India has strengthened its maritime ties with the Maldives through high-level naval engagements from December 15 to 17, 2025, as Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, visited Male to attend the closing ceremony of the eighth edition of Exercise Ekatha at MNDF Central Area Command, Kadhdhoo. The 30-day exercise, established in 2017, featured intensive training in diving, asymmetric warfare, boarding operations, firing drills, demolition, and heli-borne operations between India’s MARCOS and Maldives National Defence Force Marine Corps, enhancing interoperability in the Indian Ocean Region. Vice Admiral Sobti met Maldives Foreign Affairs Minister Abdulla Khaleel, National Security Advisor Ibrahim Latheef, and Chief of Defence Force Major General Ibrahim Hilmy, discussing maritime security challenges, anti-drug trafficking cooperation, information sharing, and ongoing defence projects; he also handed over operational spares for MNDF Coast Guard Ship Huravee onboard INS Sharda. This partnership underscores India’s Neighbourhood First policy and commitment to regional stability.​