**Executive Summary**
On 9 July 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the Australia-India CEOs Forum and the Economic Roadmap Business event in Melbourne to strengthen bilateral economic ties. PM Modi highlighted India's rapid digital transformation and policy reforms, inviting Australian institutional investors to engage in long-term opportunities across diverse sectors. Key action items include the early conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and the establishment of direct economic partnerships between Indian states and Australian provinces.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Economic Opportunities and Sectoral Growth**
* India’s strong economic growth, policy reforms, and expanding innovation ecosystem are creating significant opportunities for Australian partners.
* Key sectors identified for collaboration include manufacturing, clean energy, critical minerals, infrastructure, aviation, AI, fintech, and the digital economy.
* The partnership aims to combine India’s scale with Australian expertise to create a "win-win proposition."
* **Trade Agreements and Strategic Synergy**
* Both nations expressed satisfaction with the growth of trade under the 2022 Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA).
* There is a high-level call for the early conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) to elevate business ties.
* The partnership is grounded in shared democratic values, a common vision for the Indo-Pacific, and strong political understanding.
* **Education and Skill Development**
* The Prime Minister welcomed the increasing presence of Australian universities in India.
* Emphasis was placed on deeper collaboration in research, innovation, and skill development to make the workforce in both countries future-ready for global opportunities.
* **Innovation and Supply Chain Resilience**
* Business leaders are urged to create global solutions in critical fields such as rare earths, lithium, batteries, semiconductors, EVs, and defense supply chains.
* A new focus is suggested for Indian states and Australian provinces to forge direct partnerships based on their specific core competencies.
**Impact Analysis**
**Australian Institutional Investors and Superannuation Funds**
**Impact:** Identification of India as a primary destination for long-term investments in infrastructure and emerging technologies.
**Action Required:** Leverage the expanding Indian innovation ecosystem and manufacturing sectors for capital deployment.
**Business Leaders and CEOs (India and Australia)**
**Impact:** Increased pressure to utilize complementary strengths to build global supply chains in high-tech and critical mineral sectors.
**Action Required:** Proactively utilize the provisions of the ECTA (and the upcoming CECA) to expand trade and develop joint solutions in AI and electronics.
**Academic and Research Institutions**
**Impact:** Opening of the Indian market for Australian higher education and collaborative research initiatives.
**Action Required:** Vice-Chancellors and institutional heads should pursue deeper partnerships in skill development and innovation-led research.
**State and Provincial Governments**
**Impact:** A shift toward decentralized economic diplomacy where regional governments drive bilateral ties.
**Action Required:** Indian states and Australian provinces must identify their core competencies and initiate direct dynamic economic partnerships.
Key Entities Referenced
Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA): The 2022 bilateral trade agreement that serves as the foundation for the current growth in trade and investment between India and Australia.
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA): A proposed and more expansive trade agreement discussed for early conclusion to further elevate bilateral business ties.
Australia-India CEOs Forum: A high-level strategic platform for Indian and Australian business leaders to discuss opportunities in sectors such as critical minerals, clean energy, and digital technology.
Economic Roadmap Business event: A bilateral initiative focused on leveraging complementary strengths in rare earths, semiconductors, and AI to create global supply chain solutions.
Melbourne: The central location in Australia where these high-level bilateral economic summits and policy dialogues were hosted.
Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister addresses Australia-India CEOs
Forum and Economic Roadmap Business event
प्रव तथ: 09 JUL 2026 7:31AM by PIB Delhi
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Mr. Anthony Albanese,
jointly addressed the Australia-India CEOs Forum and the Economic Roadmap Business event in
Melbourne on 9 July 2026. Leading Indian and Australian CEOs and business leaders, representatives of
major Australian superannuation funds and institutional investors, and Vice-Chancellors of leading
Australian universities participated in the two events.
Addressing the CEOs Forum, Prime Minister Modi highlighted that India's strong economic growth,
policy reforms, digital transformation, and expanding innovation ecosystem were creating new business
opportunities for Australian partners. Noting the complementarities between the Indian and Australian
economies, Prime Minister Modi underlined the vast opportunities available in India across
manufacturing, clean energy, critical minerals, mining, infrastructure, urban development, aviation,
logistics, advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, fintech, food processing and digital economy
sectors. He stated that India’s scale and Australian expertise make for a win-win proposition.
Prime Minister Modi invited Australian investors to take advantage of the opportunities for long-term
investments in India. He welcomed the growing presence of Australian universities in India and
highlighted that deeper collaboration in higher education, research, innovation and skill development
would not only make talent in both countries future ready, but also help them to tap into global
opportunities.
Following the CEOs Forum, Prime Minister Modi also addressed the Economic Roadmap business event,
a larger gathering of over 200 CEOs and business leaders from both sides. Speaking about natural
synergies between India and Australia, he highlighted that shared democratic values, a common vision for
the Indo-Pacific, vibrant people-to-people ties and strong political understanding created fertile ground for
the business partnership between the two countries to grow and prosper together. Expressing satisfaction
at the growth of trade and investment ties based on the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement
(ECTA) of 2022, he called for early conclusion of the proposed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation
Agreement (CECA), so as to propel business ties to a new level. He urged the business leaders to leverage
complementary strengths on both sides and create global solutions, especially in the fields of rare earths,
lithium, batteries, electronics, EVs, semiconductors, AI and defence supply chains. Prime Minister Modi
also suggested that for bilateral business ties to grow to the next level, it was important that Indian states
and Australian provinces forge dynamic economic partnerships based on their core competencies. Noting
the optimism and meaningful ideas generated by the discussions in the two forums, Prime Minister Modi
expressed confidence that India-Australia economic ties would continue to prosper.
***MJPS/SS/ST
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