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India combined military diplomacy with a strong push for defence exports as the maiden edition of Exercise PRAGATI 2026 concluded at Umroi Military Station in Meghalaya on Saturday alongside a major indigenous defence industry exposition attended by military delegations from 13 Indian Ocean region nations.
The two-day defence equipment display, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Indian Army’s Eastern Command and Army Design Bureau, brought together 52 Indian defence firms, including 47 private-sector companies, MSMEs and start-ups. The exhibition was inaugurated by Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, Vice Chief of the Army Staff, who also hosted senior military leaders attending the multinational exercise.
Military delegations from Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam interacted directly with Indian defence manufacturers to explore potential procurement and collaboration opportunities.
The exhibition featured a wide range of indigenous systems, including drones and counter-drone technologies, surveillance equipment, secure communications, electronic warfare systems, robotic platforms, precision ammunition, artillery systems, air defence equipment and AI-enabled military solutions. The event was structured as a business-to-government platform aimed at expanding India’s defence export footprint among friendly nations in the Indian Ocean region.
The exposition coincided with the conclusion of Exercise PRAGATI (Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region), which brought together over 400 troops from 13 participating countries. The exercise focused on counter-terrorism operations in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain, culminating in a 72-hour validation exercise designed to test interoperability and operational coordination.
Troops trained together in specialised skills such as ambush and counter-ambush drills, slithering, jungle warfare, room intervention, improvised explosive device detection and casualty evacuation. Mixed teams drawn from participating armies conducted training collectively, enhancing interoperability and mutual confidence.
The exercise also provided a platform for bilateral military engagements. On the sidelines, the Vice Chief of the Army Staff met with representatives of participating nations to discuss avenues to expand defence cooperation.
By pairing a multinational field exercise with a large-scale indigenous defence exhibition, India sought to highlight both its growing military partnerships in the region and the expanding capabilities of its domestic defence industry. The Army said the initiative reinforced the country’s broader objective of promoting indigenous defence manufacturing while strengthening security cooperation among like-minded nations in the Indian Ocean region.
Team BharatShakti
