Indian Navy chief holds bilateral talks with Sri Lankan counterpart

India’s Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Dinesh K. Tirpathi has had an interaction with the Commander of the Sri Lanka Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda on the sidelines of the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.

Reflecting the close and enduring maritime relations between neighbouring navies, India’s CNS engaged with Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, the spokesperson of the Indian Navy posted on ‘X’.

The interaction highlighted sustained operational linkages, continued capacity building efforts, and cooperation reinforced through engagements such as Exercise SLINEX, alongside regular training and professional exchanges, the statement said.

International Fleet Review 2026 was conducted off Visakhapatnam coast on Wednesday, with participation from 74 countries.

Indian President Droupadi Murmu reviewed the assembled fleet from INS Sumedha, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol Vessel. According to India’s Ministry of Defence, 66 Indian and 19 foreign ships participated, alongside three Indian Navy submarines and over 60 aircraft.

Sri Lanka Navy Ship (SLNS) Sagara and Nandimitra set sail on February 11 from the Port of Colombo to Visakhapatnam to join the multilateral naval exercise MILAN and International Fleet Review (IFR), hosted by the Indian Navy. 

The 13th edition of the exercise will be conducted from 17 to 25 Feb 26 at Visakhapatnam and in the waters of the Bay of Bengal.