At the seventh Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2025, diplomats and naval experts highlighted deepening partnerships in maritime infrastructure and regional cooperation to counter escalating security challenges across the Indian Ocean and beyond.German Ambassador Dr. Philipp Ackermann praised India's rapid naval buildup as a cornerstone for bilateral collaboration. "I think when we talk about capacities and capabilities, India and Germany are a good match, because you also have capacities and capabilities". He added,&nbsp; "India has them in the region, you know, in a very, very impressive way. And when you look at India, the speed at which you build up this maritime infrastructure is quite fantastic," and it is "getting better by the year, I would say. And that's one anchor, I would say, that really makes us good partners, because we can, together with our Indian partners, use this infrastructure in order to pursue our common goals in the Indo Pacific." The dialogue focused on India's role in bridging Western and Eastern Indian Ocean dynamics through subregional frameworks. BIMSTEC Secretary General Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey positioned the organization as a vital connector. "Cooperation in the Indo Pacific, when we actually want to forge at the ground level, it will happen through regional and sub-regional organisation. So BIMSTEC, located in the center of Indo Pacific, on one side we have the Indian Ocean Rim Association, Indian Ocean commission and some other organizations. On the other side we have ASEAN, Pacific Islands Forum and a number of other organizations, like the Mekong ganga Cooperation Framework".&nbsp;The solution, he argued, is deliberate bridge-building. BIMSTEC has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Ocean Rim Association “so that we can work together in the areas where we have convergence,” he noted. Launched in 1997, the BIMSTEC group began with two Southeast Asian members—Myanmar and Thailand—alongside three from South Asia: India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Nepal and Bhutan joined later,Southern Africa's vulnerabilities added urgency to the discussions. Captain Mark Blaine (Retd), South African Navy, detailed spillover risks threatening coastal stability. "Southern African Development Community or SADC littoral states face spill-over threats from the Red Sea, Horn of Africa and Gulf of Guinea, while land volatility in DR Congo, Mozambique and Angola—and political turmoil in Mozambique, DR Congo and Madagascar—compounds insecurity at&nbsp;sea," Blaine noted. On governance, he pointed out that SADC maritime cooperation is anchored by the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security and its Ministerial Committee, supported by the SADC Standing Maritime Committee and defence sub-committees.Hosted by India's National Maritime Foundation and the Indian Navy, the IPRD convened over 20 nations to address piracy, illegal fishing, and geopolitical tensions. Speakers emphasized joint exercises, technology sharing, and inclusive forums like BIMSTEC to build resilience.

The dialogue focused on Indian role in bridging Western and Eastern Indian Ocean dynamics through subregional frameworks. BIMSTEC Secretary General Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey positioned the organization as a vital connector.

At the seventh Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2025, diplomats and naval experts highlighted deepening partnerships in maritime infrastructure and regional cooperation to counter escalating security challenges across the Indian Ocean and beyond. German Ambassador Dr. Philipp Ackermann praised India's rapid naval buildup as a cornerstone for bilateral collaboration. "I think when we talk about capacities and capabilities, India and Germany are a good match, because you also have capacities and capabilities". He added, "India has them in the region, you know, in a very, very impressive way. And when you look at India, the speed at which you build up this maritime infrastructure is quite fantastic," and it is "getting better by the year, I would say. And that's one anchor, I would say, that really makes us good partners, because we can, together with our Indian partners, use this infrastructure in order to pursue our common goals in the Indo Pacific." The dialogue focused on India's role in bridging Western and Eastern Indian Ocean dynamics through subregional frameworks. BIMSTEC Secretary General Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey positioned the organization as a vital connector. "Cooperation in the Indo Pacific, when we actually want to forge at the ground level, it will happen through regional and sub-regional organisation. So BIMSTEC, located in the center of Indo Pacific, on one side we have the Indian Ocean Rim Association, Indian Ocean commission and some other organizations. On the other side we have ASEAN, Pacific Islands Forum and a number of other organizations, like the Mekong ganga Cooperation Framework". The solution, he argued, is deliberate bridge-building. BIMSTEC has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Ocean Rim Association “so that we can work together in the areas where we have convergence,” he noted. Launched in 1997, the BIMSTEC group began with two Southeast Asian members—Myanmar and Thailand—alongside three from South Asia: India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Nepal and Bhutan joined later, Southern Africa's vulnerabilities added urgency to the discussions. Captain Mark Blaine (Retd), South African Navy, detailed spillover risks threatening coastal stability. "Southern African Development Community or SADC littoral states face spill-over threats from the Red Sea, Horn of Africa and Gulf of Guinea, while land volatility in DR Congo, Mozambique and Angola—and political turmoil in Mozambique, DR Congo and Madagascar—compounds insecurity at sea," Blaine noted. On governance, he pointed out that SADC maritime cooperation is anchored by the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security and its Ministerial Committee, supported by the SADC Standing Maritime Committee and defence sub-committees. Hosted by India's National Maritime Foundation and the Indian Navy, the IPRD convened over 20 nations to address piracy, illegal fishing, and geopolitical tensions. Speakers emphasized joint exercises, technology sharing, and inclusive forums like BIMSTEC to build resilience.

The dialogue focused on India's role in bridging Western and Eastern Indian Ocean dynamics through subregional frameworks. BIMSTEC Secretary General Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey positioned the organization as a vital connector.

India, Germany, and BIMSTEC focus on maritime ties at Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, India is positioning trust as the cornerstone of regional maritime cooperation, convening global leaders to prioritise collaboration over confrontation. At the inaugural Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2025, hosted by the Indian Navy and the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) in New Delhi, Admiral Karambir Singh (Retd.), NMF chairman and former naval chief, emphasised transparency and shared goals as vital to countering rivalries. “Trust cannot be built overnight; it grows through transparency, consistent engagement and shared purpose,” Admiral Singh told delegates. “Collaborative security is not an aspiration; it is an operational necessity.”The three-day forum, drawing 42 speakers from 23 countries under the theme “Promoting Holistic Maritime Security and Growth: Regional Capacity-Building and Capability-Enhancement,” focuses on practical partnerships among navies, coast guards, industry and academics. Admiral Singh portrayed the Indo-Pacific as “a strategic geography where the destinies of nations, big and small, are increasingly intertwined,” advocating India's inclusive vision rooted in “shared peace, prosperity and collaborative security.”He linked India's evolving policies, from SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) to MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), asserting: “Security and growth in the region must be pursued together. This dual pursuit was at the heart of India’s maritime policy of SAGAR, which today finds expression in MAHASAGAR.” Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, NMF director general, reinforced the rules-based maritime order as “a web of agreements freely entered into by nations,” defining the region as stretching “from the eastern seaboard of Africa across West Asia and the Indian Ocean into the Pacific.”Distinguishing between hardware and human elements, Admiral Singh stressed: “While both are vital, in much of the Indo-Pacific it is capability rather than capacity that remains the more urgent need. It is here that collaboration, partnerships and knowledge-sharing can make a real and telling difference.” He highlighted a new Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence with King’s College London, noting, “hardware without humanware achieves little.”Described in the NMF's concept note as a “doing conference” designed to co-develop policy blueprints and capacity-enhancing solutions, the dialogue addresses climate impacts, supply-chain resilience, the Blue Economy and underwater infrastructure protection. Admiral Singh called for advancing “from sharing data to sharing understanding,” via AI and big-data analytics, while cautioning that “cybersecurity at sea is now as critical as physical security.” He advocated collaboration in green shipbuilding and AI navigation.Coinciding with India's chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and Naval Symposium through 2027, the event positions New Delhi as a trust-building convener. “Let this Dialogue reaffirm our collective belief that the Indo-Pacific must remain free, open, inclusive and secure for generations to come,” Admiral Singh said, as he reminded the gathering, in turbulent waters, partnerships, transparency, and shared purpose are the only true lifelines. With 30 foreign participants, including ambassadors and strategists, IPRD 2025 aims to convert discourse into action, signalling India's push for conversations on issues that impact the Indo-Pacific and the role the Indian Navy can play in it.

The three-day forum, drawing 42 speakers from 23 countries under the theme “Promoting Holistic Maritime Security and Growth: Regional Capacity-Building and Capability-Enhancement,” focuses on practical partnerships among navies, coast guards, industry and academics.

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, India is positioning trust as the cornerstone of regional maritime cooperation, convening global leaders to prioritise collaboration over confrontation. At the inaugural Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2025, hosted by the Indian Navy and the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) in New Delhi, Admiral Karambir Singh (Retd.), NMF chairman and former naval chief, emphasised transparency and shared goals as vital to countering rivalries. “Trust cannot be built overnight; it grows through transparency, consistent engagement and shared purpose,” Admiral Singh told delegates. “Collaborative security is not an aspiration; it is an operational necessity.” The three-day forum, drawing 42 speakers from 23 countries under the theme “Promoting Holistic Maritime Security and Growth: Regional Capacity-Building and Capability-Enhancement,” focuses on practical partnerships among navies, coast guards, industry and academics. Admiral Singh portrayed the Indo-Pacific as “a strategic geography where the destinies of nations, big and small, are increasingly intertwined,” advocating India's inclusive vision rooted in “shared peace, prosperity and collaborative security.” He linked India's evolving policies, from SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) to MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), asserting: “Security and growth in the region must be pursued together. This dual pursuit was at the heart of India’s maritime policy of SAGAR, which today finds expression in MAHASAGAR.” Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, NMF director general, reinforced the rules-based maritime order as “a web of agreements freely entered into by nations,” defining the region as stretching “from the eastern seaboard of Africa across West Asia and the Indian Ocean into the Pacific.” Distinguishing between hardware and human elements, Admiral Singh stressed: “While both are vital, in much of the Indo-Pacific it is capability rather than capacity that remains the more urgent need. It is here that collaboration, partnerships and knowledge-sharing can make a real and telling difference.” He highlighted a new Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence with King’s College London, noting, “hardware without humanware achieves little.” Described in the NMF's concept note as a “doing conference” designed to co-develop policy blueprints and capacity-enhancing solutions, the dialogue addresses climate impacts, supply-chain resilience, the Blue Economy and underwater infrastructure protection. Admiral Singh called for advancing “from sharing data to sharing understanding,” via AI and big-data analytics, while cautioning that “cybersecurity at sea is now as critical as physical security.” He advocated collaboration in green shipbuilding and AI navigation. Coinciding with India's chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and Naval Symposium through 2027, the event positions New Delhi as a trust-building convener. “Let this Dialogue reaffirm our collective belief that the Indo-Pacific must remain free, open, inclusive and secure for generations to come,” Admiral Singh said, as he reminded the gathering, in turbulent waters, partnerships, transparency, and shared purpose are the only true lifelines. With 30 foreign participants, including ambassadors and strategists, IPRD 2025 aims to convert discourse into action, signalling India's push for conversations on issues that impact the Indo-Pacific and the role the Indian Navy can play in it.

The three-day forum, drawing 42 speakers from 23 countries under the theme “Promoting Holistic Maritime Security and Growth: Regional Capacity-Building and Capability-Enhancement,” focuses on practical partnerships among navies, coast guards, industry and academics.

India pushes trust as anchor for Indo-Pacific security at key New Delhi forum

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India, Germany, and BIMSTEC focus on maritime ties at Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue

India pushes trust as anchor for Indo-Pacific security at key New Delhi forum