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The Indian Navy on Sunday inaugurated the MILAN village as a part of the naval exercise MILAN 2026. The village has been created as an experience zone that brings together delegates and naval personnel from over 70 countries in an atmosphere of camaraderie and friendship, the Ministry of Defence noted in an official statement on Monday.
As per the Ministry of Defence, the village serves as a hub for social and cultural exchanges, enabling engagement beyond professional horizons and its inauguration ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. As a cultural centrepiece of MILAN 2026, the MILAN Village embodies the theme "Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration". It symbolizes the shared commitment of participating navies for mutual cultural exchange, building bridges of friendship and forging collective maritime partnerships. "Indian Navy inaugurated the MILAN Village on 15 Feb 2026 at the Eastern Naval Command, as part of its flagship international naval exercise, MILAN 2026. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, who formally opened the village for the participating navies and walked around the facilities setup to promote global maritime engagement. The thoughtfully curated MILAN Village, has been conceptualised and created as an experience zone that brings together delegates and naval personnel from over 70 countries in an atmosphere of camaraderie and friendship. It serves as a hub for social and cultural exchanges, enabling engagement beyond professional horizons", the statement said. It further noted that a central feature of the MILAN village is its emphasis on cultural exchange, offering a rich and immersive glimpse into India's diverse heritage and tradition. The village will host live performances by vocal artists, traditional folk-dance performances and cultural ensembles reflecting the vibrant artistic legacy of India. "The village features a variety of stalls featuring naval souvenirs, handicraft and handloom products. Together, they showcase craftmanship from across the country. In addition, visitors will be treated to mouth-watering Indian cuisine, offering a diverse range of regional flavours & tastes of India", the statement said. In his remarks, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, highlighted that "MILAN Village reflects the spirit of camaraderie and cultural connect that complements professional naval engagement. As Visakhapatnam hosts IFR, MILAN and IONS in close succession, this convergence represents a significant moment in India's maritime outreach and cooperative engagement with partner navies." The opening of the MILAN Village also marks the beginning of a broader sequence of engagements and events being conducted at Visakhapatnam by the Indian Navy. Exercise MILAN 2026, to be held at Visakhapatnam from 15 to 25 Feb 2026, will form a key pillar of India's historic maritime convergence alongside International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026 and the IONS Conclave of Chiefs. As one of the largest multilateral naval exercises in the Indo-Pacific, MILAN 2026 will bring together navies from across the globe to strengthen interoperability, maritime domain awareness, and collective response capabilities, the statement observed. It mentioned that the Harbour and Sea Phases of the exercise will focus on complex maritime operations including anti-submarine warfare, air defence, search and rescue, and cooperative security missions, reinforcing a shared commitment to free, open, inclusive, and rules-based seas. MILAN 2026 represents a major operational manifestation of the Prime Minister's MAHASAGAR vision, reaffirming India's role as a Preferred Security Partner and a responsible stakeholder in the global maritime commons. (ANI)
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