Maritime outreach: Navy to host three-day Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue

The Indian Navy is set to host the 2026 Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) in New Delhi from November 3rd to 5th, bringing together naval leaders, policymakers, scientists, and maritime experts from 18 countries. The three-day conference, organised in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), will focus on the theme 'Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific'.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to deliver the commemorative address on the opening day. The annual conference serves as the Navy's principal international strategic outreach initiative, aiming to translate India's broader maritime cooperation framework into practical proposals. The dialogue is linked to the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, which identifies seven interconnected areas of maritime cooperation.

With a focus on science and technology, the dialogue addresses growing concerns over climate change, vulnerabilities in maritime supply chains, pressure on marine resources, and threats to critical maritime infrastructure. The programme will feature sessions on academic networks, maritime situational awareness, oceanographic science, collaborative approaches to ocean governance, and emerging maritime technologies.

Brief written by urgent.news from Times of India's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.