NEW DELHI: Multilateral military exercise PRAGATI 2026 involving personnel from 12 friendly countries started at Meghalaya’s Umroi Military Station on Wednesday.The contingents of Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Vietnam were accorded a traditional welcome by the Indian Army.PRAGATI — Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region — exercise provides a common platform for participating armies to engage in professional exchange, learn from one another’s experiences and build closer military-to-military ties.The two-week exercise will focus on counter-terror operations in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain. The training programme will include joint planning exercises, tactical-level drills and coordinated operations designed to improve adaptability, endurance and tactical proficiency of participating troops.In his address during a ceremony, Major General Sunil Sheoran, additional director general of Infantry of Indian Army welcomed all contingents and highlighted the importance of collective engagement in addressing contemporary security challenges. He stressed that the strengths and perspectives brought by each nation would contribute meaningfully towards achieving collective objectives of exercise.As part of the exercise, Indian technology and defence companies will showcase indigenous equipment and innovations under Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and highlighting India’s growing capabilities in defence production, innovation and self-reliance.