The 17th International Hydrographic Conference held in May 2007, directed that CHRIS (now the IHO Hydrographic Services and Standards Committee - HSSC) establish a Marine Spatial Data Infrastructures Working Group (MSDIWG) to identify the Hydrographic Community inputs to National Spatial Data Infrastructures (NSDI). In 2015, the responsibility for the MSDIWG moved from HSSC to the Inter-Regional Coordination Committee (IRCC). This change reflected the ongoing nature of the work of the MSDIWG in tackling predominantly non-technical matters.
During the 20th Conference of NIOHC held on 13-15th July 2021, members expressed their willingness to intensify coordination on Marine Spatial Data Infrastructures (MSDI) and a MSDIWG was established to promote MSDI within the North Indian Ocean region. Sri Lanka was selected as the Chairmen of the working group and Egypt, India, United Kingdom and United State of America was selected as members of MSDIWG.