Exercise Maitree 2025: India-Thailand Armies Train Together in Meghalaya

The Indian and Thai armies are set to conduct a joint military exercise titled ‘Maitree’ at the Umroi cantonment in Meghalaya. This joint military exercise will focus on enhancing operational readiness for joint counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban terrain under the auspices of a UN mandate. The exercise will take place five years after the last of its kind in Tak Province, Thailand. The exercise demonstrates the resilience of India-Thailand defence ties moving forward, as illustrated through naval patrols, exchanges of officer training positions, and regional stability with Thailand’s Act West policy aligning with India’s Act East Strategy.
Key points :

• Exercise Name & Edition: Maitree, 14th edition.
• Dates & Location: September 1–14; Foreign Training Node, Umroi, Meghalaya.
• Focus: Enhance operational readiness for joint counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban terrain, in an occupation governed by a UN mandate.
• Importance: Five year absence returning to India; last exercise in Tak Province, Thailand.
• Last Participation Level: 76 soldiers each from India’s Ladakh Scouts and Thailand’s 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment.
• Defence Cooperation: Defence dialogues, joint naval patrols, joint officer training exchanges, and multilateral military exercises.
• Strategic Context: Thailand’s ‘Act West’ aligns with India’s ‘Act East’ strategy for regional stability, maritime security and improvement in defence cooperation.