Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese concluded the third Australia‑India Annual Leaders’ Summit in Melbourne, marking a major milestone in the six‑year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The summit produced a landmark suite of agreements designed to reinforce Indo‑Pacific security, secure critical mineral supply chains and accelerate clean energy transition.

Central to the summit was the release of a new Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation. This declaration replaces the 2009 security pact and significantly deepens military integration. Prime Minister Albanese described India as a “top‑tier security partner” and emphasised that the declaration reflects a shared commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo‑Pacific.

He confirmed that both nations will boost strategic coordination, increase the complexity of defence exercises and further build interoperability between their armed forces.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted the practical implications of this shift, announcing the creation of an India‑Australia Defence Innovation Corridor. He explained that this corridor will connect defence startups and industries, fostering joint research and production. He also noted that the new maritime security collaboration roadmap will infuse strength into shared efforts in the Indo‑Pacific.

Another breakthrough was the finalisation of administrative arrangements required to implement the 2015 Australia‑India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. This step paves the way for Australian uranium exports to India, exclusively for peaceful, IAEA‑safeguarded civil nuclear energy programs.

Prime Minister Albanese stated that the arrangement will help increase the share of non‑fossil fuel power capacity in India while providing an additional market for Australia’s resources sector. Prime Minister Modi added that the agreement would give India’s clean energy objectives fresh momentum as the country seeks to scale nuclear baseload capacity by 2047.

The leaders also unveiled the Australia‑India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS). This pact aims to establish a “critical minerals corridor” essential for strategic security and clean energy transitions.

Complementing this initiative is a new Memorandum of Understanding between Geoscience Australia and the Geological Survey of India. The partnership will map and uncover new deposits, securing supply chains necessary for global clean energy and high‑tech manufacturing.

Amid rising regional tensions, the summit reaffirmed both nations’ commitment to a free, open and prosperous Indo‑Pacific. A new Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap was endorsed to enhance information sharing and operational coordination between the Indian Coast Guard and Australia’s Maritime Border Command.

The leaders also issued a strong warning against terrorism, with Prime Minister Modi declaring that terrorism is a challenge for all humanity and that India and Australia’s resolve to fight it is unbreakable.

A major highlight was the agreement to commission a temporary space tracking terminal on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. This facility will support India’s landmark Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme by providing essential telemetry tracking for upcoming crewed missions. Prime Minister Albanese confirmed that this step reflects the expansion of cooperation in science and technology.

Beyond high‑level policy, the summit emphasised the “living bridge” of the Indian diaspora and strong people‑to‑people links. Prime Minister Modi likened the bilateral relationship to a game of cricket, underscoring the cultural warmth between the two nations.

In a gesture of goodwill, the leaders announced the repatriation of an Australian First Nations ancestor held in the Government Museum of Chennai, alongside the return of cultural items from Australian galleries to India.

The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to finalising the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). Both leaders expressed a desire for an ambitious, balanced and win‑win deal that would build upon the success of the 2022

Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement. Prime Minister Modi concluded by stating that the India‑Australia partnership is not just for the present but also for the future, and he invited Prime Minister Albanese to return to India for further consultations.

ANI