‘Cricket still a connector; critical tech, supply chains now at core of India-Australia ties’: Australian High Commissioner to India

A: PACTS was agreed during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Melbourne two months ago. It elevates critical technologies and supply chains to the core of the relationship, covering critical minerals, subsea cables and the possible deployment of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure in Pacific Island states. The first formal meeting is planned for the final quarter of this year, bringing Australian lead players to India.

Business-to-business activity is already strong. At least 40,000 Indians work for Australian entities in India, many in Haryana, with a dozen Australian companies established in Gurugram. These are no longer just back-end operations for banks and telecoms; engineering, mining, supermarket and retail firms are now present. Indian IT majors such as HCL Tech and Wipro are deeply engaged in the Australian corridor, drawn by deep talent pools unavailable in Australia.

Q: Australian agricultural exports to India rose 131% and industrial exports 70% between 2022 and 2025. What is driving this?

A: Three factors: growing recognition of economic complementarity (Australia supplies inputs that support the next phase of Indian growth); sustained Australian government effort, including more trade commissioners, a new Bengaluru office and about A$280 million invested over five years to build the India corridor; and the first phase of the free-trade agreement, ECTA (Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement). Under ECTA, duties on Indian products entering Australia reached zero from January 1, this year. Lower tariffs have led to cheaper goods in Australia and better market access abroad. India’s exports to Australia have grown roughly 200% over five years, far outpacing its 40% growth to the rest of the world.

Q: Is it completely zero tariff across the board?

A: Yes. There are no carve-outs. All Australian tariff lines for Indian goods are now duty-free. This has driven a surge in two-way trade.

Q: What is Australia buying from India?

A: Textiles have risen sharply, as have automotive vehicles and parts. Indian agricultural produce is also entering the Australian market, both for the large Indian-origin community and for broader consumers.

Q: How is space cooperation progressing?

A: I have just returned from the Bengaluru Space Expo with a 30-strong Australian delegation. Australia supports India’s Gaganyaan programme. A tracking station has been established on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, roughly equidistant between Bengaluru and Perth, and arrangements cover sea support for splashdowns. Australia’s quiet skies, vast landmass and low population density make it ideal for observation; our geographic position opposite India in the Indian Ocean further enables collaboration. A$18 million has been invested in the Australia-India space corridor. One concrete example is Sydney-based Space Machines, whose satellite will launch on an Indian rocket. Many Australian delegates at the expo are of Indian origin; people of Indian origin now form about 4% of Australia’s population and are prominent in technology and space.

Q: In the backdrop of the Middle East tensions, how are India and Australia cooperating on energy and maritime security?

A: Australia has long been a reliable supplier of coal and natural gas; uranium sales are now possible for the first time. Conversely, about 10% of Australia’s refined oil needs come from India, mainly from Reliance’s Jamnagar SEZ refinery, which does not process Russian oil for export. This has become an important element of Australian fuel security.

Military, intelligence and foreign-policy cooperation are advancing rapidly. The area of greatest practical overlap is the Northeast Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal), vital for Australia’s resource exports. Information-sharing on maritime domain awareness is expanding. Reciprocal use of facilities is growing: Indian military aircraft have already landed at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands airfield (which Australia is upgrading), while the Andaman and Nicobar Islands offer useful access for Australian P-8 aircraft.

Q: What are your expectations from the Quad?

A: Bilateral ties are moving quickly, and the Quad itself has fresh momentum, most recently a meeting in Delhi. The region offers huge economic opportunity but also faces security challenges that could constrain prosperity. The Quad’s vision is a free and open Indo-Pacific free of coercion, where people and commerce can move without great-power interference. Australia strongly supports the grouping and expects more regular meetings.

Q: How does Australia view the security dimension, including the globalisation of terrorism, in light of discussions around Five Eyes after the Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing in Canada?

A: Australia maintains long and deep counter-terrorism cooperation with India and many other partners and has an extradition arrangement with India. The overriding interest is the safety of people, including those in Australia, and stable relations between states.

Q: Are Indian students finding it harder to obtain Australian visas?

A: About 140,000 Indian students are currently studying in Australia; the number remains stable or rises modestly. A minority of applications have involved fraudulent documents, prompting tighter integrity checks. The goal is a high-quality flow of genuine students.

Education is no longer one-way. Eight Australian universities are opening or planning campuses in India (including Victoria University in Gurugram, plus sites in GIFT City, Mumbai, Chennai, Noida and Bengaluru). Students can now obtain the same quality of education in India at a fraction of the cost, giving families real choice.

Q: How does cricket contribute to the relationship?

A: Cricket remains a powerful people-to-people connector. In November we will stage the “G’day Namaste” showcase, bringing Australian performers, educators and thought leaders to India, culminating in cricket. Cricket Australia and Indian authorities have arranged for the opening match of the Big Bash League season to be played in Chennai, the first competitive match of a foreign league on Indian soil.