A multinational military exercise, PRAGATI 2026, bringing together armed forces personnel from 12 nations, kicked off on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, at the Umroi Military Station in Meghalaya, officials confirmed. The two-week drill is the latest signal of India's deepening defence engagement across the Indian Ocean Region.

Participating Nations and Scope

The exercise has drawn contingents from Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. PRAGATI stands for Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region — a framing that underscores India's strategic intent to anchor security cooperation across its extended neighbourhood.

What the Exercise Covers

Training over the two-week period will focus on counter-terrorism operations in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain — terrain that mirrors conditions across several participating nations. The programme includes joint planning exercises, tactical-level drills, and coordinated operations designed to sharpen adaptability, endurance, and tactical proficiency.

According to Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, Defence Spokesman, the exercise aims to enable seamless coordination in joint operations, identify common areas of cooperation, and establish an institutionalised mechanism for sharing best practices. Intelligence management in a multinational environment is also a stated priority.

What Senior Officials Said

The opening ceremony was attended by senior military officials and dignitaries. In his address, Major General Sunil Sheoran, Additional Director General of Infantry, Indian Army, welcomed all contingents and stressed the importance of collective engagement in addressing contemporary security challenges. He urged participants to approach the exercise with 'openness, mutual respect and a willingness to learn,' noting that each nation's distinct perspective would contribute to the group's collective objectives.

Lt Col Rawat described the exercise as being conducted 'in the spirit of equality, friendship and mutual respect,' providing a common platform for professional exchange and closer military-to-military ties.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat Showcase

As part of PRAGATI 2026, Indian technology and defence companies will display indigenous equipment and innovations under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The showcase is intended to highlight India's growing capabilities in defence production and self-reliance, while offering participating nations a window into domestically developed solutions.

Strategic Context

This comes amid heightened focus on Indian Ocean security, with multiple regional powers — including China — expanding their maritime and military footprint. India's decision to host a 12-nation exercise in the Northeast, at a station that borders sensitive terrain, reflects a deliberate effort to build interoperability with smaller and mid-sized regional partners. Notably, the exercise's emphasis on jungle and semi-mountainous terrain drills is directly relevant to the geography shared by several ASEAN and South Asian participants. The exercise is expected to conclude in the first week of June.