The first edition of the biannual Naval Commanders’ Conference 2025 concluded today in New Delhi. The week-long apex-level conference was held in two phases at Karwar, Karnataka and New Delhi. It engaged the commanders in deliberations on security challenges in the maritime domain and review of Indian Navy’s operational preparedness.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presided over the inaugural session of the conference at Karwar, which was also attended by the Chief of the Defence Staff, Defence Secretary, senior Defence Ministry officials and Naval Commanders. The first phase of the conference at Karwar also coincided with the flag-off of IOS Sagar by the Defence Minister. He also inaugurated nine state-of-the-art marine piers, eight residential buildings and several important utilities, created as part of Project Seabird. The first phase concluded with a review of Indian Navy’s operational readiness and modernisation plans, wherein the Defence Minister rajnath Singh acknowledged Indian Navy’s crucial role as a principle enabler of peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region.
The second phase, chaired by Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi commenced at Nausena Bhawan in New Delhi on 7th of this month. The proceedings featured comprehensive assessment of operational, materiel, logistics, human resources, training and administrative aspects. The Indian Navy’s Space Vision, Indian Naval Air Publication, Indian Navy’s Operational Data Framework, and a compendium for veterans, ‘Navy for Life and Beyond’, were the publications released on the occasion.
The conference facilitated interaction of the Naval Commanders with the Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of Air Staff, who shared their assessment of the operating environment, outlining readiness levels to counter evolving security challenges, through strong convergence and Tri-Service synergy. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant also engaged with the Commanders. The Foreign Secretary offered insights into the shifting global order and its implications for maritime security in the Indian Ocean Rregion and Mr Kant underscored Navy’s significance in national growth and in India’s emergence as the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ in the region.
On the sidelines of the conference, Naval Commanders also interacted with several subject matter experts and strategic thinkers.
