Bhubaneshwar: Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Wednesday called upon friendly nations to reaffirm their commitment to safeguarding lives at sea and to strengthen the spirit of cooperation that underpins effective Search and Rescue (S&R) across the region.
The minister said this after inaugurating the Multinational Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) near Odisha’s Paradip, in which 30 friendly countries participated.
The multi-agency exercise, organised by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), aims to validate operational preparedness, enhance international interoperability, test joint response mechanisms, and foster the exchange of best practices—reaffirming the preservation of life at sea as the paramount objective of every mission, he said.
The minister said India is focussing on enhancing indigenous capabilities and preparedness of the Indian Coast Guard ICG while guarding the shores in the background of maritime operations. The SAREX 26 maritime search and rescue exercise will be conducted off the coast of Paradip tomorrow under the guidance of the Indian Coast Guard, with active participation of Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and other civil departments, where members of 31 friendly observer countries will be present.
MoS Sanjay Seth said that in the current global scenario the motto of the search and rescue operations on the sea should be faster, more accurate, and vigilant in line with the vision of Vikshit Bharat 2047. He said the future of the maritime operations need to be based on the theme of one earth one family, one future with safety on sea is common humanitarian duty. He also invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s utterance on safe and clean sea.
