Cooperation in the region consists of three layers. The conceptual layer defines aims and ethical principles; the political layer convenes stakeholders and aligns mandates; and the executive layer effectively implements actions at sea.
IPRD 2025 at New Delhi’s Manekshaw Centre brings together officials, naval leaders, and experts to strengthen maritime security and regional cooperation (Photo: File)
NEW DELHI: The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2025 (IPRD 2025), scheduled to take place at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi from October 28 to 30, will convene senior officials, naval leaders, diplomats, scholars, and industry experts from across the region to discuss practical ways of making the Indo-Pacific safer and more prosperous. Hosted by the Indian Navy in partnership with the National Maritime Foundation, this apex-level international conference marks another important milestone in India's commitment to advancing maritime cooperation. The theme for this year, "Promoting Holistic Maritime Security and Growth: Regional Capacity-Building and Capability Enhancement," reflects the need to move beyond abstract dialogue and towards concrete, implementable cooperation aimed at strengthening both physical and human dimensions of maritime security.
Capacity building relates to the tangible side of maritime governance, including developing and upgrading ports, surveillance platforms, infrastructure, and communications systems. Meanwhile, capability enhancement pertains to the human and organizational competencies necessary for effective maritime operations, encompassing training, exercises, protocols, and inter-agency coordination. Emphasizing both together addresses the challenges posed by intensified geopolitical competition, recent disruptions in global supply chains, and escalating climate risks affecting coasts, ports, and shipping lanes. The underlying premise of IPRD 2025 remains clear and consistent with past editions—security and growth go hand in hand and require strong, capable, and collaborative institutions.
Since 2022, successive IPRD gatherings have focused on the seven interlinked pillars of India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), which operationalizes the country's maritime doctrine of MAHASAGAR ("Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions"). Launched in 2019 at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok, IPOI delineates distinct areas of maritime effort such as security, ecology, connectivity, disaster risk reduction, and science and technology, all interconnected within a single network. While various countries have taken leadership roles across these verticals over the past six years, IPRD acts as a complementary platform that deliberates on leadership roles, applicable standards, information flow, and how discussions translate into tangible action in regional waters.
The evolution of IPRD has mirrored external realities. After initial meetings in 2018 and 2019, and a virtual iteration in 2021 due to the pandemic, recent editions have taken place in person with increasingly sharper focus. The 2022 conference concentrated on IPOI's key strategic priorities; the 2023 edition examined the geopolitical shifts shaping trade and connectivity; and the 2024 event investigated resource security, including fisheries, seabed mining, and offshore energy. The 2025 Dialogue weaves these strands together under a pragmatic question: what specific steps can broaden material capacity and deepen usable human capability across the Indo-Pacific's shared maritime spaces?
Cooperation in the region consists of three layers. The conceptual layer defines aims and ethical principles; the political layer convenes stakeholders and aligns mandates; and the executive layer effectively implements actions at sea. In this architecture, IPRD complements regional groupings such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and engages with operational networks like the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). With India resuming the chairmanship of IONS, New Delhi is positioned to harmonize standards, orchestrate exercises, and share operating pictures across the vast arc spanning from Africa's eastern coastline to the Pacific Rim. This alignment aims to render cooperation measurable, repeatable, and reliable even in times of crisis.
The conference's agenda reflects these priorities. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's commemorative address is expected to reaffirm India's commitment to a rules-based maritime order, underpinned by trust, transparency, and the judicious employment of technology. He will emphasize the need for interoperable capacity and disciplined law enforcement across this shared maritime domain. One innovative feature, "Chaupal ki Charcha," will bring together ambassadors and high commissioners in an informal, candid dialogue to discuss regional priorities. Professional sessions will focus on climate-driven security risks, resilience of ports and coastal communities, employing the blue economy as a foreign policy tool, and the critical strategic role of Pacific Island partnerships. The emphasis is on action-oriented conversations rather than mere problem diagnosis.
Additionally, a session moderated by the IORA Secretary-General, Sanjiv Ranjan, will explore how IONS, IORA, and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) can better synchronize their activities to reduce duplication and align mandates related to exercises, information sharing, and crisis response protocols. The National Maritime Foundation is also anticipated to formalize institutional collaborations with international partners and publish research that propels the dialogue from theory into practice.
Participation in IPRD 2025 spans over 20 countries, with representatives from Europe, Africa, West Asia, Southeast and East Asia, and the Pacific. This diverse mix of experienced practitioners, policy experts, early-career researchers, and students will help foster a vibrant talent pipeline to ensure that intellectual capital, skills, and institutional memory flow together to sustain regional maritime security efforts. Such a convergence of voices is essential for enriching deliberations with regional and local perspectives.
As IPRD 2025 approaches, the collective message from its organizers and participants is clear: prioritize execution rather than exhibition. There is a shared commitment to actionable progress, stronger coordination, and establishing a professional rhythm of joint action. Sustained in this spirit, the Indo-Pacific's waters will be steadier, trade routes more dependable, and coastal communities better protected—not by promises, but by concrete practice and cooperation.
Sruthylacshmi B. Bhat is a research associate at the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi. She can be contacted at irm2.nmf@gmail.com.
