Capacity-building and training diplomacy have become instruments of naval statecraft. Illustrate with reference to the Indian Navy's recent multinational engagements.

Naval statecraft now works through classrooms and simulators as well as warships. A navy that trains others helps shape their procedures, their thinking and their partnerships. From February to October 2026, the Indian Navy held its first command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154, the Combined Maritime Forces' (CMF) dedicated training task force. This shows India moving from participant to provider [1].

Training as Statecraft: Indian Illustrations

• Coalition leadership: In an eight-month tenure, India delivered 7,800+ training hours to personnel from 39 countries, including 20 Staff Enhancement Training engagements [1].
• India as training hub: Op Southern Readiness 26-2 at Kochi was the first major CMF exercise hosted by India. It showcased Indian simulators and training establishments [1].
• Multiplier effect: CMF's first "Training of Trainers" engagement and the inaugural SPAR 2026 on piracy carry Indian-led practices beyond single courses [1].
• Norm-shaping: CMF's first engagement with an ITLOS Judge and the Nairobi maritime law enforcement dialogue promoted a rules-based order [1].
• Step-wise embedding: Five Indian officers have served on the CTF 150 Rainbow Staff since January 2025, the first Indian Navy posting at CMF HQ [2]. India's bid to command CTF 150 in 2027 has since been accepted [3].

Strategic Dividends

• Energy and trade security: CMF is based in Bahrain, near the Strait of Hormuz. MEA places this engagement under SAGAR [3].
• Credibility with autonomy: Training builds on operational credibility, with 127 ships deployed for Gulf of Aden anti-piracy since 2008 [4]. A non-coercive training role also preserves strategic autonomy.

Limitations

• Hours measure effort, not outcomes. About 3,800 of the hours came from one exercise [1].
• Op Compass Rose 26-1 went fully virtual because of regional insecurity, so at-sea skills could not be practised [1].
• A 10-member contingent [3] shows lean staffing, but the work depended on a few officers.

India's CTF 154 command shows that training diplomacy can turn naval expertise into influence, partnerships and norm-setting at low strategic risk. Hosting CMF training regularly at Kochi and bringing trained staff into the CTF 150 command would strengthen India's role as a "Preferred Security and Training Partner" [1]. That would advance SAGAR's vision of a secure, rules-based Indian Ocean.