The drill will also focus on counter-terrorism operations in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain

A two-week long multilateral training exercise involving the militaries from 12 friendly countries, PRAGATI 2026, commenced on Wednesday at the Umroi Military Station in Meghalaya. This is the first such exercise to be hosted by the Indian Army.

The exercise’s constituent nations include Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

PRAGATI, which stands for Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region, provides a common platform for participating armies to engage in professional exchange, learn from one another’s experiences and build closer military-to-military ties.

The exercise’s stated objectives include enabling seamless coordination among participating nations in joint operations and identifying common areas of cooperation, sharing expertise and establishing an institutionalised mechanism for exchange of best practices evolved through individual experiences, strengthening defence ties and camaraderie through joint training and cultural exchange, and evolving common concepts for management and sharing of intelligence in a multinational environment, according to an official statement.

The drill will also focus on counter-terrorism operations in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain. The training programme will include joint planning exercises, tactical-level drills and coordinated operations designed to improve adaptability, endurance and tactical proficiency of participating troops. Emphasis will be laid on physical fitness, discipline and coordination while operating in challenging conditions.

As part of the exercise, Indian technology and defence companies will showcase indigenous equipment and innovations under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and highlighting India’s growing capabilities in defence production, innovation and self-reliance.

The opening ceremony was attended by senior military officials and dignitaries. In his address, Major General Sunil Sheoran, Additional Director General Infantry, highlighted the importance of collective engagement in addressing contemporary security challenges, a defence spokesperson said.

He encouraged all participants to engage with openness, mutual respect and a willingness to learn from one another’s experiences, while highlighting that the strengths and perspectives brought by each nation would contribute meaningfully towards achieving the collective objectives of the exercise.

Besides military drills and wargames, a key component of the event is a two-day industry exposition, highlighting the Army’s capabilities and fostering industrial partnerships with ASEAN nations. During exercises with foreign countries, military contingents are able to effectively highlight capabilities of Indigenously manufactured hardware and equipment and provide a realistic hand-on experience.

Unmanned aerial systems and countermeasures, autonomous surveillance and intelligence gathering systems and robotics, including unmanned ground vehicles, robotic mules for logistics and reconnaissance and remotely operated martitime systems, AI-based capability enhancement, precision ammunition, electronic and laser warfare and cyber defence are among the major domains to be showcased.

Human survivability and solutions like equipment sustenance, parachutes and multispectral camouflage nets, land-based, naval and aerial surveillance, spatial intelligence, smart surveillance and perimeter security, secure communication and satellite systems, medical equipment and personal protection gears are other products.

Besides the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, representatives from the border guarding forces and the state police forces would also participate in the event.

India has a structured programme for conducting bilateral and multilateral training exercises with many foreign countries to boost interoperability, enhance combat skills, and strengthen defence cooperation. Several such events are held in India and overseas every year involving all three services.