NEW DELHI, November 7: India has hosted the first maritime security exercise of BIMSTEC, the seven-nation Bay of Bengal grouping, and the first tri-service disaster relief exercise with Myanmar, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday. The BIMSTEC exercise ended at Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on November 3, and the India–Myanmar exercise, called ‘Rahat Mitra’, was held in Chennai on November 5 and 6.
Key highlights
- BIMSTEC exercise: held from October 30 to November 3 under the Andaman and Nicobar Command, with a sea phase off Sri Vijaya Puram on November 2 and 3.
- Ships: INS Taragiri, INS Karmuk and INS Saryu from India, UMS King Aung Zeya from Myanmar and SLNS Gajabahu from Sri Lanka.
- Rahat Mitra: the first India–Myanmar tri-service humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercise, with more than 300 personnel from both countries.
- Same week: the India–US HADR exercise Tiger Triumph 2026 ended at Visakhapatnam on November 5.
| Exercise | Partners | Where | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| First BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise | India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka (ships); BIMSTEC Secretariat and Bangladesh officials attended | Sri Vijaya Puram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands | October 30–November 3 |
| Rahat Mitra (first edition) | India, Myanmar | Chennai | November 5–6 |
| Tiger Triumph 2026 (fifth edition) | India, United States | Visakhapatnam (closing) | October 31–November 5 |
The first BIMSTEC maritime exercise
The exercise was run by the Andaman and Nicobar Command, which the ministry calls India’s only “Operational Quad Service Command” and which is headed by Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty. Its harbour phase included professional and cultural exchanges, and the sea phase involved coordinated deployments of the five ships.
Those attending included BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey; India’s National Maritime Security Coordinator, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retired); Rear Admiral Kyaw Kyaw Htoo, commander of the Myanmar Navy’s Central Naval Command; Air Vice Marshal M.D.R. Prasad (retired) of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation; and Captain Mohammad Monzurul Islam, commanding officer of Bangladesh’s BNS Prottoy. The ministry said the exercise followed the Delhi Declaration and the fourth BIMSTEC Experts Group Meeting on Maritime Security Cooperation, held in November 2025, and called it a step towards “institutionalising greater maritime engagement” among member states.
Rahat Mitra with Myanmar
Rahat Mitra was held under the theme “Together for Humanity, Stronger through Partnership” and coordinated by the Indian Navy. The ministry said it would help the two militaries share experience and work together better during disasters, and linked it to India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and its MAHASAGAR vision (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions). On the same day the exercise ended, Myanmar’s new ambassador to India, U Aye Min Htwe, presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu.
Tiger Triumph ends
The fifth Tiger Triumph exercise with the United States, which began on October 31, closed at Visakhapatnam on November 5. It had a staff planning exercise and a tabletop exercise focused on combined disaster relief and joint amphibious operations. Its start was part of a busy maritime week we described in our earlier report.
Our calculation
- Three of BIMSTEC’s seven members (India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka) sent ships, five in all, three of them Indian.
- India took part in three exercises focused on maritime security or disaster relief within eight days, from October 30 to November 6.
What it means for India and Asia
The Bay of Bengal is prone to cyclones and is a busy route for shipping and fishing. A regular BIMSTEC maritime exercise would give the grouping, which includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, a practical security role beyond trade talks. The Myanmar exercise shows India keeping close military contact with its eastern neighbour for disaster response, while the US exercise links that work to the wider Indo-Pacific.
What to watch
- Whether BIMSTEC makes the maritime exercise an annual event and whether Bangladesh and Thailand send ships next time.
- India’s part in the Malabar exercise with the US, Japan and Australia, covered in our Malabar report.
INS Saryu, one of three Indian Navy ships in the first BIMSTEC maritime security exercise (file photo). Image: Indian Navy, GODL-India, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo source · Licence
Sources
- Ministry of Defence (PIB): Culmination of the maiden BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise at Andaman and Nicobar Command, November 6, 2026
- Ministry of Defence (PIB): India and Myanmar commence inaugural tri-services joint HADR exercise ‘Rahat Mitra’, November 6, 2026
- Ministry of Defence (PIB): Exercise Tiger Triumph 2026 culminates with closing ceremony, November 6, 2026
- President’s Secretariat (PIB): Envoys of four nations present credentials to the President of India, November 6, 2026
The International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
