The Maritime Security Seminar, held as part of the Maritime Information Sharing Workshop (MISW) 25, concluded on 4 November 2025. The three-day workshop, themed “Enhancing Real-Time Coordination and Information Sharing Across the Indian Ocean Region,” is being hosted by the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC–IOR) and has brought together over 57 participants from 30 countries, including representatives from the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment (DCoC/JA), and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

The seminar began with an opening address by Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, who emphasised the significance of collaboration, interoperability, and trust-based partnerships to address evolving maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean Region. This was followed by a keynote address by Mr Sushil Mansing Khopde, IPS, Additional Director General at the Directorate General of Shipping, who highlighted India’s maritime initiatives aimed at strengthening the region’s security framework through cooperative engagement and regulatory alignment.

During the two-day seminar, participants discussed a wide range of topics shaping the maritime security environment, including regional security dynamics, the role of information networks, operational coordination, maritime law, industry perspectives, and transnational maritime crime. The sessions underscored the importance of technological integration, data interoperability, and collective commitment in developing a resilient and responsive maritime security framework.

The seminar concluded with an address by Rear Admiral Nirbhay Bapna (CS NCO), who stressed the importance of synergy among regional information-sharing frameworks and reaffirmed that collaboration and continuous dialogue are vital to ensuring a safe and secure maritime domain.

On 5 November 2025, MISW-25 will host a Table Top Exercise (TTX) at IFC–IOR, where participants will apply the principles of information sharing, interoperability, and coordinated response through simulated maritime security scenarios. The exercise will be conducted using the indigenously developed Maritime Analytical Tool for Regional Awareness (MANTRA) software.

Delegates will be tasked with managing simulated maritime situations such as piracy, drug smuggling, irregular human migration, and distress-at-sea cases. The exercise will focus on multi-agency coordination, rapid information exchange, and synchronised response planning. Its aim is to enhance real-time information sharing and improve coherence in regional maritime security operations, while exposing participants to the complex process of maritime incident management—from detection and verification to dissemination and coordinated action.