India and Australia have deepened maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region through a joint Search and Rescue (SAR) Workshop and Tabletop Exercise held in Chennai, bringing together professionals from across Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member states. The three-day programme, which included representatives from the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), focused on building regional capacity to respond to maritime emergencies.

What the Exercise Covered

Participants engaged in expert-led discussions, practical sessions, and a tabletop exercise simulating real-world SAR scenarios. The workshop was designed to enhance regional capability, bolster interoperability, and strengthen coordination during maritime emergencies across the Indian Ocean.

Australia, serving as Chair of the IORA Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security (WGMSS), partnered with India to host the programme. It was facilitated by the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS).

Key Statements from Officials

In his inaugural address, Amit Shivkumar Telang, India's Joint Secretary, International Cooperation, stressed the need for enhanced inter-agency cooperation for saving lives at sea, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Defence.

The exercise is part of a broader and accelerating bilateral defence relationship. On 1 June, India and Australia discussed advancements in bilateral maritime security cooperation and efforts to finalise the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap.

Defence Ministers' Dialogue: Broader Commitments

During the second India–Australia Defence Ministers' Dialogue held in New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, agreed to advance collaborative maritime domain awareness activities involving maritime patrol aircraft and to explore opportunities to enhance undersea domain awareness.

Both ministers welcomed 'significant progress' in the bilateral relationship since the inaugural Defence Ministers' Dialogue in October 2025, framing the cooperation as advancing the long-term vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese — one aimed at enhancing collective strength and contributing to regional peace and security.

'Ministers agreed to progress the collaborative maritime domain awareness activities by maritime patrol aircraft and explore opportunities to enhance undersea domain awareness. Ministers encouraged further cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and Australia's Maritime Border Command,' the joint statement read.

MoU on Defence Industrial Collaboration

Both ministers also announced that India and Australia would begin developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Provision of Defence Articles and Defence Services — the next step in deepening defence industrial collaboration between the two nations.

Notably, IORA comprises 23 member states and 12 dialogue partners — including major powers such as China, Japan, the US, and the UK — making the grouping a key multilateral forum for Indian Ocean governance. As the Chennai exercise demonstrates, the India-Australia partnership is increasingly shaping the security architecture of that forum from within.

With the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap still being finalised, the coming months will test whether the momentum built in bilateral dialogues translates into durable operational frameworks across the region.