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The Indian Navy will host the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026 in New Delhi from November 3 to 5, bringing together maritime experts, scientists, academics and policymakers from 18 countries to explore cooperation in science, technology and research across the region.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will deliver the commemorative address on the second day, while Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh will deliver a special address. The conference will be held at the Manekshaw Centre in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), the Navy’s knowledge partner and principal organiser.
The 2026 edition will focus on the theme ‘Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’, with discussions spanning maritime domain awareness, protection of critical maritime infrastructure, oceanographic research, climate resilience, ocean governance and emerging maritime technologies.
The theme reflects the growing recognition that challenges such as climate change, disruptions to maritime supply chains, pressure on marine resources and threats to critical infrastructure transcend national boundaries and require coordinated regional responses. The dialogue will examine ways to strengthen joint research, technology development, scientific information-sharing and academic networks.
Five thematic sessions will address academic networks and human capital development; maritime situational awareness and critical infrastructure protection; oceanographic science and climate resilience; collaborative ocean governance; and transformative maritime technologies, including their dual-use implications.
The conference will also feature two special sessions. ‘Perspectives from the Flag Bridge’ will bring together former naval chiefs from India and Sri Lanka to discuss how the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) could be leveraged to deepen cooperation in science, technology and academic engagement across the Indian Ocean region. A separate ambassadorial interaction, titled ‘Sahyog Ka Samvaad’, will focus on diplomatic dialogue and cooperation.
IPRD is the Navy’s annual apex-level international outreach conference, intended to translate India’s broader maritime policy objectives into practical avenues for regional collaboration. Its deliberations are aligned with the seven thematic pillars of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok in November 2019. The initiative provides a framework for advancing India’s wider maritime vision of MAHASAGAR – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
The 2026 dialogue will place particular emphasis on identifying actionable proposals at national, sub-regional and regional levels. These could subsequently be pursued through existing bilateral, trilateral and multilateral mechanisms to strengthen maritime cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.
Team BharatShakti
