MELBOURNE, 16 June 2025: For over a decade, Australia-India relations have steadily warmed, moving beyond the Cold War era when India aligned with the Soviet Union and Australia with the United States. Frequent exchanges of prime ministers, ministers, and delegations have strengthened ties between the two nations.
The latest milestone is the visit of Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles to India. Defence is a key pillar of collaboration, alongside the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) as a pillar, pending the finalisation of a comprehensive trade agreement. While naval cooperation has progressed significantly, Australia seeks to expand partnerships to include other military services.
Amid global volatility—marked by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a recent four-day India-Pakistan skirmish, and the ongoing Israeli-Iranian hostilities—a dangerous escalation threatens international stability.
Against this backdrop, the Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2009, gains renewed significance. The Australia India Institute’s (AII) report, Building a Resilient Australia-India Defence Relationship: Options for the Next Decade, authored by Kim Heriot-Darragh and Dr. Gaurav Saini, was launched today at AII in Melbourne, highlighting timely strategies for collaboration.
Responding to a question from South Asia Times about high-tech warfare in recent conflicts, Heriot-Darragh noted that Australia and India could jointly develop indigenous technologies. However, as much of Australia’s military infrastructure originates from the United States, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) pose challenges, requiring U.S. approval for sensitive collaborations. He emphasized the need for mutual trust to enable such partnerships.
The report underscores the importance of planning for the next decade but acknowledges that success lies in implementation. It outlines possibilities, scenarios, and challenges for both nations’ defence establishments. Key recommendations include building trust to overcome operational differences, addressing linguistic and cultural barriers, fostering industry cooperation, engaging working-level defence specialists, and rebalancing collaboration across military services.
One ambitious proposal—establishing Australian strategic petroleum assets in India, modeled on U.S. reserves but excluding Russian oil—appears impractical. Australia’s membership in the Five Eyes alliance (with the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand) imposes constraints on many proposals due to U.S. influence.
To counter terrorism, the report suggests collaboration between Australia’s Special Operations Command and India’s National Security Guard, despite the latter not being part of the Indian Army.
AII CEO Lisa Singh praised the 35-page report, stating, “I trust this report will inspire policymakers and practitioners to advance Australia-India defence ties and contribute to a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”
Australia’s alignment with the U.S.-led alliance contrasts with India’s role as a key player in a multipolar world. Despite reduced arms imports from Russia (still accounting for 36% of India’s total), India’s purchase of discounted Russian oil amid sanctions, Australia’s efforts to improve ties with China, and the growing Russia-China partnership create a complex geopolitical landscape.
The report’s proposals hold promise, but their success depends on how effectively policymakers and stakeholders in both nations translate ideas into action.
