India Participates as Vice President in 2nd Session of IALA Council in Nice, France
India, in its capacity as the Vice President of the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), participated prominently in the 2nd Session of the IALA Council held in Nice, France. The Council, which serves as the principal decision-making body of the intergovernmental organization, convened to deliberate on key technical and strategic maritime issues.
The Indian delegation was led by Shri T.K. Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and included Shri Mukesh Mangal, Joint Secretary, and Shri Karthick Chensudar, Director.
In his keynote address during the opening session, the Secretary (PSW) underscored India’s deep-rooted engagement with IALA and its leadership in advancing marine aids to navigation and vessel traffic services. He highlighted the significant strides made by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL), including:
Integration of vessel traffic services (VTS) across 12 major Indian ports
Launch of international training programmes at the Marine Navigation Training Institute, Kolkata
He further extended formal invitations to all IALA member states for the 3rd IALA General Assembly scheduled for December 2025, and the 21st IALA Conference in 2027, both to be hosted in Mumbai.
India has been a founding member of IALA since 1957 and has served as a Council member since 1980 through the DGLL. India’s recent election as Vice President during the 1st General Assembly in Singapore stands as a testament to its growing global influence in maritime affairs and its strategic vision for safe and sustainable navigation.
During the session, the Council deliberated on a wide range of technical topics, including:
Harmonization of global marine aids to navigation (AtoN)
Conservation and protection of lighthouse heritage
Development of a Harmonised Internet of Things (IoT) protocol for visual AtoNs
Specifications for a **Maritime Service Registry
