Much more than ‘Melbourne meets Modi’

In terms of rock star performances by foreign leaders, it would be hard to beat Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s magnetic engagement with a Melbourne crowd in Australia in the second week of July. As one of those in the crowd, I can attest that the audience revelled in Mr. Modi’s energy, and the messages of aspiration for the diaspora and for the Australia-India partnership.

Mr. Modi’s visit to Australia took place from July 8 to 10. But this visit was a lot more than a rock star performance. It opened new chapters in the India-Australia story — in investment, strategic trust, culture, sports and people.

Beyond symbolic diplomacy

A short call of the board is warranted. The leaders, Mr. Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed on: a new Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation that deepens our work together as a force for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific; a new Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains that strengthens our respective cyber capabilities, improves regional and global cyber resilience, and boosts our industrial and business linkages; a sports playbook that leverages Australia’s expertise in major sporting events, as India seeks to demonstrate its global leadership by hosting the Commonwealth Games and bidding for the Olympic and Paralympic Games; a statement on energy security that commits Australia and India to more resilient energy supply chains, while making possible Australian uranium exports to India for peaceful purposes, and a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap that charts the way forward for Australia and India to expand cooperation on maritime security in the vast Indian Ocean that lies between our shores.

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Business, education, cricket

That is a lot for a single visit. And business leaders chipped in — Australia’s largest pension fund, Australian Super, decided to invest half a billion dollars (that is ₹3,360 crore) in India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited. That is on top of Australia’s leading hyperscalers committing to build tens of billions of dollars in data centres across India.

Our education sectors reminded us that eight Australian universities have now undertaken to open foreign branch campuses in India, including the University of New South Wales (UNSW), which is a global top 20 university. When its campus opens later this year, UNSW will be the highest-ranking university in India.

And a big next step in our relationship was also foreshadowed, with the plans for an annual showcase of the best of Australian culture and business under the banner “G’Day – Namaste”. G’Day – Namaste will coincide with the Australian Big Bash League playing its first game (cricket) on foreign soil in December this year.

To me, this rich set of outcomes represents more than a fair bit of work in preparation for the visit. It shows that there is a lot more headroom to deepen and expand our collaboration. That is because of three underlying drivers that are impelling our partnership forward: The fact that we are reliable partners at a time when our region, and the world more broadly, is in flux, and when each of us needs to find deeper international connections to safeguard our interests; the fact that we have highly complementary economies — Australia’s strengths in energy, mining, and education and skills fit neatly with India’s rapidly growing manufacturing industry, and the fact that the Indian diaspora in Australia — Australia’s fastest-growing — is a source of pride and dynamism for our two governments.

Leadership drives partnership

Relationships grow when the objective conditions are fertile. They flourish when each nation sees in the other, solutions to some of its problems, and pathways to maximise their opportunities. That is where Australia and India are.

They also flourish when they have leadership with a shared vision and ambition for the relationship.

That shared ambition was much on display between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese. Stability and continuity are on the side of our leaders too, with each focused on fixing long-term problems and seizing opportunities.

The two leaders have a deep respect and admiration for each other.

The genuine warmth between our Prime Ministers was on unmistakable display over two days in Melbourne — from their banter about cricket in quiet moments, to their attentive consideration of each other’s viewpoints, to the bear-hugs that caught the attention of the cameras.

The visit is a vivid demonstration of what a positive place we find ourselves in, in the India-Australia partnership. Not all bilateral relationships have that just now, so we should celebrate it. Celebrate it, and recommit ourselves to maximising the opportunities of a special moment of alignment of interests.

Philip Green is Australia’s High Commissioner to India