The Indian Ocean Divers Association (IODA) is a non-profit organization committed to championing the growth and advancement of the diving industry within the vast and diverse expanse of the Indian Ocean. Our mission is to foster collaboration, sustainable practices, and community development among diving enthusiasts, professionals, and stakeholders.
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Management Team
Our leadership team combines operational, training,
and conservation expertise to guide IODA with integrity and strategic vision.
Sham’aa Hameed [Anna]
executive board member
Dr Sham’aa Abdullah Hameed, known as Anna, is a dedicated marine conservationist and medical professional with over ten years of expertise in marine research and project management.
She is the founder of the Ocean Warriors Institute and as an SSI Instructor Trainer and a PADI Platinum Course Director, with a strong commitment to cultivating the next generation of diving instructors, Anna emphasizes rigorous safety protocols and environmental stewardship within the diving community.
Mohamed Rifshan Shaheem
executive board member
Rifshan is the head of Dive RAID Maldives PVT LTD and the Maldives representative of Dive RAID International. Rifshan is an elite Instructor Trainer with expertise of more than 15 years in the industry.
Praladh Kakkar
president
Prahlad Kakar is the co-founder of ReefWatch Marine Conservation, set up in 1994, which aims at creating marine-life awareness. Prahlad Kakar supports and plays an important role as the Chief Advisor & Trustee of Natura Outdoor Education Trust.
Lacadives, India's Premier Sports Diving Organization was set up in 1995, by Prahlad and Mitali Kakar in Kadmat Island with the active collaboration of the administration of Lakshadweep. Lacadives has set standards, which are on par, if not better than any other in the world, for safety and committed teaching of students, Indians and Foreigners. It is the only CMAS certified Dive Centre in India and is also the only establishment to have Six CMAS Instructors working with it on a full-time basis
Anees Adenwala
vice president
Anees Adenwala – Founder
PADI Master SCUBA Diver Trainer (MSDT) & CMAS Instructor
Anees Adenwala is one of the pioneers of India’s outbound scuba diving and underwater filming industry and one of the nation’s first certified scuba instructors. With a career spanning over 30 years and more than 15,000 dives, Anees has trained thousands of divers and helped shape India’s underwater adventure landscape. He established one of Lakshadweep’s earliest dive centres in 1996 and later brought professional dive training to Mumbai through Orca Dive Club. His work has made scuba diving more accessible to urban India. As Brand Ambassador of the DRT Show India, he is widely recognised as a leading voice in Asia’s diving community. Anees is also the founder of Underwater Film Services (UFS), India’s premier team for underwater cinematography and stunts. Since 2003, UFS has contributed to over 100 films and commercials, working with top names in Indian cinema and television.
Hussain SENDI Rasheed
vice president
Rasheed began diving in 1981 and became a PADI Divemaster in 1986, an Instructor in 1993, and Course Director in 2000. He is the former Dean of the Faculty of Marine Studies at Villa College. He is also affiliated as an Executive Director of all Villa Dive Centres under his company Dive Oceanus. He is also a founding member of the Divers Association of Maldives (DAM).
Sendi currently focuses on teaching PADI Professionals and has been a mentor to thousands of new divers, including more than 1,600 divers he had trained in his ongoing career. In 2019 he received the Scuba Diving Hall of Fame Honorary award.
Suraj Khan
secretary general
Suraj is a versatile management professional and entrepreneur with an MBA in Marketing and HR. After a successful stint working with multinational corporations, he ventured into building businesses that reflect his passions—travel, adventure, education, and storytelling.
He is a director and investor in one of Kerala’s leading marine adventure companies, offering a wide range of water-based experiences including scuba diving, parasailing, game fishing, kayaking, and mermaiding. His deep interest in experiential travel also led to a bespoke travel venture that curates luxury escapes across the Maldives, with a focus on yachting, liveaboards, and private island stays.
Suraj is the Co-Founder and Vice President (India) of the South Asian Travel Awards, a prestigious platform that celebrates excellence in hospitality and tourism across the SAARC nations. Most recently, he has entered the edutech space with a company dedicated to delivering future-focused training in advanced technologies to learners in Kerala.
Alongside his business ventures, Suraj is an accomplished photographer with a keen eye for capturing architecture, interiors, lifestyle, and travel stories. His work blends technical precision with a storyteller’s instinct, creating compelling visual narratives that elevate spaces, brands, and experiences.
The Indian Ocean Divers Association (IODA) has successfully wrapped up its, multi-city "Hello IODA" India Roadshow, culminating in a wonderful event last evening, July 12th, at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) in Mumbai.
The ambitious 5-city tour kicked off on July 8th in the coastal town of Kovalam, before traveling through major coastal and urban diving hubs including Pondicherry, Bengaluru, and Goa. Moving under the unified vision of "One Ocean, One Voice, One Community," the roadshow was designed to bridge gaps, elevate safety standards, and establish strong strategic alliances across the region's rapidly growing scuba diving and marine tourism sectors.
Uniting the Regional Dive Fraternity :
The highly anticipated Mumbai gathering drew a good crowd of like-minded diving veterans, professional instructors, and passionate free divers. Supported locally by Mumbai’s prominent Orca Dive Club, the evening served as an open collaborative hub to discuss joint promotional campaigns, standardized safety practices, and eco-tourism initiatives.
As a transnational non-profit organization, IODA has been actively working to bring regional dive professionals and marine stakeholders together into a singular, cohesive ecosystem. The India tour saw good participation from an elite delegation of dive professionals from the Maldives, alongside key representatives from the Indian, Sri Lankan, and Malaysian dive fraternities. The initiative is supported by and affiliated with some of the region's largest marine events and dive shows.
Driving Collaborative Growth : Throughout the tour which partnered with local pioneers such as Bond Ocean Safari in Kovalam, Temple Adventures in Pondicherry, and Slow Tide in Goa, discussions centered on creating actionable frameworks for:
Elevating Scuba Education & Safety: Standardizing high-level safety training across regional waters.
Advancing Marine Conservation: Outlining collaborative community programs to foster ocean literacy and protect vulnerable marine ecosystems.
Promoting Transnational Coastal Tourism: Spotlighting interconnected Indian Ocean destinations to global travelers.
Looking
Ahead: IODA Connect & Conclave
The successful conclusion of the Indian chapter is just the beginning of a larger regional footprint.
Building on this immense momentum, IODA has announced plans to host similar promotional gatherings and localized stakeholder meetups in the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
These upcoming events will lay the critical groundwork for the signature IODA Connect and Conclave, a major regional industry event scheduled to take place later this year.
The Indian Ocean Divers Association (IODA) has successfully concluded the fourth leg of its inaugural five-city “Hello IODA” roadshow with an energetic community gathering at Slow Tide in Anjuna, Goa on July 11th.
The ambitious multi city tour which kicked off in Kovalam before moving to Pondicherry and Bengaluru, aims to unite diving enthusiasts, professional instructors, and dive clubs across India under a singular, powerful vision: "One Ocean, One Voice, One Community."
The Goa gathering at Slow Tide, Anjuna, served as a brilliant collaborative platform, drawing passionate regional dive enthusiats. The event fostered deep discussions on raising regional standards, launching collaborative dive tourism campaigns, and pioneering localized marine conservation initiatives.
Momentum for the movement has been absolute. Across all four stops, every participating dive club, professional operator, and individual diver has officially confirmed their commitment to join the IODA initiative, signaling a massive leap forward for a unified scuba ecosystem in the subcontinent.
Backed by a prominent team incuding industry veterans, with Maldivian diving pioneer and IODA Interim Vice President Hussain Rasheed (Sendi), SG, Suraj from India. the roadshow is successfully standardizing localized community frameworks into a powerful national network.
The Final Gathering : Mumbai
Following the response in Goa, the "Hello IODA" roadshow is marching to its final destination today. The grand finale is scheduled to take place in Mumbai at the prestigious National Sports Club of India (NSCI).
The Mumbai gathering will consolidate the commitments gathered across India's coastline and urban hubs, mapping out the next strategic steps for sustainable dive tourism, standardized education, and ocean literacy in the region.
The Indian Ocean Divers Association (IODA) successfully hosted the third stop of its highly anticipated 5-city "Hello IODA!" Roadshow in Bengaluru on July 10th. The gathering brought together a dynamic crowd of prominent dive center owners, freediving experts, scuba diving enthusiasts, and inland marine communities to shape the future of the regional diving ecosystem.
Centering around the core vision of "One Ocean, One Voice, One Community," the Bengaluru event served as a critical hub for connecting urban diving hubs with coastal networks. Attendees engaged in strategic dialogues covering the rapid growth of the Indian scuba market, localized marine conservation initiatives, and the elevation of safety and educational standards across the subcontinent.
The ambitious "Hello IODA!" roadshow initially kicked off in the coastal town of Kovalam before moving to Pondicherry, gathering incredible momentum along the way. Following the successful conclusion of the Bengaluru session, the roadshow is set to charge ahead to its final stops:
4th Stop: Goa
Finale: Mumbai
As a non-profit organization, IODA remains steadfast in its mission to champion and expand the regional diving footprint. By consistently conducting targeted conferences, regional forums, and anchoring presence at major dive exhibitions, IODA bridges the gap between local operators, independent dive clubs, and global industry veterans to foster sustainable coastal tourism and ocean literacy.