INDIAN COAST GUARD TO HOST 24th NMSAR BOARD MEETING AT BHUBANESWAR, FOLLOWED BY SAREX‑2026 OFF PARADIP

Bhubaneswar, 07 Oct 26: The Indian Coast Guard will convene the 24th National Maritime Search & Rescue (NMSAR) Board Meeting at Bhubaneswar under the Chairmanship of Director General Paramesh Sivamani, AVSM, PTM, TM, Director General, Indian Coast Guard.

 

Deliberations will focus on strengthening national SAR preparedness, enhancing distress‑alert management, and ensuring faster mobilisation of rescue assets through technology integration and seamless inter‑agency coordination.

 

On the sidelines of the NMSAR Board Meeting, Shri Sanjay Seth, Honourable Raksha Rajya Mantri, will inaugurate the 12th National Maritime Search & Rescue Exercise (SAREX‑2026) on 07 Oct 26, and witness SAR Demo off Paradip coast on 08 Oct 26.

 

This will be one of the largest and most complex SAR exercises ever conducted in the region, deploying 15 Coast Guard ships, two Dornier aircraft, three Advanced Light Helicopters, a Chetak helicopter, IAF C‑130J and Mi‑17 aircraft, two Indian Navy ships, civil/state assets, and shore‑based support units.

 

The exercise will simulate a Mass Rescue Operation involving concurrent aeronautical and maritime distress situations; a passenger aircraft ditching at sea with 228 persons onboard and impacting container vessel MV Zumba.

 

A major highlight is the international participation of 32 observers from 30 countries, underscoring the cooperative protocols, strategic importance, and global interoperability of the drill.

 

The 24th NMSAR Board Meeting and SAREX‑2026 reaffirm India’s resolve to build a faster, technology‑enabled, and internationally connected Search & Rescue framework, in line with the vision of SAGAR and the spirit of MAHASAGAR.