Indian Coast Guard SAREX-2026 off Paradip: Dates, Scenario and Exam Context

The Indian Coast Guard scheduled SAREX-2026, the 12th National Maritime Search & Rescue Exercise, off the Paradip coast (Odisha) for 7 and 8 October 2026. The source report was published on 7 October 2026. As of 8 October 2026, the supplied evidence is a pre-event description only. It does not confirm how the exercise went or that it has finished, so this post treats it as a scheduled two-day exercise whose outcome is not yet documented here.

SAREX-2026 at a glance

The exercise scenario

Mass Rescue Operation

The drill includes a Mass Rescue Operation (MRO) scenario. In it, a passenger aircraft ditches at sea with 228 persons on board and collides with the container vessel MV Zumba. The scenario is an exercise setting, not a real incident. It combines an aviation emergency with a ship-related one, so responders must handle both at once.

Why the design matters

The source says the drill tests concurrent aeronautical and maritime distress response. Such a response needs coordination among naval, air, civil and coastal agencies. For exam purposes, the key point is that sea rescue can involve several agencies and platforms working under a single coordination framework.

Who and what is taking part

The source describes the exercise as planned to be one of the largest and most complex maritime SAR drills in the region. That is the source's characterisation. The evidence gives no comparison data, so this post does not repeat it as an established ranking.

The institutional framework

National Maritime Search & Rescue Board

According to the source, maritime distress response in India is coordinated through the National Maritime Search & Rescue Board. The Indian Coast Guard is the national coordinating authority for maritime search and rescue under this framework.

Board meeting in Bhubaneswar

Alongside the exercise, the Coast Guard will host the 24th National Maritime Search & Rescue Board Meeting in Bhubaneswar. It will be chaired by Paramesh Sivamani, Director General, Indian Coast Guard. The source does not give the meeting date, so it should not be assumed to fall on 7 or 8 October.

Exam-relevant points

• Event details: the exercise is the 12th in the national series, off Paradip, Odisha, on 7–8 October 2026.
• Coordinating authority: the Indian Coast Guard is the national coordinating authority for maritime SAR, per the source.
• Mass Rescue Operation: the source defines it as an incident needing immediate help for a large number of people in distress at sea or in the air.
• Background fact from the source: the Coast Guard was established in 1977 and formally commissioned in 1978.
• Multi-agency angle: the Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force and civil and state authorities all feature, which suits questions on coastal security and disaster response.

This summary does not claim that any of these points will appear in a particular exam. It only lists facts that are supported by the source and useful for revision.

What the evidence does not tell us

• It does not confirm how the exercise went, any findings or lessons, or that it has ended.
• It does not give the Board meeting date or its agenda.
• It does not name the observer countries or give the exact exercise area beyond "off the Paradip coast".

Check an official Indian Coast Guard or government release for the outcome before treating any result as settled.

FAQ

When is SAREX-2026 scheduled?

On 7 and 8 October 2026, off the Paradip coast. The source article was published on 7 October 2026.

Is SAREX-2026 completed?

The evidence does not say. It describes the exercise as planned for 7–8 October, and nothing in it reports completion or results.

What is the central scenario?

A Mass Rescue Operation in which a passenger aircraft with 228 persons on board ditches at sea and collides with the container vessel MV Zumba.

Which agency coordinates maritime search and rescue in India?

The source names the Indian Coast Guard as the national coordinating authority, working under the National Maritime Search & Rescue Board framework.