International Fleet Review to Start in Vizag With Presidential Banquet on Feb. 17

Visakhapatnam: One of the global events being hosted by the Indian Navy – International Fleet Review (IFR) – will commence in Visakhapatnam with the Presidential Banquet on the evening of February 17.

President Droupadi Murmu will be the honoured guest at the banquet attended by delegations of countries participating in the IFR, eminent international, national and state dignitaries, and senior military and government officials.

The Presidential Banquet will formally signal the start of International Fleet Review 2026 proceedings.

Ahead of this, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla will inaugurate the MILAN Village on February 15. It will remain open throughout the duration of ships being in the Visakhapatnam harbour for MILAN 26 between February 15 and February 26. MILAN Village will have the facilities for entertainment, interaction, and culinary experiences.

The village will showcase India's cultural diversity, incorporating elements from various states and union territories. Visitors can experience an enthralling array of folk dances, traditional music bands, handicrafts and exquisite crafts that reflect the country's timeless artistry. On offer will be a wide variety of authentic regional cuisines, giving the global visitors a taste of India's incredible diversity of flavours.

In the harbour, programmes will feature Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE) and an International Maritime Seminar (IMS), enabling dialogue on shared maritime challenges, opportunities and priorities. For young officers, activities will include cross-deck visits, ship-handling simulator training, damage control and simulator training, and demonstration of submarine rescue capabilities by a Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV).

There will be a demonstration of India’s collective ability to generate credible and coordinated responses at sea, a wide spectrum of operational drills in multinational groupings – carrier operations, seamanship evolutions, weapon firings, anti-submarine warfare, air defence drills, and tactical manoeuvres.

Complementing the professional exchanges, the event will also feature cultural and recreational activities, including sports competitions, tours, social events and the spectacular International City Parade celebrating India’s shared maritime heritage.

This is for the second time that Visakhapatnam is hosting the International Fleet Review. Earlier it had been held in 2016. Around 100 nations are expected to participate in the IFR.