Forces Training of the Myanmar Army. "Reaffirming India's commitment to capacity building, training simulators were handed over to the Myanmar Army, further reinforcing bilateral military ties and mutual trust," the Army said.