India to host maritime information sharing workshop from Nov 3-5

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) Maritime security practitioners from 30 countries are set to assemble in India from November 3-5 as part of a key event that catalyses coordinated responses to transnational maritime threats such as piracy, drug smuggling and other incidents disrupting global maritime commerce.

The Gurugram-based Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) will host the third edition of the Maritime Information Sharing Workshop (MISW) from November 3-5, officials said on Saturday.

The workshop is a high-fidelity table-top exercise, simulating real-world maritime threats and fostering syndicate-based contingency planning, they said.

The delegates will engage in collaborative response frameworks, reinforcing the value of shared situational awareness and coordinated action, the Indian Navy said in a statement.

With the theme 'Enhancing Real-Time Coordination and Information Sharing Across the Indian Ocean Region', the MISW 2025 is poised to be a pivotal international platform dedicated to fortifying the collaborative framework essential for safeguarding the world's most vital sea lanes, a Navy spokesperson said.

In line with India’s vision of ‘Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions’ (MAHASAGAR), IFC-IOR conducts a series of workshops and training programmes, of which the MISW is the flagship event.

The inaugural edition of MISW was conducted in 2019. Since then, the MISW has matured into a premier operational forum, convening working-level professionals from across the globe to exchange best practices, strengthen interoperability and foster "trust-based information sharing”, the Navy said.

“More than a dialogue platform, the MISW catalyses coordinated responses to transnational maritime threats such as piracy and armed robbery, drug smuggling, irregular human migration, and other incidents that disrupt global maritime commerce,” it said.

By bridging operational expertise with strategic foresight, the MISW reinforces the Indian Ocean Region’s collective resilience and advances a future of secure, stable, and sustainable seas, the officials said.

The workshop will be inaugurated by Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (DCNS).

It will bring together maritime security practitioners from 30 countries of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment (DCoC/JA), and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the statement said.

The MISW is a testament to IFC-IOR’s commitment to building a cohesive, transparent, and resilient maritime information ecosystem, the officials said.

“The outcomes of this workshop will play a significant role in charting the future roadmap for strengthening the IOR maritime information ecosystem for a safer, peaceful, and more prosperous global ocean,” the Navy said. PTI KND ARI