IPRD 2026: Navy to host Indo-Pacific dialogue

The Indian Navy will hold IPRD 2026, the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue, from 3 to 5 November 2026 at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi on the theme “Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific”, the Ministry of Defence said through PIB on 23 October.

IPRD 2026: Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026 announcement image released by the Indian Navy — Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2026 announcement image released by the Indian Navy Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

What IPRD 2026 will focus on

The dialogue is the Navy’s annual apex-level international outreach conference, pitched at the strategic level, and is organised with the National Maritime Foundation, the Navy’s knowledge partner. The ministry said the theme reflects a basic feature of the maritime domain: the oceans are interconnected, but the science, technology and institutions needed to understand and manage them are unevenly spread. Science will include life sciences and social sciences as well as physical sciences, so climate change, maritime trade, supply-chain vulnerabilities, pressure on marine resources and threats to critical maritime infrastructure will all be discussed. Earlier editions examined India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok in 2019. The IPRD is meant to turn the broad framework of that initiative into specific, actionable proposals, the ministry said, giving second- and third-order detail to India’s maritime policy.

Key Facts

Dates: 3 to 5 November 2026
Venue: Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi
Theme: Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
Participants: experts from 18 countries
Sessions: 5 professional, 2 special, 2 ministerial

Indian Navy sessions and themes

The three days will include five professional sessions, the ministry said: 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. Talks will consider practical paths for joint research, technology development, responsible governance, access to scientific data and stronger institutional partnerships. Two special sessions are planned. “Perspectives from the Flag Bridge” will bring together former naval chiefs from India and Sri Lanka on the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, and “Sahyog Ka Samvaad” will be an interaction with ambassadors.

Rajnath Singh and Jitendra Singh to speak

The second day will include two ministerial sessions, PIB said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will deliver the Commemorative Address, and Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, will give a special address. Maritime practitioners, scientists, academics, policymakers and experts from 18 countries across the Indo-Pacific will take part. The ministry said this edition places strong emphasis on solution-oriented dialogue, aiming to identify specific, actionable measures at national, sub-regional and regional levels that can then be taken up through bilateral, trilateral and plurilateral mechanisms. The dialogue also links to India’s maritime vision, MAHASAGAR. PIB said the measures identified would later be taken up in greater detail through existing engagement mechanisms.

Why It Matters: The dialogue shapes how India works with Indo-Pacific partners on ocean science, undersea infrastructure and maritime security.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Defence, 23 Oct 2026 · National Maritime Foundation · Indian Navy