India and Australia Deepen Strategic Convergence Amid Indo-Pacific Tensions

India and Australia are strengthening Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through joint defence drills, trade agreements, critical minerals cooperation and tech partnerships, aligning regional strategies to counter shared Indo-Pacific challenges.

By Ashu Maan

In recent years, India and Australia have transformed their partnership into one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in the Indo-Pacific. It spans maritime security, joint defence operations, economic cooperation, and shared concern over China’s growing assertiveness. Since the ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2020, the two Indian Ocean littoral nations have increasingly acted in concert to safeguard their interests in a strategic environment that is both dynamic and complex. Their alignment reflects the shifting priorities of a multipolar world order where regional cooperation is steadily becoming a central pillar of stability.

India and Australia’s Role in Securing the Indo-Pacific

Both nations, situated at the heart of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), have adopted assertive regional strategies—India’s “Act East” and Australia’s “Pacific Step-Up”—to uphold a rules-based order. They are also active members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), alongside the US and Japan, which has sharpened its focus on maritime security, supply chain resilience, and regional stability.

A series of joint military activities emphasises this strategic synchrony. From the biennial AUSINDEX naval drills to Australia’s hosting of Exercise Malabar 2023 with all Quad navies, the emphasis has been on improving interoperability across a spectrum of complex operations—anti-submarine warfare, air defence, and joint patrols. Australia’s Exercise Pitch Black in 2022 and India’s Tarang Shakti in 2023 featured each other’s air forces, while the November 2024 air-to-air refuelling pact extended operational range for India’s P-8I surveillance aircraft, enhancing joint maritime domain awareness.

Alongside these naval and air engagements, land-domain cooperation is steadily expanding. The flagship bilateral field training activity, Exercise AUSTRAHIND, has evolved into a realistic, scenario-based drill focusing on counter-terrorism, close-quarter battle, and coordinated tactical operations. Annual Army-to-Army Staff Talks and the General Rawat Young Officers Exchange Programme are building long-term familiarity and trust at the leadership level, while officer exchanges at institutions such as India’s Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School and the Australian Army Command and Staff College enhance doctrinal understanding. These engagements ensure that both armies can operate together effectively in humanitarian assistance, stabilisation, and peacekeeping missions across the Indo-Pacific.

Defence coordination is reinforced through mechanisms such as the 2+2 ministerial dialogue, the 2020 Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement (MLSA), and the General Rawat Young Officers Exchange Programme. The presence of an Australian liaison officer at India’s Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region since 2021 further strengthens joint maritime intelligence efforts.

Trade and Technology: The Expanding Frontier

Economic ties have kept pace with military cooperation. The 2022 Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) propelled India to become Australia’s seventh-largest trading partner. Collaboration has expanded into critical areas such as rare earths, green hydrogen, solar power, and emerging technologies like cyber and artificial intelligence.

Initiatives such as the Strategic and Technology Policy Initiative (SATPI), the India-Australia Renewable Energy Partnership, and joint research on critical minerals aim to bolster secure supply chains while aligning with climate targets. With Australia’s natural resource wealth and India’s growing market size, this synergy has a strong strategic and economic foundation.

People-to-people ties remain a vital underpinning. The Indian diaspora is now the fastest-growing in Australia, catalysing educational and cultural exchange. The Maitri Cultural Partnership and frequent academic linkages ensure that diplomatic alignment is supported by enduring societal goodwill.

Strengthening Strategic Alignment Through Shared Goals

As with any maturing strategic relationship, there are areas that require further alignment. India’s approach of maintaining “strategic autonomy” sometimes results in different tactical pathways compared to alliance-based models. Likewise, Australia’s expanding commitments in frameworks such as AUKUS present opportunities to explore complementary roles for India in the broader Indo-Pacific security architecture.

Trade negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) are progressing, with both sides working to resolve tariff and services-related issues. Defence collaboration is robust at the naval and air levels, and the steady growth in army-to-army engagement, through joint exercises, staff talks, and professional exchanges, signals intent to deepen this pillar further. Opportunities in co-developing land systems and enhancing interoperability in humanitarian and counter-terrorism operations will add significant depth to the overall defence relationship.

While India’s focus traditionally tilts towards ASEAN and the western Indo-Pacific and Australia’s towards the Pacific Islands, both nations are increasingly finding common ground through coordinated regional engagement.

Next Steps for the Partnership

Both nations recognise that their partnership must be grounded in a long-term strategic purpose. Facing shared challenges such as China’s assertiveness, terrorism, cyber insecurity, and climate change, New Delhi and Canberra are steadily investing in more structured and institutionalised ties.

For Australia, India’s vast and growing economy offers enduring opportunities. For India, Australia’s resource base and strategic access to the southern Indo-Pacific are valuable assets. As cooperation deepens across defence, technology, trade, and people-to-people engagement — with land, sea, and air forces each contributing their distinct strengths — the relationship is poised to play a pivotal role in ensuring a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

(Ashu Mann is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. He was awarded the Vice Chief of the Army Staff Commendation card on Army Day 2025. He is pursuing a PhD from Amity University, Noida, in Defence and Strategic Studies. His research focuses include the India-China territorial dispute, great power rivalry, and Chinese foreign policy.)

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