About Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD):
- 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.
What is the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)?
- The Prime Minister of India has 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 (NMF):
- 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.
