The 14th edition of the biennial India-Russia joint Naval exercise Indra commenced off the Chennai coast in the Bay of Bengal on 28 March 2025. The Indra maritime exercise 2025 will take place in two phases from 28th March to 2nd April 2025.

The first edition of the Indra exercise was held on the western coast of India in the Arabian Sea in May 2003.

The 13th edition of the exercise was hosted by the Russian Navy and was held in the Gulf of Finland in July 2024.

The exercise aims to improve operational interoperability and strengthen bilateral naval cooperation. In recent years, land and naval forces have alternately participated in the exercise.

Two Phases of the Indra Exercise 2025

The Indra exercise is held in two phases -Harbour and Sea phases.

The harbour phase will be held onshore in Chennai from 28 to 30 March 2025.

The sea phase will be conducted off the Chennai coast in the Bay of Bengal from 31 March to 2 April 2025.

Opening ceremony and the Harbour Phase

The 14th edition of the Indra exercise opening ceremony was held on the Indian Navy destroyer ship INS Rana in the port city of Chennai. The Naval commanders of both countries, crew members, and the Russian embassy participated in the ceremony.

Harbour phase

The harbour phase will be held on land, during which the Naval commanders of both India and Russia will discuss the strategy to enhance the interoperability of naval ships of both countries.

Interoperability in the military means the ability of the armed forces to operate

effectively and efficiently in various military operations as part of a joint force of a coalition or with another country’s military force.

During the harbour phase the emphasis will be on strengthening the relation between the Indian naval personnel and Russian naval personnel by organising meetings, sports competitions, sightseeing, cultural exchange, etc.

Sea Phase

During the sea phase of the Indra exercise, both the Navy’s warships will practice maneuvering, helicopter landings on the ship deck,anti-air operations, and firings at sea and air targets.

Participating Naval Ships

The Indian Navy has deployed INS Rana, INS Kuthar, and Maritime patrol aircraft P8l.

The INS Rana is a 61-ME class destroyer that was built by the Soviet Union for India.

INS Kuthar has been designed and constructed in India.

The Boeing P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft has been bought by India from the United States of America.

The Russians have deployed their Pacific Fleet’s warships, comprising the corvettes Rezky, Hero, Aldar Tsydenzhapov, and the support vessel Pechenga.

India-Russia Defence ties

India and Russia have a close political and defence relationship. Defence partnership is an important pillar of the India-Russia strategic partnership.

The Soviet Union and its successor state, Russia, have traditionally been a major defence supplier to India.

Now both the countries are jointly developing and producing state of the art military platforms like the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile.

The Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) has set up a factory in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, and has started production of AK-203 rifles in India.

Military exercise

Despite having strong defence ties, the only bilateral exercise conducted between the two countries is the Indra exercise.

Indian Army contingent has participated in the multilateral exercise TSENTR 2019 and EX Vostok 2022 conducted by the Russian Armed Forces.