Australia-India Relations

Australia and India established diplomatic relations in the pre-Independence period, when the Consulate General of India was first opened as a Trade Office in Sydney in 1941. India's first High Commissioner to Australia arrived in Canberra in 1945. In March 1944, Lieutenant-General Iven Mackay was appointed Australia's first High Commissioner to India.

Australia has placed India at the forefront of its international partnerships. Two-way Prime Ministerial visits in 2014 have been followed by regular leaders' meetings. Former Prime Minister Turnbull visited New Delhi and Mumbai in April 2017. Learn more about the Australia-India relationship

Australia-India Council

The Australia-India Council (AIC) was established on 21 May 1992 in response to a recommendation by the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, following an inquiry into Australia's relations with India. AIC broadens the relationship between Australia & India raising awareness & promoting exchanges. Learn more about the AIC

Education

The Australia-India education partnership is important in driving engagement, collaboration and building the bridge between our communities. Unique among India’s education partners Australia has a ministerial lead policy forum, the Australia India Education and Skills Council (AIESC), which provides a platform for ministerial engagement on policy and operational issues across education and skilling. The AIESC is co-chaired by ministers responsible for education and skilling from both countries and includes representatives from government, academia and industry.

·         For more information on Australia’s education network and engagement, visit: https://www.education.gov.au/international-education

·         For more information on international student data, visit: https://www.education.gov.au/international-education-data-and-research

Defence

Australia and India have a positive defence relationship, underpinned by the 2006 Memorandum on Defence Cooperation and the 2009 Joint Declaration on Security Co-operation.  Following the agreement in 2014 of a bilateral Framework for Security Cooperation the defence relationship has grown to include a range of forums for strategic dialogue, as well as regular interactions between our respective services through senior visits, staff talks, and training exchanges. Read More..

The Australia-India defence relationship now encompasses almost every major area of military partnership, namely

• strategic dialogues, coordination, and information exchanges, including those involving third countries;
• military exercises involving ground, air, and especially maritime forces that reflect a growing degree of interoperability;
• military-to-military exchanges and training; and
• defence commerce and technological cooperation.

For your tomorrow - Anzacs laid to rest in India [PDF 3MB]

Development Assistance

The Australian Government’s overseas aid program advances Australia’s national interest by assisting developing countries to reduce poverty and achieve economic development. While Australia does not have a bilateral development cooperation program with India, we provide support through our global and regional aid investments and technical assistance activities. Information about Australia’s development program is here.

·         The South Asia Regional program seeks to underpin Australia’s economic engagement in the region by addressing key region-wide barriers to sustainable economic growth.

·         Through the Direct Aid Program (DAP), the Australian High Commission in New Delhi and Australian Consulates in Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, support small-scale, sustainable grassroots development projects in India and Bhutan. For more information, click here.

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research bilateral program with India was initiated in 1982 and the South Asia office was set up in India in 1997. Our projects are mostly bilateral, although occasionally we do undertake multilateral projects. For more information, visit http://aciar.gov.au/region/south-and-west-asia.