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

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 atsea," 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.