The three-day apex-level regional strategic dialogue of the Indian Navy, the fourth edition of “Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2022” (IPRD-2022) began in New Delhi. The theme of IPRD-2022 is “Operationalising the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)”, which was articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) in Bangkok on November 4, 2019, the defence ministry said. In the Inaugural Address that followed, Adm R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, outlined the Indian Navy’s outreach in terms of fostering maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Kumar brought out numerous challenges that are not unique to India, but also relevant to other nations in the Indo-Pacific region which broadly included – Imperatives at Home, Influences from Outside and some Intrusive Paradigms, and these challenges would need a collective approach by all stakeholders in the region to ensure safe, secure and stable Indo-Pacific.