Navy commanders to review operational preparedness at three-day conference
New Delhi, Sep 28. Senior Indian Navy commanders will undertake a comprehensive review of the force’s operational preparedness, maritime security challenges and future capability requirements at the three-day Commanders’ Conference 2026/02.
The second biannual conference of the year will be held at Nausena Bhawan in New Delhi from September 29 to October 1, bringing together the Navy’s senior leadership, including Operational and Area Commanders from various locations.
The apex-level forum will provide an institutional platform for the Navy’s top leadership to assess military-strategic preparedness and interact with senior government functionaries on key operational and policy issues.
A major focus of the conference will be the Navy’s role in safeguarding India’s maritime interests, including ensuring energy security amid the ongoing conflicts in West Asia.
The Navy’s ongoing Operation Urja Suraksha, aimed at supporting India’s maritime energy-security interests, will also form part of the discussions. The operation has highlighted the Navy’s role as a maritime security provider in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.
On the opening day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to address the naval commanders and outline the government’s maritime-security priorities and expectations from the Indian Navy. The Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of the Army Staff will also interact with the naval leadership as part of efforts to strengthen jointness and integration among the three services.
During the subsequent sessions, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, along with the commanders-in-chief, will review a range of operational and capability-related issues covering operations, logistics, human resources, training and materiel.
The conference will also focus on the induction and integration of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, big data analytics, autonomous and uncrewed systems and cyber capabilities. The deliberations are expected to underline the need for faster absorption of advanced technologies and the adoption of new war-fighting concepts.
The Navy’s senior leadership will additionally assess overall force preparedness, optimal force levels and measures to enhance combat readiness, guided by the three pillars of Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation (JAI).
The conference comes as the Navy maintains a high operational tempo across India’s maritime domain and continues efforts to build a combat-ready, credible, cohesive and future-ready force, in line with the government’s broader vision of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) and ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ (Developed India 2047).
