India and Australia deepen trade, tech and defence partnership at Melbourne summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese co‑chaired the third Australia‑India Annual Summit in Melbourne, urging the early conclusion of the proposed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and highlighting opportunities in critical minerals, electric‑vehicle batteries, artificial intelligence and defence supply chains. The event brought together CEOs, institutional investors and university leaders, with Modi noting India's rapid economic growth and inviting Australian long‑term investment.

During the summit the Australia‑India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS) was launched, a bilateral technology alliance aiming to secure supply‑chain resilience, promote joint research in AI, space and biotechnology, and strengthen cyber‑security cooperation across the Indo‑Pacific.

Australian officials outlined support measures such as the $150 million Victorian Investment Fund and a $5 million Indian‑funded critical‑minerals white paper, while trade between the two nations now exceeds US$33 billion with a target of surpassing US$100 billion by 2030. Investment flows approach US$50 billion and cooperation extends to defence, maritime security and joint exercises under the Quad.

Separate coverage debunked a viral claim that free food had drawn crowds to Modi’s Melbourne event, confirming the story was an AI‑manipulated newspaper clipping. Former Australian PM Scott Morrison and New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour also discussed Modi’s Indo‑Pacific agenda and a prospective India‑New Zealand free‑trade pact.