Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi of the Republic of India welcomed signature of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, driving trilateral cooperation with Canada on critical and emerging technologies.
The Prime Ministers also announced the commissioning of a temporary space tracking terminal on Cocos Keeling Islands, which will support India’s landmark Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight Program. The site has been successfully commissioned to track the first launch of four key missions.
Education and skills are key pillars in the relationship between Australia and India.
India is Australia’s second-largest source of international students, with over 140,000 Indian students studying in Australian institutions last year.
The Prime Ministers welcomed Flinders University receiving approval to establish a campus in India, joining seven other Australian universities endorsed to have campuses across India.
The expansion of Australian university campuses in India provides Indian students with greater access to world-class education, while growing the global footprint Australia’s education sector, supporting research and innovation partnerships, and deepening economic and people-to-people links between the two countries.
Leaders also noted the benefits of Australia’s growing vocational education programs in India and welcomed the agreement between Western Australian TAFE and India to support a Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Mining and Mining Equipment, Technology and Services in India.
The Prime Ministers welcomed the work of the Maitri grants program, which supports economic, cultural and research projects that deepen the Australia-India bilateral relationship. In 2026, a total of 41 projects will receive funding of $10 million through the Centre for Australia-India Relations, aimed at strengthening Australia-India collaboration
Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:
“Australia and India are working together on the technologies that are shaping our future as partners with a relationship anchored in trust.
“We are excited to support India’s Gaganyaan space launch mission and demonstrate how Australia is a trusted partner in space exploration.
“Australian university campuses in India are a cornerstone of our education partnership, driving innovation, skills development and economic growth in both countries.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:
“Education is one of the most important bridges between Australia and India.
“It’s not a one way street. It’s not just about Indian students studying in Australia. It’s increasingly about Australian universities taking the best of Australian education to India.
“Flinders University joining seven other Australian universities in India is another sign of the strength and trust we’ve built in our education partnership.
“This is bringing a world-class Australian education closer to home for more young Indians and creating new opportunities for our researchers to work together.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Science Tim Ayres:
“In a year marked by significant global and supply chain disruption, working with likeminded partners like India is more important now than ever.
“Collaborating through science, research and technology is helping us unlock solutions to some of our shared challenges – boosting our industrial capabilities and deepening our security and resilience.”