Indian and French navies conduct 20th Exercise Varuna off Goa

Exercise Varuna focuses on operational level in­teraction between them to en­h­ance mutual cooperation at sea, underscoring their shared commitment to regional security.

Exercise Varuna 2022 (Varuna 22) — the 20th edition of the Indo-French naval exercise — is being conducted this year off Goa, in the Arabian Sea.

Paris regards itself as an Indian Ocean power and carefully husbands its island territories in the ocean such as the Réunion Island. Given the French Navy’s stakes in the region, New Delhi believes there is a serious strategic dimension to Exercise Varuna.

“The exercise (Varuna) has been a principal driver for operational level interactions between the two navies and has underscored the shared commitment of both nations to security, safety and freedom of the global maritime