Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026

Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue Latest News

The Indian Navy will host the 2026 edition of the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) in New Delhi from November 3 to 5.

About Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 

• IPRD is the Indian Navy’s annual apex-level international strategic dialogue. 
• The idea of an annual IPRD was first conceptualised and conducted in 2018 as the apex-level conference of the Indian Navy.
• It is organised in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), the Navy’s knowledge partner. 
• IPRD seeks to translate the broad framework of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) into specific, actionable proposals. 
• IPRD also supports India’s maritime vision of MAHASAGAR-Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
• IPRD 2026:
  • It is the eighth edition of the IPRD.
  • Venue: Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. 
  • Theme: Science, Technology, and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. 
  • Notably, IPRD-2026 will expand its focus beyond traditional STEM disciplines to incorporate social sciences, life sciences, and the humanities into maritime deliberations. 
  • The three-day conference will bring together maritime practitioners, scientists, academicians, policymakers, and experts from 18 countries across the Indo-Pacific to formulate actionable proposals for regional cooperation. 
  • Five thematic sessions will be held during the conference. They will focus on
    • joint research, research networks, and human development; 
    • protection of critical maritime infrastructure and enhanced monitoring; 
    • climate resilience and ocean dynamics; 
    • maritime resilience and responsible management; and 
    • dual-use maritime technologies and their implications.
  • The event aims to identify concrete, solution-oriented measures across national, sub-regional, and pan-regional tiers. 

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What is the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)? 

• PM Narendra Modi proposed the IPOI at the East Asia Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 4, 2019.  
• As an open global initiative, the IPOI draws on existing regional cooperation architecture and mechanisms to focus on seven central pillars. They are: 
  • Maritime security
  • Maritime ecology
  • Maritime resources
  • Capacity building and resource sharing
  • Disaster risk reduction and management
  • Science, technology, and academic cooperation
  • Trade connectivity and maritime transport.

Key Facts about National Maritime Foundation

• It is the nation’s first maritime think tank for the conduct of independent and policy-relevant research on all ‘matters maritime’.  
• The foundation was inaugurated on the 15th of February, 2005.
• It was, from its very inception, designed to create and heighten maritime awareness amongst India’s policymakers, intellectual echelons, and civil society at large.  
• While the NMF is an independent and autonomous think tank, its intellectual and organisational development is supported by the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Navy. 

News: TH