Organic Fisheries Certification SOP Launched for Northeast

Context: The Union Government has launched a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Organic Certification of Fisheries in the Northeastern region, while highlighting Soreng district of Sikkim as India's first notified Organic Fisheries Cluster under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

More on the News

• Organic Fisheries Cluster: Notified on 6 January 2025, the Soreng cluster promotes ecologically healthy fish farming without harmful chemicals, antibiotics and pesticides, focusing on Amur Carp, Indian Major Carps (IMC) and Trout.
• Certification Framework: The newly launched SOP provides a structured framework for organic fish production and certification, supporting traceability across the value chain.
• Infrastructure Support: Fisheries projects worth ₹375 lakh were inaugurated under PMMSY, covering hatcheries, feed mills, cold storage facilities and technologies such as Biofloc and Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS).

Significance

• Integrated Value Chain: PMMSY's cluster-based approach integrates production, processing, value addition and marketing within identified geographical areas. A total of 34 fisheries production and processing clusters have been notified nationally, including organic fisheries clusters in Sikkim and Meghalaya.
• Market Access: Organic certification and traceability can improve consumer confidence and help Northeastern fish products access premium domestic and export markets.
• Institutional Market Linkage: Sikkim has entered into an MoU with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for institutional procurement of locally produced Rainbow Trout, aiming to provide a stable market for trout farmers.

Inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise

Context: India hosted the inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise from 30 October to 3 November 2026 in Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair), Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Key Features

• Participating countries: All seven BIMSTEC members—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• Host command: The exercise was hosted under the aegis of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), India’s first integrated tri-service command.
• Objectives: To enhance interoperability, strengthen Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), improve coordination mechanisms and facilitate the exchange of best practices among member states.
• Regional focus: The exercise focused on maritime cooperation in the Bay of Bengal, a strategic maritime space connecting South and Southeast Asia and supporting trade, connectivity and energy security.

India–Republic of Korea Navy (IN-RoKN) Bilateral Exercise

Context: The Indian Navy’s indigenously designed and built guided-missile stealth frigate INS Sahyadri successfully concluded its participation in the India–Republic of Korea Navy (IN-RoKN) Bilateral Exercise at Busan, Republic of Korea, on 29 October 2026.

Key Features

• Participating navies: Indian Navy and Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN).
• Harbour Phase: Included professional discussions, cross-deck visits, operational briefings and Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs), along with cultural and sporting engagements.
• Sea Phase: INS Sahyadri and the Republic of Korea Navy’s ROKS Munmu the Great undertook coordinated navigation, helicopter operations and joint maritime manoeuvres.
• Objectives: To enhance maritime cooperation, operational interoperability and mutual understanding between the two navies through professional exchanges and practical engagements at sea.

Exercise Tiger Triumph 2026

Context: The fifth edition of Exercise Tiger Triumph 2026, the India–US Bilateral Tri-Service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, was conducted at Visakhapatnam.

Key Features

• Participating forces: The exercise involved the armed forces of India and the United States, including their respective Army, Navy and Air Force components, along with specialised personnel.
• Exercise format: The 2026 edition focused on a Staff Exercise (STAFFEX) and Tabletop Exercise (TTX), emphasising operational planning, joint coordination and simulated disaster-response scenarios.
• Indian participation: Personnel from all three Services participated, while a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the exercise for the first time.
• US participation: The US contingent included specialists from its Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, as well as personnel specialising in space, cyber, medical services and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).

Exercise Malabar 2026

Context: The Indian Navy’s indigenous Guided Missile Stealth Frigate INS Sahyadri, part of the Eastern Fleet, arrived at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, on 4 November 2026 to participate in the multilateral naval exercise MALABAR 2026.

Key Features

• Participating countries: India, Japan, the United States and Australia—the four members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad).
• Indian participation: INS Sahyadri, an indigenously designed and built guided-missile stealth frigate, represents the Indian Navy.
• Exercise phases:
• Harbour Phase: Includes professional interactions and coordinated planning among participating navies.
• Sea Phase: Involves INS Sahyadri and participating naval units from the United States, Australia and Japan.
• Objectives: To enhance operational coordination, strengthen interoperability and facilitate the exchange of professional expertise among participating maritime forces.
• Strategic alignment: The exercise supports maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and is aligned with India’s vision of MAHASAGAR—Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.