By Zarak Khan | 2026-06-08

India has concluded the inaugural Exercise PRAGATI, a multinational army drill involving troops from 12 foreign countries, as New Delhi deepens security cooperation with regional partners amid intensifying competition with China.

The Indian army concluded the exercise on May 30 at Umroi Military Station in Meghalaya state, northeast India. More than 400 troops from 13 countries, including India, participated in the two-week drill, which began on May 20.

The foreign contingents represented three overlapping regional clusters: India's immediate neighborhood, including Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka; Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam; and Indian Ocean partners such as the Maldives and Seychelles.

PRAGATI, which stands for Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region, provided a platform for participating forces to exchange operational experience, share best practices and strengthen military-to-military cooperation, according to the Indian army.

Military cooperation

The troops focused on counterterrorism operations in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain. Training included joint planning exercises, tactical drills and coordinated operations designed to improve adaptability, endurance and operational effectiveness in challenging conditions.

Mixed teams drawn from the participating armies trained together throughout the exercise, which the Indian army said demonstrated interoperability, trust and a shared commitment to regional security cooperation.

Six vice chiefs and more than 40 senior military officers from participating countries attended the closing ceremony, hosted by Lt. Gen. Dhiraj Seth, India's vice chief of army staff. The Indian army said Seth held bilateral meetings with counterparts on the sidelines to advance defense cooperation.

India staged a defense equipment exhibition in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The display showcased domestically developed military hardware, tactical gear and unmanned aerial systems under its "Atmanirbhar Bharat," or Self-Reliant India, initiative, and was intended in part to promote Indian defense exports.

The exercise is the latest in a series of multinational drills through which India has sought to strengthen defense ties with countries across the Indo-Pacific. The Times of India described the initiative as reflecting "India's growing role in promoting stability, trust and defense collaboration across the Indo-Pacific region."

India has expanded its larger multinational exercises too. In February, its biennial MILAN naval exercise in the waters off Visakhapatnam city brought together warships and aircraft from partner countries including the United States, France and Germany.

'Act East' strategy

PRAGATI comes as strategic competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific, where India has stepped up military and diplomatic engagement with regional partners amid concerns over China's growing military and economic influence.

Several participating countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, have maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea. Others remain key partners in India's broader effort to strengthen regional security cooperation.

The exercise reflects the gradual emergence of an informal Indo-Pacific security network centered on India's "Act East" policy and broader maritime strategy.

Since adopting the policy in 2014, New Delhi has sought out defense, diplomatic and strategic engagement with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Indian Ocean island states and neighboring Himalayan countries.

Through joint exercises, naval deployments and defense partnerships, India has pursued more interoperability and political trust with countries increasingly wary of Beijing's actions in regional waters and contested territories.

"Under its Act East policy, New Delhi has been positioning itself as an alternative regional security anchor capable of balancing China's growing regional influence," said Mahadev Raj, a retired Indian military officer based in New Delhi.

The choice of Meghalaya, a strategically sensitive northeastern state bordering Bangladesh and situated near China and Burma, underscored India's focus on its eastern frontier.

"It signals that India is not only strengthening border preparedness but also integrating its northeastern region into a broader Indo-Pacific security architecture," Raj told Focus.