The Indian Navy’s annual strategic dialogue, the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026, commenced in New Delhi on November 3, bringing together maritime experts, diplomats and strategic thinkers to discuss regional cooperation in science, technology and research.
Organised in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), the three-day conference is centred on the theme, ‘Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’.
The inaugural proceedings featured addresses by former Navy Chief and NMF Chairman Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi (Retd) and National Maritime Security Coordinator Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (Retd).
The first session explored academic networks, research and human capital development, with perspectives from France, Indonesia, Japan and Maldives. Discussions focused on building an Indian Ocean academic network and strengthening partnerships between universities, think tanks and governments.
Another key session examined maritime situational awareness and the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, including information-sharing under the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) and cooperation in underwater domain awareness.
The dialogue also featured an ambassadorial interaction with representatives from Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Norway.
IPRD 2026 aims to translate scientific advancements and institutional partnerships into practical cooperation, strengthen maritime capabilities and build regional resilience across the Indo-Pacific.