India, Australia deepen energy, defence ties during PM Modi visit: Details

Australia and India said they would support the continued flow of energy products and further enhance bilateral energy trade

India and Australia on Thursday announced a series of measures to strengthen cooperation in energy security, defence, cyber security and critical technology supply chains. The announcements came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held the third India-Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne.

 

Defence partnership gets a strategic upgrade

 

The two sides signed the Australia-India Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation (2026), significantly expanding defence ties as both countries respond to an increasingly complex regional security environment.

 

The declaration commits the two countries to closer cooperation in defence, maritime security, defence industry, critical technologies and regional stability. According to a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement, India and Australia also agreed to establish an annual defence ministers' dialogue while strengthening coordination between their armed forces.

 

 

The two sides endorsed the India-Australia Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap, recognising maritime cooperation as central to their shared vision of a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific. The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding between Australia's Maritime Border Command and the Indian Coast Guard to enhance coordination in maintaining a secure maritime environment.

 

India and Australia also agreed to deepen defence industrial cooperation, including working towards a memorandum on the provision of defence articles and services, while promoting stronger collaboration between their defence industries.

 

Shared Indo-Pacific vision

 

Reaffirming their commitment to a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, Modi and Albanese stressed the importance of freedom of navigation and peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

 

Both the sides agreed to deepen cooperation in the Indian Ocean through the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), including maritime safety initiatives, search and rescue exercises and collaboration under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

 

The two countries also committed to strengthening cooperation through the Australia-India-Indonesia trilateral mechanism in areas such as maritime domain awareness, the blue economy and marine pollution, while reiterating support for Asean centrality, the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the Pacific Islands Forum.

 

Australia clears uranium exports, backs India's NSG bid

 

One of the summit's most significant outcomes was the signing of the administrative arrangement required to operationalise the Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, paving the way for long-term Australian uranium exports to India for exclusively peaceful purposes under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. Australia also reiterated its support for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG).

 

The MEA statement said the arrangement would enable India to procure Australian uranium for peaceful civilian nuclear use, supporting the country's plans to expand nuclear power as part of its clean energy transition. However, neither side disclosed the volume or timeline of uranium supplies. The agreement marks the culmination of more than a decade of negotiations since the two countries signed their civil nuclear cooperation pact in 2014.

 

Addressing a joint media briefing with PM Modi after the summit, Australian PM Albanese said the agreement would help increase the share of non-fossil fuel power generation while creating an additional export market for Australia's resources sector. PM Modi said the arrangement would provide fresh momentum to the two countries' clean energy partnership and would be complemented by cooperation on critical minerals.

 

Critical minerals and energy security emerge as key pillars

 

Critical minerals emerged as another key pillar of the bilateral relationship, with both countries committing to deepen collaboration across exploration, investment, processing and long-term supply arrangements.

 

The two governments said partnerships involving public agencies, private companies and research institutions would be strengthened to build resilient supply chains and expand value addition in critical minerals. The leaders said transparent and diversified supply chains for critical minerals and energy had become central to economic security amid growing geopolitical uncertainty.

 

Separately, India and Australia also issued a joint statement on energy security, expressing concern over the impact of instability in West Asia on global energy markets. Both countries reaffirmed support for open markets, rules-based trade and uninterrupted energy flows. The two sides also agreed to deepen cooperation in renewable energy, electrification and resource collaboration to improve long-term energy security and support the transition towards cleaner sources of energy.

 

Trade, investment and technology cooperation broaden

 

The two sides welcomed the growth in bilateral trade under the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) and reiterated their commitment to concluding a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) to unlock the full potential of the partnership.

 

The leaders also backed stronger investment flows and greater collaboration between financial institutions and the private sector, while welcoming the convening of the India-Australia CEO Forum. The two sides also welcomed progress under Australia's roadmap for economic engagement with India and the inaugural India-Australia Track 1.5 Dialogue held earlier this year.

 

New cyber partnership launched

 

India and Australia also launched the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS), replacing the 2020 cyber cooperation framework with a broader strategic partnership.

 

The new framework aims to strengthen cooperation in cyber security, critical and emerging technologies, digital resilience, defence research and resilient supply chains, reflecting the growing role of technology in national security. According to the declaration, the partnership seeks to improve regional cyber resilience, diversify critical supply chains and provide trusted digital alternatives across the Indo-Pacific.

 

The two countries also welcomed the signing of the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership memorandum to expand cooperation in trusted and emerging technologies.

 

Space and climate cooperation

 

Space cooperation also received a boost, with Australia reaffirming support for India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, including the commissioning of a temporary tracking station on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The two sides also called for deeper collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the Australian Space Agency.

 

On climate, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris Agreement while recognising the need for greater climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building for vulnerable developing nations. They also welcomed progress under the India-Australia renewable energy partnership, including the operationalisation of the rooftop solar academy.

 

Education, skills and people-to-people ties expand

 

India and Australia described people-to-people ties as the foundation of the bilateral relationship, noting that the Indian community is now Australia's largest overseas-born population.

 

Australia announced an additional A$10 million for the Centre for Australia-India Relations' Maitri grants programme to strengthen business, academic and cultural exchanges.

 

The two countries also highlighted expanding education cooperation, welcoming approvals for Flinders University to establish a campus in Bengaluru and Victoria University to operationalise its campus in Gurugram. The leaders also backed greater vocational education cooperation, including the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Mining in Odisha with support from the Government of Western Australia.

 

During the meeting, the two sides also welcomed progress in the repatriation of cultural artefacts and ancestral remains between the two countries.