Australia, Canada and India launch new trilateral technology partnership

In a significant move on the margins of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, the leaders of Australia, Canada and India have announced the creation of a new trilateral partnership focused on technology and innovation. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to establish the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, which aims to deepen cooperation in emerging technologies, diversification of supply chains, clean energy and artificial intelligence. A joint statement released after the meeting said, “the three sides agreed to strengthen their ambition in cooperation on critical and emerging technologies, to complement existing bilateral initiatives.”

The partnership will place particular emphasis on areas where the countries already have strengths. “The initiative will draw on the natural strengths of the three countries and have an emphasis on green energy innovation and building resilient supply chains, including in critical minerals,” the statement continued. The announcement comes at a time of heightened global concern over supply-chain vulnerabilities, particularly in critical minerals and semiconductors, as well as growing competition in clean-energy technologies and AI development.

The statement added that the collaboration would also support broader climate and economic goals: “It will deepen their respective ambition and strategic collaboration towards net zero and drive further diversification of supply chains towards a secure, sustainable, and resilient future.” Artificial intelligence features prominently in the new framework. “The Partnership will also examine the development and mass adoption of artificial intelligence to improve the lives of our citizens,” the statement said. Senior officials from the three countries are expected to hold their first formal meeting under the ACITI banner in the first quarter of 2026 to set priorities and establish working groups.

Although the three nations already cooperate through forums such as the Quad (in India’s case with Australia) and the Commonwealth, the new trilateral arrangement marks the first formal technology-focused mechanism bringing all three together. The partnership is part of a broader trend of middle-power democracies seeking to pool resources and expertise in strategic technology sectors, especially as geopolitical tensions influence global supply chains.

For Canberra and New Delhi, who already enjoy strong defence and trade ties, the trilateral format offers a low-risk way to broaden cooperation. For Ottawa and New Delhi, it represents a pragmatic step forward after two years of bitterness, with technology providing common ground as both side head towards a major re-set.