India, Oman hold Navy Staff Talks to deepen maritime cooperation

New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) India and Oman held the 8th edition of their Navy Staff Talks in New Delhi, with focus on deepening bilateral naval cooperation and enhancing coordination to address shared maritime security challenges, the Indian Navy stated on Thursday.

The talks, held from October 27 to 28, were co-chaired by Commodore Kartik Srimal, Commodore (Foreign Cooperation), Indian Navy, and Commodore Ahmed Juma Salim Al Khatri, Director General of Operations and Plans, Royal Navy of Oman.

The discussions also explored avenues to strengthen operational engagements, training, information exchange and hydrographic cooperation.

“Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman held the 8th edition of Staff Talks at New Delhi from 27–28 Oct 26. Co-chaired by Cmde Kartik Srimal, Cmde (FC), and Cmde Ahmed Juma Salim Al Khatri, DG Ops & Plan, the talks focused on enhancing operational engagements, training, information sharing and hydrographic cooperation, with an emphasis on strengthening interoperability and addressing shared maritime security challenges,” the Indian Navy posted on X on Thursday.

Earlier this month, the Indian Navy’s three-masted sail training ship INS Sudarshini departed Salalah in Oman after a four-day port call, continuing her historic transoceanic deployment Lokayan-2026, the Ministry of Defence said.

The ship visited Salalah from October 14 to 17, during which professional interactions and sporting engagements with the Royal Navy of Oman fostered camaraderie and strengthened people-to-people ties, the Ministry said.

“The voyage reflects the Indian Navy’s rich maritime heritage and its commitment to nurturing professional seamanship, resilience and leadership among naval trainees,” the Ministry said in a statement.

“As Lokayan-2026 progresses through its tenth month, INS Sudarshini’s voyage exemplifies the Indian Navy’s spirit of exploration, professional excellence and commitment to maritime diplomacy. Traversing international waters, the ship serves as an ambassador of India, fostering goodwill and maritime partnerships while carrying the civilisational ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and advancing the vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions),” it added.

During its port call, INS Sudarshini welcomed over 500 members of the Indian diaspora on board at Oman’s Salalah, including children and teachers from Indian School Salalah, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said.

“The crew introduced the visitors to life onboard a sail ship and shared enriching experiences from their ongoing transoceanic expedition ‘Lokayan-26 ’. The visit instilled a sense of pride among the visiting diaspora about the growing capabilities and widely-reckoned seafaring tradition of the Indian Navy,” the Embassy posted on X.

–IANS

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