43rd Indian Coast Guard Commanders' Conference Begins in New Delhi

The 43rd edition of the Indian Coast Guard Commanders' Conference began in New Delhi on 17 September 2026. It is a three-day conference. On the opening day Sanjay Seth, the Raksha Rajya Mantri, spoke to the commanders. He interacted with Director General Paramesh Sivamani, who heads the Indian Coast Guard.

What the Minister said

The Minister praised the force for guarding coastal security. He called it the first responder in distress at sea. He noted that it saves lives regardless of the nationality of those rescued. He asked the force to stay ready for new maritime security challenges by keeping pace with technology.

Technology and self-reliance

The Minister said the character of warfare is changing fast. He listed networks, sensors, software and data as growing in importance. He also named artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber capabilities and space-based technologies. He asked the Coast Guard to become a co-creator and not merely a user. That means working with start-ups, industry, DRDO and research institutions. He said self-reliance is not only about buying Indian but about building solutions for Indian challenges that can also meet global needs, in the spirit of Make in India, Make for the World.

MAHASAGAR and capability

The Minister linked the effort to the vision of MAHASAGAR. The expansion stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. He called for strength from littoral and green waters to the open and blue waters. He listed the needs: advanced platforms, underwater technologies, unmanned systems, long-endurance surveillance, satellite-enabled maritime domain awareness and secure communications.

Who the commanders will meet

The Minister also underlined the role of the force in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, known as HADR. He said capabilities built for maritime security also serve search and rescue, medical evacuation, disaster response and pollution control. The conference lets commanders review operational preparedness, logistics, human resource development, training and administrative work of the past year.