India Returns to Helm Indian Ocean Naval Symposium After 16 Years

Visakhapatnam: The Indian Navy has officially taken over the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) from Thailand during the 9th Conclave of Chiefs held in Visakhapatnam. This marks India’s return to the leadership of the forum after a 16-year gap.

Making the announcement, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti highlighted that India, as the founding nation of IONS, originally chaired the initiative in 2008. It is now resuming this role with renewed commitment.

Vice Admiral Sobti highlighted India’s readiness to take on greater responsibility in strengthening maritime cooperation and ensuring peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region. He pointed out that challenges, such as piracy, illegal activities, and broader security threats are common to all nations. As such, they require coordinated responses.

The Deputy Chief of Naval Staff’s comments reflect the increasing acknowledgement that the Indian Ocean is a strategic space, where collective action is essential.

Launched in 2008 under Indian leadership, IONS has evolved into a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration among the navies of the Indian Ocean Region. Currently, it comprises 25 member navies, including India, Australia, Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. IONS has nine observer countries, including Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

The symposium serves as a forum for naval leaders to discuss maritime issues and develop cooperative solutions. Its agenda covers maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and information sharing, thereby enhancing preparedness and coordination among member states. The chairmanship rotates every two years, with each term featuring a Conclave of Chiefs and preparatory workshops at the staff level.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi has described the Indian Ocean Region as central to global geopolitics and trade in the 21st Century. He stated, “The 21st Century is the Indian Ocean Century. It is a shared strategic space. We will reinforce IONS’ core principles more than ever before, with cooperation, operational awareness, resilience, and sustained engagement.” The Admiral reaffirmed India’s commitment to maintaining safe, secure, and open seas.

Deputy Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy Rob de Wit underscored the significance of the Indian Ocean to global trade and stability. He underlined that cooperation through IONS is essential to addressing shared maritime challenges.