Naval exercises are instruments of strategic signalling and interoperability. Discuss with reference to India–France exercise VARUNA.

India–France naval exercises began in 1993 and were named VARUNA in 2001 [2]; the 24th edition, hosted at Toulon, France, opened with INS Trishul's arrival on 22 September 2026 [1]. Such exercises work on two planes — they signal intent to third parties, and they build interoperability between navies.

As strategic signalling

• Reach beyond the IOR: a European venue demonstrates the Navy's ability to sustain operations far from home waters, complementing India's stake in the IMEC corridor running through the Mediterranean [4].
• Partner of choice: VARUNA is the visible face of a standing structure — the Horizon 2047 roadmap (2023) and elevation to a Special Global Strategic Partnership in February 2026 [4].
• Deepening trust, measurably: India moved from observer to participant in France's AsterX space exercise in March 2025, and both sides agreed to post officers in each other's units [4].

As an instrument of interoperability

• Shared procedures: cross-deck visits and operational interactions at sea let crews absorb each other's drills and best practices [1].
• Continuity: a numbered, near-annual series hosted alternately by the two navies converts occasional contact into routine [1][3].
• Industrial reinforcement: the 26 Rafale-Marine agreement of April 2025, with technology transfer for integrating indigenous weapons [5], means common platforms — the deepest form of interoperability.

A calibrated caveat

• There is no mutual defence treaty; an exercise creates no obligation to assist. VARUNA shows reach, not permanent presence, since India holds no Mediterranean base.

VARUNA is therefore neither mere ceremony nor a security guarantee: it removes operational friction so that, should the political decision to act jointly be taken, the two navies can combine in days rather than months. Anchored in France's status as a resident Indian Ocean power [4], such exercises advance India's SAGAR–MAHASAGAR vision of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.