• The biennial maritime exercise was held from 17 to 19 January 2026.

• What? 17th DOSTI Trilateral Coast Guard Exercise
• Where? Male, Maldives
• When? From 17th to 19th January 2026
• Participants: India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
• Objective: Enhance maritime cooperation, interoperability and operational coordination
• Phases: Harbour phase (17–19 Jan) followed by operational sea phase
• Previous Edition: February 2024, Maldives

Background: 
History: Exercise DOSTI was initiated in 1991 as a bilateral exercise between the ICG and the MNDF Coast Guard, and expanded into a trilateral exercise including Sri Lanka in 2012.
Previous Edition: The last DOSTI exercise was conducted in February 2024 in the Maldives.
About DOSTI 17 Maritime Exercise:
Delegations: India is represented by a four-member ICG delegation led by Director General (DG) Paramesh Sivamani, while Sri Lanka is represented by Admiral Rohan Joseph, DG of the SLCG.
Phases: The harbour phase was held from 17–19 January 2026 and was followed by an operational sea phase.
Harbour Phase: 

• Focus: The exercise emphasizes collaborative MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships)-based marine pollution response drills while promoting reciprocal learning and strengthening operational capabilities among participants.
• VBSS & SOPs: Conducts joint Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) drills and develops cross-boarding Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to enhance coordination.
• Activities: Features live demonstrations of pollution response equipment and tabletop exercises.

Sea Phase:

• Participants: ICG ships and aircraft will participate to test operational coordination in open-sea conditions.
• Operations: Focuses on search and rescue (SAR) missions and tactical maritime security drills.

Strategic Vision: The exercise supports India’s SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region) vision and Neighbourhood First policy by fostering regional maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.
About Indian Coast Guard (ICG):
Director General (DG) – Paramesh Sivamani
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established – 1977
Motto – Vayam Rakshamah (We Protect)