The Indian Navy is hosting the second edition of its biannual Commanders’ Conference for 2026 at Nausena Bhawan in New Delhi from September 29 to October 1, bringing together the Navy’s senior leadership to review operational preparedness, maritime security challenges and future capability development. The Ministry of Defence announced the three-day conference on September 28.
The Commanders’ Conference serves as the Indian Navy’s apex-level forum and provides senior naval leadership, including operational and area commanders stationed outside Delhi, an institutional platform to assess preparedness at the military-strategic level and interact with senior government and military officials.
A major focus of the conference will be the Indian Navy’s role in protecting India’s maritime interests amid a rapidly changing security environment. Particular attention is expected to be given to the security of energy supplies in the backdrop of ongoing conflicts in West Asia.
The Navy will also review its ongoing Operation Urja Suraksha, under which it has maintained a maritime presence aimed at safeguarding India’s energy and maritime interests. The operation forms part of the Navy’s wider role in maintaining maritime security and supporting India’s position as a security partner in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.
On the opening day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to address the Naval Commanders and share the government’s perspective on national maritime priorities and expectations from the Indian Navy.
The Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of the Army Staff are also scheduled to interact with the Naval Commanders. Their participation is intended to strengthen coordination among the three Services as the Armed Forces continue efforts towards greater jointness and integration.
During the subsequent sessions, the Chief of the Naval Staff and Commanders-in-Chief will undertake detailed reviews covering operations, materiel, logistics, human resources and training.
Emerging military technologies will constitute another important part of the discussions. The Navy is expected to examine the induction and operational use of technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analysis, autonomous and uncrewed systems, and cyber capabilities.
The deliberations will focus on accelerating technology absorption and integrating emerging warfighting concepts into the Navy’s operational framework as maritime warfare increasingly incorporates unmanned platforms, networked systems, data-driven decision-making and cyber capabilities.
Senior commanders will also assess force levels and measures required to improve combat readiness. The review will be guided by the three foundational pillars described as “JAI” — Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation.
The conference comes as the Indian Navy continues to maintain a high operational tempo across India’s maritime areas of interest. The Navy has said its capability-development efforts remain aligned with the government’s push for indigenous defence capabilities and the broader Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
The three-day deliberations are expected to help shape operational priorities and capability-development plans as the Indian Navy seeks to remain a combat-ready, credible, cohesive and future-ready maritime force.
