The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2025 (IPRD 2025) commenced on October 28, 2025, at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. Gathering leaders, policymakers, diplomats, and maritime experts from across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, the dialogue centers on the theme of ‘Promoting Holistic Maritime Security and Growth: Regional Capacity-Building and Capability-Enhancement’. It represents the Indian Navy’s flagship international outreach to address the pressing strategic and environmental challenges facing the vast maritime Indo-Pacific region.
Key Addresses and Discussions
The event launched with an inaugural address by Admiral Karambir Singh (Retd), former Chief of the Naval Staff, highlighting the complex strategic turbulence caused by Great Power Competition, non-State actors, and escalating non-traditional threats such as climate change. He advocated for a cooperative maritime architecture to address these challenges collectively.
The opening panel included distinguished speakers from Bangladesh, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, and South Africa, focusing on joint regional efforts to assess and mitigate security impacts of climate change in Indo-Pacific waters.
Commemorative and Special Highlights
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, current Chief of the Naval Staff, delivered the commemorative address emphasizing the centrality of the Indo-Pacific for India’s economic growth and security. He introduced India’s maritime policy framework called MAHASAGAR, emphasizing collaboration, cooperation, and mutual growth across the region’s oceanic spaces.
The dialogue also featured “Chaupal ki Charcha,” a session fostering open conversation among senior maritime leaders and diplomats including representatives from Germany, France, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), and the Netherlands. Their discussions reinforced the need for regional trust-building, information sharing, and a unified approach aligned with the MAHASAGAR vision.
A special academic highlight was the release of a special edition of Maritime Affairs, the flagship journal of the National Maritime Foundation, by Professor Christian Bueger from the University of Copenhagen.
Outlook and Significance
With over 40 speakers from 19 countries, IPRD 2025 serves as a premier platform fostering maritime cooperation and strategic collaboration. Future sessions will focus on practical measures for regional capacity-building, innovation, and cooperative frameworks under the evolving geopolitical dynamics of the Indo-Pacific.
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Source: PIB
