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The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026 (IPRD-2026), the Indian Navy's annual apex-level international strategic dialogue, commenced on November 3, 2026 at New Delhi. Organised in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), the Navy's knowledge partner, the three-day conference is examining 'Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific', with particular emphasis on translating scientific advancement and institutional partnerships into practical regional cooperation.
The opening day of IPRD-2026 established the central question of the dialogue: 'How the Indo-Pacific can turn scientific knowledge and technological innovation into enduring institutional cooperation, stronger maritime capabilities and shared regional resilience.'
The proceedings began with the Inaugural Address by Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi (Retd), Chairman NMF, and former Chief of the Naval Staff. This was followed by a Special Address by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (Retd), National Maritime Security Coordinator, Govt of India.
The first session of IPRD-2026 focused upon the theme, 'Academic Networks, Research, and Human Capital Development'. This session was moderated by Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru (Retd), former Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, and featured perspectives from France, Indonesia, Japan and Maldives. It explored the potential for a wider Indian Ocean academic network, including cooperation among universities in Indo-Pacific coastal cities, and examined social-science research networks in the Indian Ocean. The session also explored closer links among think tanks, universities and governments. A monograph entitled, 'Sea Blindness and Maritime Heritage in India', was also released upon culmination of this session.
The second professional session of the day, 'Maritime Situational Awareness and Protection of Critical Maritime Infrastructure', highlighted the breadth of the contemporary maritime-awareness challenges associated with the protection of seaborne trade and critical undersea infrastructure. Moderated by Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti (Retd), former Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, it examined the opportunities and challenges associated with the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), particularly the practical requirements of information-sharing, and explored the development of cooperative Indo-Pacific architecture for underwater domain awareness. The session also included views from the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) on cooperative approaches to the protection of critical maritime infrastructure.
Together, the two professional sessions examined how technological systems and scientific partnerships can be made operationally useful by strengthening maritime information-sharing, safeguarding critical infrastructure, improving access to oceanographic knowledge, and enabling a more coordinated response to climate-related risks.
The day's programme also featured 'Sahyog Ka Samvaad', a special ambassadorial interaction with HE Ms Mahishini Colonne, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka; Josel F. Ignacio, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Philippines; and Mrs May-Elin Stener, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway. This interaction was hosted and moderated by Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan (Retd), Director-General, NMF.
The first day of IPRD-2026 ended on a highly optimistic note, with enthusiastic participation from the audience, that presented several actionable policy recommendations on fostering regional cooperation in science and technology, and knowledge sharing through academic collaboration.
