PM Modi invites Australian investors to partner in India’s growth story at Australia-India CEOs Forum
The event brought together leading CEOs and business leaders from both countries, representatives of Australia's major superannuation funds and institutional investors, as well as Vice-Chancellors of prominent Australian universities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses the Australia–India CEOs Forum in Melbourne, highlighting the complementary strengths of the two economies and calling for deeper collaboration in trade, investment, innovation, higher education and emerging technologies to drive long-term economic growth.
Melbourne: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called upon Australian businesses and institutional investors to expand their long-term engagement with India, highlighting the country’s rapid economic growth, digital transformation and policy reforms as key drivers of new investment opportunities.
Addressing the Australia-India CEOs Forum jointly with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Melbourne, Prime Minister Modi said India’s scale and Australia’s expertise create a natural partnership capable of delivering mutually beneficial economic growth across a wide range of strategic sectors.
The event brought together leading CEOs and business leaders from both countries, representatives of Australia’s major superannuation funds and institutional investors, as well as Vice-Chancellors of prominent Australian universities.
India Showcases Expanding Investment Opportunities
Prime Minister Modi highlighted that India’s strong economic fundamentals, expanding innovation ecosystem and investor-friendly reforms have opened significant opportunities for global businesses.
He identified several sectors where India and Australia can deepen cooperation, including:
- Manufacturing
- Clean energy
- Critical minerals
- Mining
- Infrastructure
- Urban development
- Aviation
- Logistics
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- FinTech
- Food processing
- Digital economy
Describing the two economies as highly complementary, the Prime Minister said India’s growing market combined with Australian technological capabilities and natural resources presents a “win-win proposition” for both nations.
Education and Skills Collaboration
The Prime Minister welcomed the increasing presence of Australian universities in India and emphasised the importance of expanding collaboration in:
- Higher education
- Research
- Innovation
- Skill development
He noted that stronger academic partnerships would prepare talent in both countries for future industries while creating greater global opportunities.
Strengthening Economic Partnership
Following the CEOs Forum, Prime Minister Modi addressed the Australia-India Economic Roadmap Business Event, attended by more than 200 CEOs and business leaders from both countries.
Highlighting the natural synergy between India and Australia, he said the bilateral relationship is anchored in:
- Shared democratic values
- A common Indo-Pacific vision
- Strong political trust
- Vibrant people-to-people ties
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the expansion of trade and investment following the implementation of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) in 2022.
He called for the early conclusion of the proposed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) to elevate bilateral economic engagement to the next level.
Focus on Future Technologies
Prime Minister Modi urged businesses from both countries to jointly develop global solutions in emerging technology and strategic manufacturing sectors.
He identified priority areas including:
- Rare earth minerals
- Lithium
- Battery manufacturing
- Electronics
- Electric Vehicles (EVs)
- Semiconductors
- Artificial Intelligence
- Defence supply chains
He also encouraged stronger partnerships between Indian states and Australian provinces, saying region-to-region economic collaboration based on respective strengths could unlock new avenues of investment and innovation.
A Growing Strategic Economic Partnership
Concluding his address, Prime Minister Modi said the discussions at both business forums reflected growing optimism and confidence in the India-Australia economic partnership.
He expressed confidence that deeper collaboration between governments, businesses, investors and educational institutions would further strengthen bilateral trade, investment and innovation in the years ahead.
The Prime Minister’s address underscores the evolution of the India-Australia relationship from a traditional trade partnership to a strategic economic alliance centred on technology, critical minerals, clean energy and digital innovation. As both countries seek resilient supply chains and trusted technology partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, collaboration in AI, semiconductors, EVs and higher education is expected to become the next major pillar of bilateral engagement. The call for greater cooperation between Indian states and Australian provinces also reflects a shift towards sub-national economic diplomacy, creating new opportunities for investment-led regional partnerships.
