Panaji: The 5th Edition of the Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC-26) was successfully conducted at Naval War College, Goa on 21 February 2026, bringing together Chiefs of Navies and senior maritime leaders from 15 Indian Ocean Region nations to deliberate on pressing maritime security challenges.
The conclave reaffirmed the collective commitment of regional partners to strengthen cooperative mechanisms aimed at addressing common Maritime Security Challenges in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Organised by the Indian Navy under the overarching theme “Common Maritime Security Challenges in the IOR – Progressing Lines of Efforts (LsOE) to Mitigate Dynamic Threats”, GMC-26 underscored India’s continued role as a convenor of structured maritime dialogue and an enabler of collaborative security architecture in the region.
Conducted in consonance with the Prime Minister’s vision of “MAHASAGAR – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions”, the conclave provided a structured platform for deliberations focused on actionable outcomes and collaborative implementation frameworks to address evolving Maritime Security Challenges.
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Keynote Address Emphasises Coordinated Response
In his keynote address, Arun Prakash (Retd), former Chief of Naval Staff, highlighted that the evolving maritime security environment demands synchronised regional responses anchored in real-time information exchanges, institutionalised coordination mechanisms and sustained capacity development.
He emphasised that addressing Maritime Security Challenges such as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, trafficking networks and other transnational maritime crimes requires collective ownership and shared responsibility among IOR nations.
Focus on Information Sharing and Operational Coordination
The first session, moderated by G Ashok Kumar (Retd), former National Maritime Security Coordinator, focused on enhancing mechanisms for real-time exchanges of maritime information and operational coordination to counter IUU fishing, drug trafficking and other illegal maritime activities contributing to Maritime Security Challenges.
The speakers included Rear Admiral TVN Prasanna of the Indian Navy and Colonel Amanulla Ahmed Rasheed from Maldives. Discussions highlighted issues of transnational significance such as strengthening maritime domain awareness networks, improving interoperability of information-sharing systems and establishing structured institutional linkages to enable rapid and coordinated responses across jurisdictions to mitigate Maritime Security Challenges.
Capacity Building and Capability Enhancement
The second session examined collaborative pathways for capacity building and capability enhancement among maritime agencies of the IOR to address long-term Maritime Security Challenges.
Rear Admiral Srinivas Maddula and Captain (IN) Ranendra S Sawan, Senior Fellow at National Maritime Foundation, shared their insights.
The session was moderated by Karambir Singh (Retd), former Chief of the Naval Staff and Chairman of the National Maritime Foundation.
Deliberations highlighted the importance of pooling regional training resources, expanding professional exchange programmes and strengthening institutional frameworks to ensure long-term maritime resilience against Maritime Security Challenges.
The discussions reinforced the understanding that sustainable maritime stability in the IOR is contingent upon coordinated capability development and structured cooperation.
Maritime Security Challenges: Chiefs of Navies Reaffirm Commitment
The conclave concluded with addresses by Chiefs of Navies and Heads of Delegations, who articulated national perspectives on advancing collaborative Lines of Efforts to mitigate dynamic Maritime Security Challenges.
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, conveyed sincere appreciation to all partner nations for their participation and enduring commitment to shared maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region.
He underscored that in an era of adaptive maritime threats, stakeholders must move from shared awareness to coordinated action by leveraging technology, seamless information sharing and focused operations under the vision of MAHASAGAR to effectively respond to Maritime Security Challenges.
The deliberations reflected strong convergence on strengthening regional maritime partnerships, institutionalising cooperation mechanisms and enhancing collective capacity to address Maritime Security Challenges.
In its fifth iteration, the Goa Maritime Conclave reaffirmed India’s commitment to fostering inclusive, consultative and action-oriented maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.
GMC-26 once again resolved to uphold safe, secure and stable seas through structured collaboration, real-time information exchange and coordinated capacity development initiatives aimed at overcoming Maritime Security Challenges.
