Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth inaugurated the multinational Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) on October 07, 2026, which is scheduled to be conducted off Paradip on October 08, 2026. The exercise features participation and observation from 32 delegates representing 30 foreign friendly nations, demonstrating international commitment to enhancing maritime safety cooperation across the region.
The event highlights India's comprehensive approach to maritime security involving multiple agencies including the Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Coastal Police, Ports, Civil Agencies, and the Shipping Community, emphasizing a Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Nation approach. India has significantly advanced its satellite-aided Search and Rescue capabilities through technological evolution from Low Earth Orbit Search and Rescue (LEOSAR) to Geostationary Search and Rescue (GEOSAR) and now to Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue (MEOSAR), achieving full operations capability of the Indian Earth Orbit Local User Terminal (MEOLUT).
The 24th National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board Meeting was convened on the same day under the chairmanship of Director General Paramesh Sivamani, DG Indian Coast Guard and Chairman of NMSAR Board. The board reviewed maritime Search and Rescue operations preparedness across India's 4.6 million square kilometer Search and Rescue Region (ISRR), with deliberations focusing on technological integration, real-time information sharing, distress-alert management, vessel tracking, and inter-agency coordination. The meeting also presented the National Maritime Search & Rescue Awards 2026, recognizing exemplary efforts in saving lives at sea.
SAREX-2026 serves as a multi-agency exercise designed to validate operational preparedness, enhance international interoperability, test joint response mechanisms, and foster exchange of best practices, with preservation of life at sea as the paramount objective. The exercise operationalizes lessons derived from past missions and multi-agency exercises to enhance mission readiness and response capabilities.