PM Modi, his Australian Counterpart Anthony Albanese hold third India-Australia Annual Summit, expand strategic partnership across key sectors
By R Anil Kumar
Melbourne/ Bengaluru, July 9, 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday, July 9, held the third India-Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne, reaffirming their commitment to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through enhanced cooperation in trade, defence, critical technologies, clean energy, education and people-to-people ties.
PM Modi, who is on a visit to Australia, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Government House on his arrival before holding one-on-one talks with Prime Minister Albanese, followed by delegation-level discussions.
The two leaders reviewed the progress made since the launch of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020, noting that bilateral ties have expanded significantly over the past six years across strategic, economic and cultural domains.
A major focus of the summit was strengthening economic engagement. Both Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to concluding an ambitious, balanced and mutually beneficial Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) at the earliest. They welcomed the outcomes of the Australia-India CEOs Forum and the Economic Roadmap Business event held earlier in the day and encouraged businesses from both countries to explore fresh investment opportunities in priority sectors.
The leaders also discussed expanding cooperation in defence and security, critical minerals, cyber and emerging technologies, space, civil nuclear energy, clean energy, education and skill development. They agreed that closer collaboration in these sectors would further strengthen the strategic partnership and contribute to regional stability and economic resilience.
Education emerged as another key pillar of the relationship, with both leaders highlighting the growing presence of Australian universities in India. They noted that academic partnerships are playing an important role in developing a future-ready workforce, fostering innovation and strengthening people-to-people connections.
PM Modi and Albanese also praised the Indian diaspora in Australia for its significant contribution to Australian society and for serving as a vital bridge between the two nations. They welcomed the continued expansion of cultural exchanges and appreciated Australia’s decision to voluntarily return several Indian cultural artefacts.
The artefacts, originating from Tamil Nadu, include a stone sculpture of the sacred Nandi, a metal trident bearing the image of Goddess Bhadrakali, and a six-headed stone statue of Lord Kartikeya. The objects will be transported back to India in due course.
The summit also resulted in the conclusion of a wide-ranging package of agreements and memoranda of understanding covering maritime security, civil nuclear cooperation, defence and security, energy security, skill development, emerging technologies, science and technology, filmmaking, solar energy, education, traditional knowledge and the repatriation of cultural property.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments, reaffirming their shared commitment to maintaining a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific based on international law and mutual cooperation.
Concluding the summit, PM Modi thanked Albanese for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation, while both leaders reiterated their commitment to taking the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to new heights.
PM Modi’s Australia visit delivers 18 major outcomes, deepening defence, energy, technology and education ties
India and Australia on Thursday unveiled an ambitious package of 18 agreements and initiatives spanning defence, maritime security, clean energy, critical technologies, education, skill development and cultural cooperation, marking a major expansion of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership following the third India-Australia Annual Summit.
The outcomes announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia are aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation across strategic, economic and people-to-people sectors while reinforcing a shared vision for a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
At the heart of the announcements was a new Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation, which replaces the 2009 Joint Declaration on Security. The agreement significantly broadens defence collaboration by focusing on military interoperability, maritime security, defence industrial cooperation, cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and cooperation through regional groupings such as the Quad, ASEAN, the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
Complementing the declaration, both countries adopted a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap to deepen cooperation through enhanced information sharing, capability development and operational coordination. India and Australia also signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian Coast Guard and Australia’s Maritime Border Command to strengthen collaboration in maritime law enforcement, maritime domain awareness and border protection.
In another significant defence initiative, Australia invited an Indian military instructor to serve at the Australian Defence College during 2028-29, further expanding military-to-military engagement.
Energy security and clean energy cooperation featured prominently in the summit outcomes. India and Australia issued a Joint Statement on Energy Security reaffirming their commitment to ensuring secure and resilient energy supply chains amid growing geopolitical uncertainties. The two countries also finalised the administrative arrangements under the India-Australia Civil Nuclear Agreement, operationalising the pact signed in 2014 and enabling the export of Australian uranium to India for peaceful civilian use.
The leaders also announced the operationalisation of the Rooftop Solar Training Academy at Pandit Deendayal Energy University in Gandhinagar. Established through collaboration involving Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Environment and Water, India’s Sector Skills Council for Green Jobs and ReNew, the academy aims to train 2,000 women and youth as solar technicians and installers in support of the PM Surya Ghar Yojana.
Recognising the strategic importance of emerging technologies, the two countries launched the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS). The initiative builds on the 2020 cyber cooperation framework and seeks to strengthen collaboration in cybersecurity, critical technologies, digital resilience and resilient supply chains.
The technology partnership was further expanded through the signing of a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding under the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, which aims to promote collaboration in emerging technologies and innovation.
Cooperation in critical minerals also received a boost with a renewed Memorandum of Understanding between Geoscience Australia and the Geological Survey of India to support advanced mineral exploration, technological modernisation, capacity building and scientific cooperation.
In the education and skills sector, both countries announced several initiatives to strengthen academic and vocational collaboration. Australia handed over a Letter of Intent to Flinders University to establish a campus in Bengaluru, while Victoria University received approval to operationalise its campus in Gurugram.
India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Government of Western Australia’s Technical and Further Education (TAFE) signed an agreement to establish a Centre of Excellence in Mining Equipment, Technology and Services at the National Skill Training Institute in Bhubaneswar. The centre will focus on specialised training in mining operations, mine safety, mineral processing and mining machinery while facilitating student and trainee exchanges.
A separate Letter of Intent between India’s National Council for Vocational Education and Training and the Australian Skills Quality Authority will strengthen quality assurance, occupational standards, regulatory cooperation and capacity building in vocational education and training.
Scientific collaboration was also expanded through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the University of Melbourne covering collaborative research, faculty exchanges, trainee programmes and drug discovery research. CSIR also signed an agreement with IP Australia, providing access to India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library to support patent examination and safeguard India’s traditional knowledge.
Cultural and creative cooperation also featured in the summit outcomes. Australia agreed to repatriate three significant Indian antiquities—a granite Nandi sculpture dating to the 11th-12th century, an 11th-century bronze Bhadrakali trident and a 12th-century basalt sculpture of six-headed Skanda (Karttikeya). In addition, the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata signed an agreement with Griffith Film School in Australia to collaborate on film education, workshops, academic exchanges and joint creative projects.
India, Australia finalise framework for Australian uranium exports to India under Civil Nuclear Pact
India and Australia have finalised the administrative arrangements required to enable the export of Australian uranium to India for exclusively peaceful purposes under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, marking a significant milestone in bilateral energy cooperation.
The announcement was made in the India-Australia Joint Statement on Energy Security issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia, where the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening energy security, resilient supply chains and deeper cooperation across the energy sector.
The two sides said the finalisation of the administrative arrangements paves the way for implementing uranium exports under the Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signed in 2015. The uranium supplied by Australia will be used only for peaceful purposes and will remain subject to IAEA safeguards.
Reaffirming their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, India and Australia also expressed deep concern over the situation in the Middle East and its impact on global energy markets, including disruptions to supply chains and rising prices of energy resources and other essential commodities.
Both countries stressed the importance of maintaining open markets and rules-based trade, describing them as essential for ensuring economic security and long-term prosperity.
The joint statement highlighted the role of trusted private sector partnerships and strategic investments in ensuring sustainable and reliable energy flows. India and Australia committed to advancing bilateral energy trade and investment through the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), ongoing negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), and other bilateral mechanisms.
The two countries also reaffirmed the importance of capacity building and knowledge sharing in the energy sector.
Recognising Australia’s position as a major supplier of liquefied natural gas to India and India’s role as an important supplier of liquid fuels and downstream petroleum products to Australia, both sides pledged to support uninterrupted energy trade and encourage greater investment across the energy value chain.
India and Australia also agreed to work together to strengthen energy supply chain resilience by promoting regional cooperation, accelerating the clean energy transition and supporting greater adoption of renewable energy. They noted that increasing electrification of their respective energy systems would play an important role in enhancing future energy security.
The joint statement further acknowledged the energy security challenges faced by Pacific Island countries and underlined the importance of ensuring reliable energy supplies to support their economic resilience and development.
Reaffirming their commitment to stable and reliable energy supplies, the two countries agreed to cooperate in ensuring the continued availability of coal, diesel, natural gas and other liquid fuels while expanding collaboration on low-carbon fuels. In this context, Australia welcomed India’s Global Biofuels Alliance initiative.
Calling for greater regional cooperation, India and Australia urged regional partners to work together to keep global energy supply chains open, ensuring energy security and economic prosperity across the Indo-Pacific.
India, Australia launch new cyber and critical technologies partnership to boost supply chain resilience
India and Australia on Thursday launched the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS), unveiling a new framework aimed at strengthening cooperation in cyber security, critical technologies, resilient supply chains and defence research.
The new partnership, announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia, replaces the 2020 Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation and seeks to deepen collaboration in areas considered critical to national security, economic growth and regional stability.
According to the joint statement, PACTS will build on the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by promoting secure supply chains, trusted digital infrastructure, technology innovation and cyber resilience across the Indo-Pacific. The framework is designed to strengthen cooperation between governments, industry, research institutions and universities while supporting greater private sector investment and technology development.
The partnership is structured around five pillars of cooperation.
Under the first pillar on Supply Chain Resilience and Diversification, India and Australia will work to develop secure and trusted technology supply chains, establish a bilateral mechanism for trusted vendor frameworks, strengthen cooperation on undersea cable security through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, collaborate on semiconductor supply chain research, and promote secure critical minerals supply chains through coordinated investment and regulatory cooperation.
The second pillar focuses on Critical Technologies, with both countries committing to deepen collaboration in artificial intelligence, space technologies, telecommunications, biotechnology and advanced materials. The two sides will support joint research, innovation and investment initiatives while working together on international standards for trustworthy and secure AI. They will also explore new opportunities for collaboration in the rapidly expanding space sector.
Under the Cybersecurity pillar, India and Australia will enhance cooperation to combat cybercrime, strengthen cyber resilience and protect critical infrastructure. The partnership includes plans to establish a streamlined bilateral cyber cooperation mechanism, expand dialogue on cybersecurity and data governance, facilitate joint workshops between government agencies and industry stakeholders, and establish a cyber technology skill incubator to promote workforce development.
The fourth pillar, Digital Resilience, aims to expand cooperation in digital public infrastructure (DPI) across the Indo-Pacific. The two countries will work together to promote scalable and trusted digital solutions in sectors such as renewable energy, healthcare, education, connectivity, skills development and social protection. The initiative also seeks to support partner countries in adopting India’s Digital Public Infrastructure model through capacity-building programmes and pilot projects.
The fifth pillar focuses on Defence Research Collaboration, under which India and Australia will deepen defence science and technology cooperation through joint research, institutional partnerships and innovation. The two countries will strengthen ties between Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), promote collaboration between defence start-ups, and undertake joint research in maritime surveillance, advanced materials and other defence technologies.
The partnership will be jointly overseen by India’s Deputy National Security Advisor and Australia’s Deputy Secretary of the International and Security Group in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. An annual Senior Officials’ Meeting will review progress, identify emerging cyber and technology risks, and determine new collaborative projects under each pillar.
The two countries said the new framework reflects their shared commitment to strengthening national security, enhancing digital resilience, building trusted technology ecosystems and supporting a secure, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
