New Delhi, June 25 (IANS) Australia and India have bolstered maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region through a joint Search and Rescue (SAR) Workshop and Tabletop Exercise held in Chennai, according to a report.

The three-day exercise involved search and rescue professionals from Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member states, including representatives from the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), The Australia Today reported.

The IORA has 23 member states: Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen as well as 12 dialogue partners: China, Egypt, European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea, the UK, and the US.

The workshop conducted in Chennai focused on enhancing regional capability, bolstering interoperability and strengthening coordination during maritime emergencies. Participants took part in expert-led discussions, practical sessions and a tabletop exercise simulating real-world search and rescue scenarios.

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

Through joint training, India and Australia have been making efforts to create safer maritime environments and strengthening response to emergencies across the Indian Ocean Region.

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

On June 1, India and Australia discussed advancements in bilateral maritime security cooperation and efforts to finalise the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap.

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 progress the collaborative maritime domain awareness activities by maritime patrol aircraft and explore opportunities to enhance undersea domain awareness, as per a joint statement issued after the meeting.

Welcoming the “significant progress” in the bilateral relationship and enhanced consultation and cooperation since the inaugural Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in October 2025, both ministers advanced the long-term vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, for collaboration between the two countries to enhance collective strength, not only contributing to both countries’ security but also making an important contribution 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,” it read.

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

–IANS

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