Modi's Australia visit to deepen India ties amid Indo-Pacific security challenges

Canberra,UPDATED: Jul 7, 2026 20:52 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Australia this week is expected to deepen ties between New Delhi and Canberra and give both countries a bigger role in keeping the Indo-Pacific stable and secure at a time of regional security challenges, experts said.

The three-day visit to Melbourne from July 8 to 10 is also expected to advance cooperation in defence, trade and technology. Modi will hold talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, call on Governor-General Sam Mostyn, address top business leaders at the India-Australia CEOs Forum and meet members of the diaspora.

As both countries look to build a stronger partnership, experts said the Indo-Pacific is becoming more important as major powers compete for influence in the region. Former Australian senator Lisa Singh, chief executive officer of the Australia India Institute, said strengthening the India-Australia partnership "sends an important message, not just to each other, but to developing nations in our region that Australia and India want to play a leading role in creating security and prosperity for all". She identified defence ties and maritime security as key areas of cooperation, adding, "Australia has recognised through its national defence strategy the role it needs to play in the Indian Ocean, a theatre that India has been leading in for decades." On energy, Singh said, "If Australia can assist in the delivery of clean energy to India through the supply of uranium, then that is a win-win for both nations."

Frederic Grare, senior research fellow at ANU Security College, took a more cautious view and said earlier visits had promised much but delivered little. He said trade was the main opportunity, adding, "New steps towards a broader Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement would be a possible outcome. The growth of two-way trade has been significant over the past few years and negotiations are continuing." Australia is India's 14th-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods and services valued at USD 24.1 billion in 2025-26. The Ministry of External Affairs said at a press briefing in New Delhi last week that the visit would give fresh momentum to negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. India and Australia are actively negotiating the CECA to build on the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, which came into force in 2022. Grare said both sides "may also explore other opportunities across critical minerals, renewable energy, digital technology and investment".

Pradeep Taneja, senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne, said, "Modi will be the first Indian prime minister to visit Australia three times, which in itself is quite unique and significant. It emphasises the importance both countries attach to their bilateral relations." Modi's previous official visits to Australia were in 2014 and 2023. Taneja said he expected India and Australia to update their security cooperation framework. "It is expected that the 2009 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation might be updated, introducing new security pillars to the bilateral security cooperation framework," he said. The 2009 agreement had formally designated the relationship as a strategic partnership, which was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020. Taneja also said, "It is important that Australia, India and Japan keep the Quad alive through bilateral and trilateral cooperation among themselves, for the pressure from China that the Quad member countries face is unlikely to abate any time soon." The Quad is an informal grouping of India, Australia, Japan and the United States that is committed to supporting an open, free and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

Salvatore Babones, associate professor at the University of Sydney, said the visit was important because Australian politics often distracts the government from focusing on India. At the same time, he warned that the overall relationship remained weak. "The India-Australia relationship is remarkably thin. Whether you look at security, trade, or investment, ties between these two Indian Ocean neighbours are much weaker than they should be," he said.

Ian Hall, professor at Griffith University, said he expected concrete outcomes. "I expect to see a significant defence agreement signed at the summit, as well as more commitments to expand bilateral trade and investment flows. I hope that we see some deals made on critical minerals, moving beyond past promises to concrete commitments," he said. Hall added, "Both sides still have some work to do to improve their understanding of each other's priorities and positions, as well as to coordinate their work to ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains peaceful and stable. We could also do more on energy, given Australia's abundant natural resources, including gas."

Overall, experts said Modi's visit could strengthen India-Australia ties across security, trade, energy and technology, while giving fresh attention to efforts by both countries to work together in a contested Indo-Pacific.

With PTI Inputs

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