The maritime domain is increasingly challenged by transnational threats such as piracy, drug smuggling, irregular human migration and other disruptions to global sea commerce. In response, India has positioned itself as a regional maritime security enabler through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), established on 22 December 2018. The centre brings together liaison officers and information-sharing constructs to strengthen collaborative maritime awareness across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
What is the Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2025?
Date: The third edition of the workshop — Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2025 (MISW 2025) — will be held in Gurugram from 3–5 November 2025.
Theme: “Enhancing Real-Time Coordination and Information Sharing Across the Indian Ocean Region.”
Organization behind this workshop: Organised by IFC-IOR, the workshop is the flagship platform for the centre’s annual series of training programmes and workshops under India’s maritime vision of “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR)”.
Key Details and Participation of Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2025
- Delegates from around 30 countries will participate, drawn from the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment (DCoC/JA), and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi‑Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
- The programme comprises thematic sessions tailored for regional constructs, contributions from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC), Re CAAP ISC and other information-sharing platforms and leading shipping companies.
- The workshop will culminate in a high-fidelity table-top exercise (TTX) designed to simulate real maritime threats and test syndicate-based contingency planning and coordinated responses.
- The event will be inaugurated by Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (DCNS).
Who is Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti?
Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, UYSM, AVSM, VSM, is the current Deputy Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, having assumed this role on 1 October 2023. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 July 1988 and is a navigation-and-direction specialist.
His previous commands include the guided-missile destroyer INS Kolkata, the Eastern Fleet and the Project Seabird (Karwar) Naval Base initiative. This places him in a strong operational and strategic vantage to steer MISW 2025’s proceedings.
Strategic Importance of Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2025 for India & the Region
The Indian Ocean remains the world’s important commercial seaway — through which major volumes of oil and container traffic pass, and where maritime security is central to economic stability and geopolitical balance.
By hosting MISW 2025, India reinforces its role as a maritime security hub and a regional facilitator of trusted information-sharing. Further, the workshop supports India’s broader MAHASAGAR vision — to foster mutual security and growth across the maritime region.
Outcomes & Forward Agenda
- The organisers say the workshop will go beyond dialogue: it will focus on the operational application of maritime information and technology to counter evolving non-traditional threats, such as drug smuggling, piracy, irregular migration and disruptions of global trade.
- The outcomes of MISW 2025 are expected to shape the roadmap for a resilient, transparent, and responsive maritime information ecosystem in the IOR.
- India’s commitment to establishing National Maritime Information Sharing Centres (NMISCs) in partner nations will be spotlighted during the workshop.
Why It Matters for Trade, Security & Economy
Given the Indian Ocean’s strategic value, any disruption of sea-lanes due to maritime threats can ripple through global supply-chains, energy routes, and trade flows. With growing competition for influence in the IOR, and non-traditional threats evolving rapidly, real-time coordination and data-sharing become critical.
Hosting a major workshop like MISW 2025 signals India’s intent to lead and standardise maritime information practices, strengthen interoperability and cement trust among partner nations.
