The NationalMaritime Foundation, in New Delhi, India is a non-governmental, non-political maritime think-tank, which aims to undertake studies and analyses on various issues of concern in the maritime domain with a view to formulate and present options for a vibrant and evolving national maritime policy. The Indo- Pacific Regional Dialogue,the apex level conference of the Indian Navy, is organised by the NationalMaritime Foundation as the Navy’s Knowledge Partner.
Vision Statement
To be the foremost resource centre for the development and advocacy of strategies for the promotion and protection of India’s maritime interests.
Origin
It was established under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, inaugurated by the then Defence Minister of India, Mr Pranab Mukherjee in February 2005 in New Delhi. The genesis of the NMF lies in a long-felt need to redress India’s historical neglect of its maritime domain and to fill an acute intellectual void, by providing a common platform for discourse between maritime related institutions, organisations and disciplines, country-wide. It was also envisaged that the Foundation would provide an open forum for professional debate amongst the various stakeholders within India’s maritime domain, while serving to heighten maritime awareness amongst India’s policy-makers and intellectual elite, as also civil society at large.
Activities
As the first think tank in India which is solely focused on matters maritime, National Maritime Foundation conducts research, advocacy and convening activities to support this objective.
Research
The National Maritime Foundation consists of both active defence services researchers as well as civilian researchers focusing on various aspects of the maritime domain. The research areas include Maritime heritage, Maritime law, Maritime security, Maritime energy, Maritime technology, Maritime Trade and Connectivity, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Blue Economy. NMF regularly publishes books, newsletters, commentaries and issue briefs targeted at decision makers in policy, government, business, and academia. NMF also publishes the maritime journal called Maritime Affair published by Taylor and Francis
Convening
It organises and facilitates study courses, conferences, seminars, lectures and research, in matters relating to relevant aspects of global maritime affairs and offer fellowships, prizes, scholarships and stipends in furtherance of the objectives of the Foundation.
The idea of an Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue was first conceptualised and conducted in 2018, as the apex level conference of the Indian Navy, organised by the National Maritime Foundation as the Navy’s Knowledge Partner. The permanent theme of this annual dialogue is a review of India’s opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. The aim is to focus attention on the Indo-Pacific, as a maritime geographical-entity, while deliberating aspects of great relevance to regional geopolitics.
