The Indian Navy will conduct the 2026 edition of the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD-2026), its annual apex-level international strategic dialogue, in New Delhi from November 3 to 5, 2026. Organised in association with the National Maritime Foundation, the Navy's knowledge partner and principal organiser, this year's conference is centred upon the theme 'Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific'.
The IPRD is the principal manifestation of the Indian Navy's annual international outreach at the strategic level, examining dimensions of the seven interconnected maritime lines of thrust of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok in November 2019. The dialogue seeks to translate the IPOI's broad framework for cooperation into specific, actionable proposals within India's maritime vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).
This year's theme reflects the contemporary maritime domain challenge where oceans are interconnected but scientific knowledge, technological capabilities and institutions remain unevenly distributed. The conference will address climate change, maritime trade and supply-chain vulnerabilities, pressure upon marine resources, and threats to critical maritime infrastructure that transcend national boundaries.
The three-day conference includes five professional thematic sessions addressing 'Academic Networks, Research, and Human Capital Development'; 'Maritime Situational Awareness and Protection of Critical Maritime Infrastructure'; 'Oceanographic Science and Climate Resilience'; 'Collaborative Approaches to Ocean Governance and Maritime Resilience'; and 'Transformative Maritime Technologies and Dual-Use Implications'. These deliberations will consider practical pathways for joint research, collaborative technology development, responsible governance, appropriate access to scientific data and stronger institutional partnerships.
The opening day will feature a special session titled 'Perspectives from the Flag Bridge' bringing together former naval chiefs from India and Sri Lanka, and a special ambassadorial interaction titled 'Sahyog Ka Samvaad'. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh is scheduled to deliver the Commemorative Address on the first day. The programme will feature contributions from maritime practitioners, scientists, academicians, policymakers and experts from 18 countries across the Indo-Pacific region.
Deliberations will concentrate on identifying specific, actionable measures at national, sub-regional, and pan-regional levels that could be addressed through existing mechanisms for bilateral, trilateral, and plurilateral structures designed to promote cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.