IG Bhisham Sharma
- Commander Coast Guard Region West
- Indian Coast Guard
Inspector General Bhisham Sharma a distinguished recipient of the President’s Tatrakshak Medal (PTM) and Tatrakshak Medal (TM) is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Coast Guard’s Western Region overseeing a vast and strategically vital coastline spanning 2160 Kilometers. A seasoned operational strategist and the senior most aviator in the Indian Coast Guard he has extensively flown Alouette-III (Chetak Helicopter) executing high-risk Search and Rescue (SAR) operations under extreme maritime conditions6 saving innumerable lives and safeguarding maritime assets.
Inspector General Sharma has held command across almost every class of ships inducted into the Indian Coast Guard. His command portfolio extends across air squadrons operational enclaves major headquarters and key national assignments where he has led mission-critical operational and administrative domains. His tenure as Commander Andaman & Nicobar Region overseeing Coast Guard stations across six strategically significant island territories reinforced India’s maritime security posture in the Indo-Pacific.
An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC)6 Wellington he holds a Master’s degree in Defence Studies. A staunch advocate of physical endurance and mental resilience he is an avid cyclist and fitness enthusiast championing a culture of sports discipline and the philosophy of ‘Mind Over Matter’ within the armed forces.
With his unparalleled operational expertise strategic foresight and leadership acumen Inspector General Bhisham Sharma continues to be a driving force in enhancing maritime security and shaping the future of coastal defense strategies in the Indian Ocean Region.
Sessions
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Maritime and Big Rivers
Rivers create a particular set of problems for border management. Rivers can flow hundreds and thousands of kilometres from the ocean into national territories. Indeed, rivers make up 23 percent of all international borders.
South America has the largest number of international borders made up by rivers—nearly half. Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, French, Guiana, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. On the Indian subcontinent the rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus are shared with neighbouring countries, India Nepal, Bhutan, China, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
As an example of the complexity the Danube can be navigated by ocean going vessels from the Black Sea 2,400 km into the very heart of Europe, passing through or making up part of the border of ten of those countries.
So, how do you manage the intersection of rivers, seas and oceans and the multi-national and multi-jurisdictional complexity of this most challenging of border domains.