Naval commanders' conference set to be held in Karwar Saturday

New Delhi: The first phase of the naval commanders' conference this year is slated to take place at the Indian Navy's strategically located base in Karnataka's Karwar on Saturday, officials said.

On the occasion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will flag off the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar -- an initiative towards continued cooperation with IOR nations in pursuance of India's vision of Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions (MAHASAGAR), a senior Navy official said on Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Mauritius in March, had unveiled a grand vision for security and growth for the Global South against the backdrop of China's relentless efforts to expand its influence in the region.

Modi had announced that India's new vision for the Global South called "MAHASAGAR" will bring growth security.

The first edition of Naval Commanders' Conference 2025 is scheduled to be conducted in two phases, with phase one at Karwar on April 5 and phase two in New Delhi from April 7-10, the official said.

The conference is the apex-level biannual event where top naval commanders gather to deliberate on significant strategic, operational, and administrative issues.

"The conference will play a pivotal role in emphasising India's role as a 'preferred security partner' in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), bolstering Indian Navy's contribution to regional peace, security, and stability," the official said.

The conference will commence with phase one covering the flag-off of IOS Sagar by the defence minister on April 5 at Karwar, he added.

INS Sunayna is being deployed to the south-west IOR with a combined crew from Indian Navy and nine friendly foreign countries -- Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania, the Indian Navy official said.

After the flag-off of ceremony, Defence Minister Singh is also scheduled to inaugurate multiple maritime infrastructures and support facilities under Project 'Seabird'.

He will also be apprised on Indian naval operational readiness and future outlook, during the first phase of the conference at Karwar.

The Navy is expanding the crucial naval base as part Project 'Seabird'.

The phase two of the naval commanders' conclave in New Delhi, will witness a comprehensive review of major operational, logistics, human resources development, training, and administrative aspects.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of the Army Staff, and Chief of the Air Staff, will also engage with naval commanders during the course of the conference to "foster synergy amongst the three Services and further drive the convergence efforts", the official said.

The commanders will also engage with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa on issues related to foreign policy and international engagement, he said.

The Navy's quest to strengthen modernisation, indigenisation, and self-reliance in line with the government's vision of 'Aatmanirbharta' will be a key focus area during the event.

The conference will bring out synergy and address critical operational, administrative and materiel issues meriting immediate attention and decisions by naval commanders, charting Indian Navy's course in pursuit of being a 'Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Ready Force', the official said.

The Navy on Thursday had said that its maiden initiative of IOS Sagar concluded its harbour and sea training phase at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, and the ship with her crew, had left for Karwar.

Forty-four international trainees of nine friendly foreign countries underwent a specially curated training capsule ranging from basic seamanship activities to state-of-the-art simulator training, officials said on Thursday.

In addition, the international crew was also exposed to sea training along with the Indian Navy crew of INS Sunayna by the Indian naval 'Work Up' team. The sea training was aimed at acclimatising the international crew with Indian Navy's systems and procedures enabling them to operate as a well knit and cohesive unit during the forthcoming deployment, they said.

"IOS Sagar is a unique example of fostering deeper maritime understanding and promoting regional stability and cooperation. Indian Navy's collaboration with the regional navies reaffirm commitment to safeguarding collective maritime interests and capacity building with partner nations across the Indian Ocean Region," the official said.