Exercise PRAGATI 2026

The multinational military exercise PRAGATI 2026 commenced on May 20 at with participation from 12 friendly countries across the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asian regions. 

The participating nations include: Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.  

Meaning of PRAGATI

PRAGATI stands for “Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region.”

The exercise is being conducted in the spirit of equality, friendship, cooperation, and mutual respect among participating nations.

Objectives of the Exercise

The exercise aims to provide a common platform for participating armies to enhance professional cooperation, exchange operational experiences, and strengthen military-to-military relations.

Key objectives include:

• Enabling seamless coordination in multinational joint operations
• Identifying common areas of strategic and operational cooperation
• Sharing expertise and best practices developed through individual military experiences
• Strengthening defence ties and camaraderie through joint training and cultural exchanges
• Developing common concepts for intelligence management and information sharing in a multinational environment

Focus Areas

The two-week exercise will primarily focus on counter-terrorism operations in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain.

Participating forces will undertake joint tactical drills, field exercises, operational planning, and simulated counter-insurgency operations designed to improve interoperability among the armies.

Strategic Significance

The exercise highlights India’s growing role in promoting regional security cooperation and defence diplomacy in the Indian Ocean Region and Southeast Asia.

Source: PIB