The IMF was set up in December 1993 and completed 29 years last December. The 29th Anniversary was celebrated on the 21st of January, 2023 at the Central Park Hotel, Pune. V Adm RB Pandit, AVSM, the Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command was the Chief Guest and delivered the Anniversary Lecture on the topic “Strategic Challenges to India in the Current Geopolitical Situation.” The Admiral has a glittering naval career of more than 38 years. He has won almost all the highest awards during his training courses. He has commanded three frontline ships and held several important training and staff appointments. He also has the distinction of holding the most prestigious operational appointment of Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet. During his lecture, the Admiral dwelt at length on the various strategic challenges faced by India, specifically with regard to neighbouring countries and his views on how the military needed to be positioned as an instrumentality of the state. He also highlighted the importance of the Atma Nirbhar Mission and its vital role in meeting India’s war preparedness needs. The lecture was analytical, thought-provoking and incisive and the distinguished audience remained absorbed throughout. At the end of his talk, he also took on a number of questions from the audience and answered them in a frank and forthright manner.

VAdm Pandit comes from a distinguished lineage of Army officers. Both his father, Lt Gen BT Pandit and his father-in-law, Lt Gen Ashok Joshi are highly decorated veterans who saw action in the 1965 and 1971 Indo Pak wars. The IMF was privileged that both of them could be present on the occasion and it was no doubt a matter of pride for them, as well as for VAdm Pandit. Other distinguished guests included VAdm Ajay Kochhar, Commandant National Defence Academy, VAdm AV Subhedar (Retd), former Chief of Materiel, Indian Navy and Cmde Rajan Vir, President Emeritus IMF.

Prior to the Anniversary Lecture, the President IMF had in his Welcome Address recounted the story about the founding of the IMF in 1993, by Cmde Rajan Vir along with Capt SH (Bobby) Honawar and Capt Rajinder Nath Gulati, with the immediate objective of bringing the Indian Navy and the Merchant Marine closer together and help them to develop mutual understanding. He could say with a sense of satisfaction that the IMF had achieved that objective and the gathering at the Anniversary Lecture was a testimonial to it. He was gratified to note the presence of the Indian Navy, the Merchant Navy, and the Indian Coastguard, as well as a good number of civilians – both mariners and non-mariners and felt that the founding fathers of IMF could not have asked for more. He said that in the last 29 years, IMF had grown in size and stature. It now had branches in Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi and hoped to set up at least one more branch shortly. It also had correspondents in Auckland, Houston, Miami, London, Singapore, Toulon, Toronto and Berlin who contributed regularly to the IMF’s flagship journal, the Seagull. The IMF was also associated with several prestigious organizations in India and abroad including the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi, The World Ship Trust, UK, The Society of Underwater Technology UK, The World Ocean Observatory, New York USA, The International Congress of Maritime Museums, Liverpool, UK, and The Nautical Institute, London.

He also spoke about some of the major activities conducted by the IMF such as the Annual Seminar, a Joint Seminar in partnership with WNC and Nautical Institute, Coastal/River Clean Up drives, setting up two memorials dedicated to seafarers in Pune: one near the Circuit House using the real anchor of the old INS Kistna and the second being The Seamen’s War Memorial in Bund Garden. The IMF also was closely associated with Dept of Defence & Strategic Studies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. Another major initiative was the setting up of a Maritime Museum which was relocated to Anantrao Pawar College of Engineering and inaugurated on 27th May 2022. Some plans on the anvil included expanding the IMF’s membership base and also expansion and upgradation of the existing Museum.

Cmde Ajay Chitnis SC NM (G) delivered the Opening Address and also gave the Vote of Thanks.