Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026 begins in New Delhi, focuses on science and technology cooperation

The Indian Navy’s annual apex-level international strategic dialogue, the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026 (IPRD-2026), commenced in New Delhi on November 3, with a focus on translating scientific advancement and institutional partnerships into practical regional cooperation.

Organised in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), the Navy’s knowledge partner, the three-day conference is being held on the theme ‘Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’.

The opening day established the central question of the dialogue: how the Indo-Pacific can translate scientific knowledge and technological innovation into enduring institutional cooperation, stronger maritime capabilities and shared regional resilience, according to a press release by the Ministry of Defence.

The proceedings began with the inaugural address by Adm Dinesh K Tripathi (Retd), Chairman, NMF, and former Chief of the Naval Staff. This was followed by a special address by VAdm Biswajit Dasgupta (Retd), National Maritime Security Coordinator, Government of India.

Academic networks and human capital development

 The first session focused on ‘Academic Networks, Research, and Human Capital Development’. Moderated by VAdm Sanjay Mahindru (Retd), former Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, the session featured perspectives from France, Indonesia, Japan and Maldives.

It explored the potential for establishing 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 discussed closer links among think tanks, universities and governments. A monograph titled ‘Sea Blindness and Maritime Heritage in India’ was released at the conclusion of the session.

Maritime domain awareness and protection of critical infrastructure

The second professional session, ‘Maritime Situational Awareness and Protection of Critical Maritime Infrastructure’, highlighted contemporary maritime-awareness challenges associated with protecting seaborne trade and critical undersea infrastructure.

Moderated by VAdm Tarun Sobti (Retd), former Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, the session examined the opportunities and challenges associated with the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), particularly the practical requirements of information-sharing.

It also explored the development of a cooperative Indo-Pacific architecture for underwater domain awareness and included perspectives from the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) on cooperative approaches to protecting critical maritime infrastructure.

Together, the two professional sessions examined how technological systems and scientific partnerships could 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.

Special ambassadorial interaction

The day’s programme also featured ‘Sahyog Ka Samvaad’, a special ambassadorial interaction with HE Ms Mahishini Colonne, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka; HE Mr Josel F Ignacio, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Philippines; and HE Mrs May-Elin Stener, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway.

The interaction was hosted and moderated by VAdm Pradeep Chauhan (Retd), Director-General, NMF.

The first day of IPRD-2026 concluded with enthusiastic audience participation and several actionable policy recommendations on fostering regional cooperation in science and technology and knowledge-sharing through academic collaboration.

-PIB Inputs

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