Listening to the Indo-Pacific: Why IPRD Has Become India's Strategic Conscience
The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD), launched by the Indian Navy in 2018, has evolved into a strategic platform emphasizing listening, cooperation, and comprehensive maritime security. Centered on the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative's seven pillars, it facilitates dialogue across economic, environmental, and military domains, fostering actionable regional policies and reinforcing India's inclusive maritime vision.
The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) was initiated in 2018 by the Indian Navy as a maritime strategic outreach platform that extends beyond traditional defense talk to encompass economic, environmental, human, political, and societal security aspects within the Indo-Pacific region. Conceptualized as a listening forum, IPRD encourages nations to understand each other's diverse perspectives to prioritize connectivity, cooperation, and collaboration over competition or conflict. It complements India's Raisina Dialogue by focusing exclusively on maritime issues across a vast, dynamic Indo-Pacific space that links Africa, Asia, Oceania, and beyond. The Dialogue's key framework is the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), announced by Prime Minister Modi in 2019, consisting of seven interconnected pillars such as connectivity, ecology, capacity building, and resource sharing. Each annual edition of IPRD deepens focus on these pillars by translating broad ideas into concrete policy recommendations that influence India's regional strategy and multilateral cooperation. This process-driven approach has positioned IPRD as a globally recognized forum drawing military officials, academics, diplomats, and entrepreneurs to address complex challenges like blue economy governance, maritime ecology, and digital connectivity. Ultimately, IPRD reflects India's view of the Indo-Pacific not as a bloc but as a strategic geography promoting inclusion and dialogue anchored in historical maritime linkages and contemporary interconnectedness.
