Moreh is a town in the Tengnoupal district of the Indian state of Manipur, situated on the India–Myanmar border. It lies opposite the Burmese town of Tamu in the Sagaing Region, and serves as one of the principal land trading points between India and Myanmar. Moreh is a key node on the Asian Highway network and on the proposed road corridor linking India with Southeast Asia under India's Act East Policy.
| Type | Border town |
|---|---|
| State | Manipur |
| District | Tengnoupal (formerly part of Chandel district) |
| Country | India |
| International border | India–Myanmar |
| Opposite town | Tamu, Sagaing Region, Myanmar |
| Major route | National Highway 102 (Asian Highway 1) |
Moreh lies in the southeastern part of Manipur, in the foothills bordering the Kabaw Valley of Myanmar. The town is connected to Imphal, the state capital, by a road of roughly 110 kilometres that passes through Pallel and the Tengnoupal hills. The Lokchao river flows in the vicinity, and the surrounding terrain is hilly and forested.
Moreh has a notably mixed population, reflecting its position as a trading hub. Communities settled in and around the town include the Meitei, Kuki, Naga, Tamils (descendants of traders who migrated from Burma after the disturbances of the 1960s), Nepalis, Punjabis, Marwaris, Bengalis and Burmese. The presence of a long-established Tamil community is reflected in the local Sri Angala Parameswari temple and Tamil Sangam in the town.
The town's economy is driven primarily by cross-border trade with Myanmar. Goods passing through Moreh include textiles, electronics, processed food, areca nut, and agricultural produce. A formal Indo-Myanmar border trade arrangement was signed in 1994, and Moreh was designated as one of the official Land Customs Stations for trade with Myanmar.
An Integrated Check Post (ICP) was developed at Moreh by the Land Ports Authority of India to streamline immigration, customs, and cargo facilities at the border. The town also benefits from the Free Movement Regime that has historically permitted residents of border areas to cross within a limited zone, though the regime has been periodically reviewed.
Moreh is the Indian terminus of National Highway 102 (formerly NH-39), which connects to Imphal, Kohima and Dimapur. It is part of Asian Highway 1 (AH1), the longest route in the Asian Highway Network, linking Tokyo to Istanbul. The town is a planned hub on the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway, intended to connect Moreh with Mae Sot in Thailand via Mandalay and Yangon.
Moreh developed as a small frontier settlement and grew in importance after Indian independence and the subsequent demarcation of the international boundary with Burma. A significant influx of Indian-origin residents from Burma, including Tamils, took place following political changes in Burma in the 1960s, when many returnees settled at Moreh due to its location on the border.
From the 1990s onward, the town gained strategic and economic prominence with the formalisation of border trade and the announcement of India's Look East (later Act East) Policy. Infrastructure projects, including upgrades to the Imphal–Moreh highway and the construction of the Integrated Check Post, followed in the 2000s and 2010s.
Moreh falls under the administration of Tengnoupal district, which was carved out of the larger Chandel district in 2016. Border management is handled by the Assam Rifles in coordination with the Manipur Police and central customs and immigration agencies. Two friendship bridges across the Lokchao area connect Moreh with Tamu on the Myanmar side.
As one of only a handful of formal land border points between India and Southeast Asia, Moreh is central to India's regional connectivity initiatives. Its role spans economic exchange, cultural contact between Northeast India and Myanmar, and security management of a sensitive international frontier.