New Delhi, February 17. The fifth edition of the Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC-26) will be held at the Naval War College in Goa on February 21, bringing together top naval leaders and maritime experts from across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to deliberate on pressing security challenges.
Organised as a flagship strategic initiative of the Indian Navy, the biennial conclave has emerged as a key platform for pooling operational experience and strategic insight among maritime security practitioners in the region. The aim is to generate practical, outcome-driven solutions to evolving maritime threats.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth will attend as the chief guest. The event will be hosted by Chief of the Naval Staff Dinesh K Tripathi, who will welcome chiefs of navies, heads of maritime forces and senior representatives from 14 countries – Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Tanzania.
This year’s theme, ‘Common Maritime Security Challenges in the IOR – Progressing Line of Efforts to Mitigate Dynamic Threats such as IUU Fishing and other Illegal Maritime Activities’, underscores the need for deeper coordination among regional maritime nations. It highlights growing concerns over Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing and other transnational crimes that threaten regional stability and economic security.
The Goa Maritime Conclave, along with the Goa Maritime Symposium (GMS), was instituted in 2017 and 2016 respectively to strengthen cooperative engagement between India and key maritime partners in line with the MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision. While the Conclave is held every two years at the leadership level, it is preceded by the Symposium, which serves as a preparatory forum for working-level discussions.
The Indian Ocean Region continues to face a range of traditional and non-traditional threats, including maritime terrorism, piracy, armed robbery, contraband smuggling, irregular migration and IUU fishing. Emerging risks such as climate change, cyber threats and so-called “dark shipping” – vessels operating without transparent tracking – further complicate the maritime security environment. Given the transnational and multidimensional nature of these challenges, officials say closer cooperation and effective information-sharing mechanisms are critical.
The Conclave will feature focused discussions led by eminent speakers and subject-matter experts, with an emphasis on real-time maritime information exchange and coordinated capacity building. The keynote address will be delivered by Arun Prakash, former Chief of the Naval Staff.
Over the years, the Goa Maritime Conclave has become an important forum for shaping collaborative approaches to maritime security in the Indian Ocean, reinforcing India’s commitment to ensuring safe, secure and stable seas in the region.
