New Delhi, 13 October 2026: Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, graced the Curtain Raiser of The Andaman Dialogues 2027 as Chief Guest, marking the unveiling of a regional platform focused on strengthening economic cooperation for shared prosperity. Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi PVSM AVSM NM, Chairman of National Maritime Foundation and former Chief of Naval Staff was present as the Guest of Honour.

The event, held at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, New Delhi, was attended by senior diplomats from around 20 countries, policymakers, senior defence veterans, maritime professionals, members of parliament and industry leaders.

The Andaman Dialogues, an initiative of the Forum for Integrated National Security (FINS) and the Centre for Domestic Economy Policy Research (C-DEP), is envisaged as an annual platform for open discussions between leaders of countries and of industries from the region on conceptualising the future shared regional economic priorities and industry to industry collaborations. The Andaman Dialogues will be held every year at the Swaraj Dweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The inaugural edition of The Andaman Dialogues will be held in March 2027, with the theme ‘Ensuring Resilience of Sea Assets’.

Situated along important maritime routes connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands provide a geographically relevant setting for regional discussions on trade and maritime connectivity, also highlighting that India is a South-East Asian nation, in addition to being a South Asian nation.

Strengthening Regional Economic Cooperation in an Evolving Global Trade Environment

With fast changing technologies, new economic pressures, restructuring of global supply-chains and pressures on industrial resilience, there is an urgent need for industries and leaders of countries from the region to be able to convene and have open conversations on economic cooperation and regional frameworks that support such economic cooperation.

The region has already benefitted significantly from a slew of Free Trade Agreements. Many business opportunities have opened up on the back of such Free Trade Agreements. The Andaman Dialogues will provide a platform for discovering the opportunities and converting them into actual implementations, contributing to the restructuring of the supply-chains.

In addition, there has been a crying need to move trade to local currencies. Such a transition is complex and will have a long roadmap. The Andaman Dialogues will host conversations on enabling local currency trade.

Recent developments across major maritime chokepoints have brought greater attention to the operational and economic implications of such disruptions. Changes in shipping routes, increased risks, port congestion and constraints on vessel movement have impacted freight costs, insurance premiums and delivery schedules. Such disruptions in the traditional trade routes are leading to further pressures for restructuring of the regional supply-chain networks. More than 80% of global merchandise trade by volume and over 90% of global data transmission is dependent on sea routes, thereby making any disruption of the sea routes a matter of regional priority. Unfolding conflicts have led to an urgent need to accelerate the strengthening of regional economic cooperation that can reduce the exposure to supply-chain disruptions.

Simultaneously, growing demand for specialised maritime infrastructure and secure undersea connectivity is creating new opportunities for regional investment and cooperation.

These developments provide an important context for countries to deliberate on strengthening trade connectivity, improving logistics efficiency, diversifying shipping networks and facilitating investments in maritime infrastructure.

Addressing the gathering, Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce and Industry said, “The Andaman Dialogues will bring governments and industry together to exchange ideas, explore new economic partnerships and deliberate on building more reliable and diversified supply chains in this region, rooted in fairness, trust, and mutual growth. India’s fast growing economic engagement and Free Trade Agreements in the region provides a strong foundation for such cooperation.”

Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi PVSM AVSM NM, Former Chief of Naval Staff, emphasised the relationship between maritime connectivity and regional economic development, “The oceans connect our economies through shipping lanes, ports, energy infrastructure and undersea communication networks. Maintaining the reliability of these assets requires sustained dialogue and cooperation among maritime stakeholders. The Andaman Dialogues provides an opportunity to examine shared priorities and exchange perspectives on strengthening maritime resilience across the region.”

The Andaman Dialogues 2027 to Focus on Resilience of Sea Assets

The inaugural edition will focus on resilience of sea assets examining the maritime systems and infrastructure that facilitate regional trade, economic activity and connectivity. The discussions will be organised across four interconnected thematic areas on open shipping lanes, maritime infrastructure and financial connectivity.

Open shipping lanes will cover issues related to maritime governance and operational coordination, including the reliability of critical maritime corridors, maritime domain awareness, trusted information sharing and regional crisis coordination.

Discussions on Maritime infrastructure will include industrial capacity, port resilience, shipping continuity, shipbuilding and repair capabilities, and the protection of undersea cables. Discussions will also consider changing global cargo requirements and opportunities for regional infrastructure development.

Financial connectivity for maritime trade and infrastructure will cover cross-border capital flows, local-currency trade, regional payment systems and financing opportunities for ships, ports and subsea infrastructure.

The main event will also have a table-top exercise on coordinated responses to maritime disruptions, enabling participants to examine operational considerations, information-sharing requirements and opportunities for closer regional cooperation.

Reimagining Regional Economic Cooperation

The Curtain Raiser featured a panel discussion on “Reimagining Regional Economic Cooperation,” with participation from Their Excellencies representing Djibouti, Seychelles and Sri Lanka, alongside Shyam Jagannathan, Director General of Shipping, Government of India and H.E. Raj Srivastava, Dean of Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Affair, Ministry of External Affairs. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Jaijit Bhattacharya, President, C-DEP, and covered opportunities for strengthening regional trade, maritime connectivity and economic partnerships.

The Andaman Dialogues will seek to encourage sustained dialogue, deepen engagement among regional stakeholders and explore opportunities for strengthening economic cooperation and shared prosperity.