The Indian Coast Guard will convene the 24th National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board Meeting at Bhubaneswar under the chairmanship of Director General Paramesh Sivamani, AVSM, PTM, TM, Director General, Indian Coast Guard.
The meeting will deliberate on key measures to further strengthen India’s maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) preparedness, enhance distress-alert management, and ensure the rapid mobilisation of rescue assets through greater technology integration and seamless coordination among various stakeholders.
As part of the NMSAR engagements, Shri Sanjay Seth, Minister of State for Defence, will inaugurate the 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) on 07 October 2026. He will also witness a major SAR demonstration off the Paradip coast on 08 October 2026.
SAREX-2026 will be among the largest and most complex maritime Search and Rescue exercises conducted in the region, featuring the participation of 15 Indian Coast Guard ships, two Dornier aircraft, three Advanced Light Helicopters, one Chetak helicopter, an IAF C-130J and Mi-17 aircraft, two Indian Navy ships, along with civil and state assets and shore-based support units.
The exercise will simulate a Mass Rescue Operation involving concurrent aeronautical and maritime distress scenarios. The primary scenario will involve a passenger aircraft ditching at sea with 228 persons on board, followed by a simulated collision with the container vessel MV Zumba, necessitating coordinated multi-agency rescue and response operations.
A key highlight of SAREX-2026 will be the participation of 32 international observers from 30 countries. Their presence underscores the importance of international cooperation, established SAR protocols, strategic interoperability, and coordinated response mechanisms in addressing maritime emergencies.
The 24th NMSAR Board Meeting and SAREX-2026 reaffirm India’s commitment to building a faster, technology-enabled and internationally integrated maritime Search and Rescue framework, in keeping with the vision of SAGAR and the spirit of MAHASAGAR.
(PRO Defence)
