India hosted ASEAN ambassadors and high commissioners at the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region on November 4 for a briefing on maritime domain awareness and security.

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• India hosted ASEAN Ambassadors and High Commissioners at the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) on November 4 for a briefing on maritime domain awareness and maritime security.
• The briefing was part of the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared for 2026.
• The diplomats received a first-hand overview of the centre's operational capabilities and its multinational International Liaison Officer framework.
• Discussions centred on emerging maritime security challenges, regional maritime awareness and ways to strengthen collaborative domain awareness between India and ASEAN nations.
• IFC-IOR is hosted by the Indian Navy at the Information Management and Analysis Centre in Gurugram and was established in 2018.
• It is a 24/7 regional information-sharing centre that hosts International Liaison Officers from partner nations.
• It exchanges information on commercial "white shipping" with countries in the region to improve maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean.
• Vietnam has been invited to post an International Liaison Officer at the centre to strengthen cooperation on maritime domain awareness.
• MEA linked the engagement to the MAHASAGAR vision announced in 2025, which stresses sustainability, resilience and collective responsibility in the maritime commons.
• India has stressed maritime security and the safety of seafarers amid attacks on vessels linked to conflicts in West Asia and Europe.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated last month India's commitment to ASEAN centrality, a cornerstone of the Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific vision.

Tags: ASEANIndia, IFCIOR, MAHASAGAR