India assumes chairmanship of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium

India officially assumed chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) from Thailand on Friday for the period 2026-2028. This marks its second tenure as Chair since IONS was launched in 2008 in New Delhi.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief of Indian Navy Admiral Dinesh Tripathi underlined that every nation has equal status in the forum irrespective of the size. He further said that the challenges are growing and they need to face them all together. IONS is a voluntary and inclusive platform for navies of the Indian Ocean Region which promotes maritime security, cooperation and humanitarian assistance.