India and Australia have announced a wide-ranging set of 18 agreements, memorandums of understanding (MoUs), and joint initiatives during Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia on 9 July 2026. The outcomes span defence, maritime security, energy, cyber security, education, skills, mining, scientific research, cultural heritage, and clean energy.
The announcements reflect the growing strategic partnership between the two countries as they expand cooperation across security, critical technologies, higher education, and sustainable development. Several agreements also focus on strengthening supply chains, enhancing regional security, and promoting collaboration in the Indo-Pacific.
A significant outcome of the visit is the renewed emphasis on defence and maritime cooperation, including a new Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation, a roadmap for maritime security, and initiatives covering cyber security, civil nuclear cooperation, and defence training. The visit also produced agreements aimed at increasing collaboration in vocational education, scientific research, innovation, and renewable energy.
Key Highlights
- India and Australia announced 18 bilateral agreements and initiatives across multiple sectors.
- A new Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation replaces the 2009 security declaration.
- Australia will operationalise uranium supplies to India under the 2014 Civil Nuclear Agreement.
- New partnerships were signed in cyber security, critical technologies, maritime security, and resilient supply chains.
- Several education and skills agreements will allow Australian institutions to establish campuses in India and strengthen vocational training.
- Three historic Indian antiquities will be returned from Australia to India.
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Defence and Maritime Cooperation Expanded
The most significant outcome of the visit is the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation (JDDSC), which renews the 2009 security declaration between India and Australia. The updated framework identifies defence interoperability, military capacity building, maritime domain awareness, defence industrial collaboration, cyber security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and cooperation under regional platforms such as UNCLOS, ASEAN, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as priority areas.
To strengthen cooperation at sea, both countries also adopted a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap (MSCR). The roadmap promotes greater information sharing, capability development, and operational coordination to improve maritime security across the Indo-Pacific region.
The two governments further signed an MoU between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Australia’s Maritime Border Command (MBC). The agreement covers maritime law enforcement, maritime domain awareness, and border protection.
Australia also announced that it will host an Indian military instructor at the Australian Defence College during 2028–29, marking another step towards deeper defence cooperation and military exchanges.
Energy, Nuclear, Cyber and Technology Partnerships
India and Australia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening energy security through a joint statement that addresses growing geopolitical uncertainties affecting global energy markets.
Another major development is the finalisation of the administrative arrangement under the India-Australia Civil Nuclear Agreement signed in 2014. This operationalises the agreement and enables the supply of Australian uranium to India, supporting India’s long-term civil nuclear energy programme.
The two countries also launched the Australia-India Partnership for Cyber, Critical Technologies, Supply Chains (PACTS). Building upon the 2020 framework on cyber and critical technology cooperation, the initiative seeks to improve national and regional security, strengthen digital resilience, promote collaboration in critical technologies, and make strategic supply chains more resilient.
In addition, Australia, Canada, and India signed an MoU under the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, which aims to advance trilateral cooperation in emerging technologies and innovation.
Education, Skills and Research Collaboration
Education and skill development emerged as another major pillar of cooperation.
India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signed an MoU with Technical and Further Education (TAFE), Government of Western Australia, to establish a Centre of Excellence in Mining and Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) at the National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Bhubaneswar. The centre will focus on mining operations, mine safety, mineral processing, mining machinery, and student exchange programmes.
A Letter of Intent was handed over to Flinders University to establish its campus in Bengaluru, while Victoria University received approval to establish a campus in Gurugram. These initiatives are expected to expand opportunities for Indian students to access Australian higher education within India.
The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) and the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) also signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen quality assurance in technical and vocational education. The agreement includes regulatory cooperation, occupational standards, staff exchanges, workshops, and research activities.
Scientific collaboration was expanded through an MoU between Geoscience Australia and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to support advanced mineral exploration, technology upgrades, and capacity building.
Additional research partnerships include an agreement between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the University of Melbourne for collaborative research, trainee programmes, faculty exchanges, and drug target identification.
The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) will also become accessible to IP Australia under a new agreement between CSIR and the Australian intellectual property authority, supporting the protection of India’s traditional knowledge.
The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata, and Griffith Film School signed an MoU to promote joint academic activities, workshops, collaborative film projects, and short-term educational programmes.
Clean Energy, Cultural Heritage and Other Outcomes
The visit also marked the operational launch of the Rooftop Solar Training Academy at Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar. Developed through collaboration between Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Environment and Water (DCEEW), India’s Sector Skills Council for Green Jobs (SSCGJ), and ReNEW, the academy aims to train 2,000 women and young people as solar technicians, installers, and helpers. The initiative supports the PM Surya Ghar Yojana and India’s renewable energy goals.
Australia will also return three Indian antiquities:
- Nandi, the sacred bull associated with Lord Shiva (11th–12th century granite sculpture from Tamil Nadu)
- Trident with Bhadrakali (11th-century bronze from Tamil Nadu)
- Six-headed Skanda (Karttikeya) (12th-century basalt sculpture from Tamil Nadu)
The repatriation reflects continued cooperation between the two countries in preserving and returning cultural heritage.
Overall, the agreements announced during the visit cover strategic sectors including defence, maritime security, energy, cyber security, higher education, scientific research, vocational training, mining, clean energy, cultural heritage, and emerging technologies, highlighting the expanding scope of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Source: Prime Minister’s Office
