Borders of India


The Republic of India shares borders with several sovereign countries; it shares land borders with China, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan share both land borders as well as maritime borders, while Sri Lanka shares only a maritime border through Ram Setu. India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia.

Borders

Policy

India lacks an official National Border Policy. For strategic national interests, there are suggestions that India should develop a National Border Policy to address border-related issues comprehensively. Not just the fencing of open borders, but also to deal with the negative consequences of porous borders. For example, the India-Nepal border is an open border with no fence, which has reportedly been misused by Pakistan's ISI to create tensions in India.

Land

Barriers

India has constructed fences along the following borders:
  • India-Bangladesh border barrier
  • India–Myanmar border barrier
  • India-Pakistan border barrier

Borders

India shares land borders with six sovereign nations. The state's Ministry of Home Affairs also recognizes a land border with a seventh nation, Afghanistan, as part of its claim on the Kashmir region; however, this is disputed and the region bordering Afghanistan has been administered by Pakistan as part of Gilgit-Baltistan since 1947.
Land Border CountryDisputeLength and ForceComments
Bangladeshconvert|4096|km|mi|abbr=

Border ceremonies

India co-hosts the joint ceremonies with the neighbouring nations at the following border crossings. The most attended and emotionally charged among these is the one at Wagha-Attari Border near Amritsar-Lahore.
BorderCeremony LocationsNotes
India-Pakistan borderAttari–Wagah border ceremony near Amritsar in Punjab.Most attended and emotionally charged ceremony
India-Pakistan borderGanda Singh Wala–Hussainiwala border ceremony near Firozepur in Punjab.
India-Pakistan borderSadqi-Sulemanki border ceremony near Fazilka in Punjab.
India-Pakistan borderKhokhrapar–Munabao border ceremony in Barmer district of Rajasthan.
India-China borderDaulat Beg OldiBorder Personnel Meeting Point
India-China borderSpanggur Gap Border Personnel Meeting point
India-China borderNathu LaUsed for pilgrims to monasteries in Sikkim; reduces journey time to Lake Manasarovar
India-China borderBum La Pass Open on Sundays and during cultural ceremonies
India-China borderKaho, India Border Personnel Meeting point
India-Bangladesh borderBenapole–Petrapole border ceremonyDaily joint ceremony by Border Security Force and Border Guards Bangladesh

Maritime borders and EEZs

Maritime borders of India are the maritime boundary recognized by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea entails boundaries of territorial waters, contiguous zones, and exclusive economic zones. India, with its claim of a territorial maritime zone and exclusive economic zone, has a more than maritime border shared with seven nations.
Maritime Border CountryLength and ForceComments
Bangladesh

Designated border crossings

The .

Integrated Check Posts (ICP)

India has 7 functional ICPs, and plans are underway to upgrade 13 more LCS to ICP, including 7 at borders taking total of border ICP to 14, at the cost of. Designated Integrated Check Posts, with both customs and immigration facilities are:
BorderStateCheck PostStatusNotesReferences
India–BangladeshAssamSutarkandiPlannedConnects to Golapganj uppozilla in Sylhet District
India–BangladeshMeghalayaDawki ICPOperational since 2018Connects to Tambil post
India–BangladeshMizoramKawrpuichhuah Operational since Oct 2017On Khawthalangtuipui river
India–BangladeshTripuraAgartalaAkhauraOperational Connects to Dhaka
India–BangladeshTripuraBelonia–ParshuramRoad and rail crossing
India–BangladeshWest BengalPetrapoleOperational Connects Kolkata to Dhaka
India–BangladeshWest BengalGhojadangaPlanned
India–BangladeshWest BengalMahadipurIn-principle approval Connects to Rajshahi
India–BangladeshWest BengalFulbariPlanned
India–BangladeshWest BengalHiliPlanned
India–BhutanWest BengalJaigaonPlan approved In Alipurduar district
India–MyanmarManipurMoreh ICPOperational
India–MyanmarMizoramZochawchhuah–ZorinpuiOperational since Oct 2017On Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project
India–NepalUttarakhandBanbasaIn-principle approval In Champawat district
India–NepalBiharBhitthamoreIn-principle approval In Sitamarhi district
India–NepalBiharJogbani
India–NepalWest BengalPanitankiIn-principle approval In Darjeeling district
India–NepalBiharRaxaul
India–NepalUttar PradeshSonauli
India–NepalUttar PradeshRupaidiha
India–NepalUttar PradeshTaulihawa-Siddharthnagar
India–PakistanPunjabAttariOperational At Wagah
India–PakistanPunjabKartarpur CorridorVisa-free access to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib
India–PakistanRajasthanMunabao

Land Customs Stations (LCS)

BorderStateLand Customs StationConnecting To StatusNotesReferences
India–BangladeshAssamMankacharRowmari post Functional
India–BangladeshAssamKarimganj Steamer and Ferry Station Zakiganj post Functional
India–BangladeshAssamGuwahati Steamer Ghat Functional
India–BangladeshAssamDhubri Steamer GhatRowmati Functional
India–BangladeshAssamMahisasan railway stationShahbazpur Non-functional
India–BangladeshAssamGolokganjSonahaat Non-functional
India–BangladeshAssamSilchar Railway Mail ServiceNon-functionalInland LCS
India–BangladeshMeghalayaBaghmara Bijoyour postFunctional
India–BangladeshMeghalayaBholaganjChatak Functional
India–BangladeshMeghalayaBorsara Borsara postFunctional
India–BangladeshMeghalayaMahendraganjBakshiganjFunctionalOn NH12
India–BangladeshMeghalayaDaluNakugaon postFunctionalOn NH217
India–BangladeshMeghalayaShellabazarSunamganj Functional
India–BangladeshMeghalayaGasuaparaKaroitol Functional
India–BangladeshMeghalayaRyngku Kalibari Non-functional
India–BangladeshMeghalayaBalat Dolura Non-functional
India–BangladeshTripuraSrimantapurBibir Bazar OperationalBecame operational January 2016
India–BangladeshTripuraDhalaighatKumarghat Functional
India–BangladeshTripuraKhowaighatBalla Functional
India–BangladeshTripuraManuChatlapur Functional
India–BangladeshTripuraMuhurighatBelonia Functional
India–BangladeshTripuraOld RagnabazarBetul Functional
India–BangladeshMizoramKawarpuchiahOperationalOpened October 2017 by PM Modi
India–BangladeshMizoramDemagiriRangamati Non-functional
India–PakistanRajasthanLongewalaIn Jaisalmer district

Border markets

This is incomplete list of designated border markets, also called bazaars and haats, established by the efforts of Ministry of External Affairs.

India–Bangladesh

StateDistrictLocationReference
MeghalayaEast Khasi Hills districtBalat
MeghalayaEast Khasi Hills districtBholaganj
MeghalayaSouth West Garo Hills districtKalaichar
MeghalayaSouth West Garo Hills districtRyngku
MeghalayaWest Garo Hills districtNalikata
MeghalayaWest Garo Hills districtShibbari
MizoramMamit districtMapara - Longkor
MizoramMamit districtTuipuibari - Not provided
MizoramLunglei districtSilsury - Mahmuam
MizoramLunglei districtNunsuri - Not provided
TripuraWest Tripura districtKamalasagar
TripuraWest Tripura districtBoxanagar
TripuraWest Tripura districtBamutia
TripuraSouth Tripura districtSrinagar, Tripura
TripuraSouth Tripura districtEkimpur
TripuraNorth Tripura districtPal Basti
TripuraNorth Tripura districtHiracherra
TripuraNorth Tripura districtKamalpur, Tripura

India–Bhutan

India-Bhutan Border Haat on India-Bhutan border are in operation, such as the Gelephu-Hatisar border market road entry point, Phuntsholing to its west and Samdrup Jongkhar to its east are two other border market road entry points into Bhutan.

India–Myanmar

India–Myanmar border Haats are.
StateDistrictIndian LocationMyanmar LocationReference
Arunachal PradeshChanglang districtPangsau Pass Pangsau, Kachin State
Arunachal PradeshChanglang districtChingsa Langhong, Kachin State
Arunachal PradeshChanglang districtMakantong Ngaimong, Kachin State
Arunachal PradeshTirap districtWakka/Pongchao/LazuTirap, Kachin State
ManipurUkhrul districtKongkan ThanaAungci
ManipurChandel districtNew SomtalThenjen, or Khampat
ManipurChurachandpur districtBehiangKhenman, or Chikha
MizoramLawngtlai districtHruitezawlVarang
MizoramChamphai districtHnahlanDarkhai
MizoramChamphai districtVaphaiLeilet
MizoramSiaha districtChakhangNviaphia
NagalandTuensang districtAvakhungLayshi
NagalandTuensang districtPangshaLahe/Hkamti District HQ
NagalandMon districtChemoho/LongwaLahe
NagalandPhek districtMolhePansat

In popular media

Pradeep Damodaran's book Borderlands: Travels Across India's Boundaries chronicles all land borders of India. The Bollywood director J. P. Dutta has specialised in making Hindi movies with India's border as a key element of the theme, his movies are Border, Refugee, LOC: Kargil, Paltan, etc.