Key defence announcements, Mega Melbourne diaspora event to mark PM Modi’s Australia visit
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Australia on 9 July for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Photograph: (Courtesy: Australia India Foundation)
Defence has increasingly been the area of convergence between India and Australia. The two sides are expected to upgrade the 2009 Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation and finalise a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap and commitments outlined in the 2024 joint statement.
New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Australia on 9 July for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and with defence cooperation expected to dominate the agenda. The visit comes as both nations seek to strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, forged in 2020, against a backdrop of global uncertainty. Major announcements on defence with focus on energy, education, economics (3Es) are anticipated.
Defence has increasingly been the area of convergence. The two sides are expected to renew and upgrade the 2009 Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation and finalise a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap, and commitments outlined in their 2024 joint statement. Recent high-level engagements, including the Tenth Bilateral Defence Policy Talks in May and the Second Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in June between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles, have built momentum.
The defence relationship has accelerated since the 2021 Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, enabling greater interoperability through joint exercises, strategic dialogues and training. Milestones in 2023 included Australia hosting Exercise Malabar, an Indian submarine visit to Perth, trilateral naval activities with Indonesia, and Indian Navy engagements at Australia’s Cocos Islands.
India will be participating in Australian exercise Talisman Sabre 2027. Earlier this year, Australia participated in India’s Exercise Milan, and India participated in Australian exercises Kakadu in March. India has welcomed Australia’s invitation for participation in submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon. Both sides aim to operationalise Air-to-Air Refuelling Arrangement at Exercise Pitch Black.
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Beyond security, the three “Es”, economics, energy and education, will feature prominently in talks. Trade and investment conversations during Australia visit are expected to involve business leaders, while cooperation on renewable energy, energy security, and university partnerships will be highlighted. Several leading Australian universities are establishing physical campuses in India. Deakin University became the first foreign institution to open a full branch campus in India, launching operations in Gujarat’s GIFT City in 2024. The University of Wollongong followed, opening its GIFT City campus later that year.
Cyber security and critical technologies are also slated for significant attention. Sports cooperation is another area of opportunity with Australia’s expertise in training, infrastructure, event management and technology seen as complementary to India’s growing ambitions in the sector.
A major public highlight will be the “Modi meets Melbourne” community event on 9 July in Melbourne, hosted by the Australia India Foundation. Melbourne is home to one of Australia’s largest Indian communities. According to the 2021 census, nearly 976,000 people in Australia trace their ancestry to India, making the Indian diaspora the second-largest and fastest-growing in the country. Prime Minister Albanese previously described Indian PM Modi as “The Boss” during a 2023 community event in Sydney. This will be Modi’s third visit to Australia as Prime Minister, following the 2014 G20 Summit in Brisbane and a 2023 trip to Sydney.
