Yet neither Australia nor New Zealand capture the public discourse space in the country. This may however change with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Melbourne and Auckland as he sought to elevate ties while eyeing a bigger foothold for India in the Pacific region. 

For Australia and New Zealand, India’s wider presence in the Pacific region would enable them to counterbalance China’s ambitions that have deep implications for the security interests of both Canberra and Wellington.

Indo-Pacific partnership

The outcomes from PM Modi’s visit had a clear message – the need to widen New Delhi’s partnerships to stabilise the Indo-Pacific region. During their meetings in Melbourne the leaders underscored the centrality of maritime cooperation to enhance the shared vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo Pacific. 

The two sides agreed to enhance maritime cooperation through the India-Australia Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap. Through this, India and Australia reaffirmed their shared commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region recognising that effective maritime cooperation is essential to regional security. The two sides have also agreed to collaborate in areas of information sharing, capability development, capacity building and operational coordination. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Maritime Border Command and the Indian Coast Guard will support a secure maritime environment, which is now becoming crucial.

It may be pointed out that the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation, reflected a step change in the depth and ambition of the bilateral defence and security relationship, and contribution to regional strength and security. 

Interestingly, such a declaration was unimaginable even half a decade ago particularly in the field of the defence sector. There is ongoing work to develop an MoU for the Provision of Defence Articles and Defence Services, and efforts to promote connections between the defence industries of both nations. Australia’s first defence trade mission to India and the Australia-India Defence Industry Roundtable will play a key role in this area.  

PM Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese decided to embrace the growing potential of defence industries and tap into each other’s knowhow by deepening collaborations, industry engagements, and building supply chain resilience. develop arrangements for advanced defence science and technology collaboration in the backdrop of maritime security partnership. The maritime cooperation will be further strengthened through an India-Australia Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap. 

India-New Zealand Ties

In the same spirit, India and New Zealand too have reaffirmed commitments to elevate their ties to a strategic partnership through a plethora of defence related agreements while pushing for maritime cooperation, implementation arrangement concerning cooperation in matters of hydrography and nautical cartography, arrangement concerning the provision of Mutual Logistics Support between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force. A Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and Establishment of Maritime Security Dialogue are on the cards.

New Zealand has also outlined maritime security as a priority pillar under India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. India and New Zealand will continue to pursue military interaction through exercises, visits of units (maritime, air, land), short-term personnel exchanges, sporting visits, defence staff college exchanges, and high-level defence dialogues. 

While the US at this point remains unpredictable and its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region seeped in uncertainty, India along with Australia and New Zealand would seek to strengthen their strategic partnerships for an inclusive Indo-Pacific region. 

Economic roadmap

Economic cooperation naturally will be the cornerstone. India and New Zealand will work towards an aspirational goal of doubling bilateral trade in goods and services to NZ$7 billion (US$ 4.05 billion or ₹35,000 crore) by 2030. The plan is undoubtedly ambitious but not impossible as both have decided to work together on the next steps for the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. 

The Authorised Economic Operators Mutual Recognition Arrangement (AEO-MRA) under the aegis of the Customs Cooperation Arrangement (CCA) to simplify customs processes and facilitate trusted trade will also be opertionalised. Horticulture is of special interest to both sides. It is a little-known fact that top Indian business names are present in New Zealand. Indian IT majors – Mahindra Motors, Tech Mahindra Ltd, Infosys, Dr. Reddy Laboratories and Royal Enfield Motors have their presence in New Zealand. 

Mahindra Motors is now significantly expanding its presence in the Kiwi state with 20 outlets across the country. They are also planning to launch e-vehicles in New Zealand.

India-Australia free trade arrangement is bearing results. There is a continued growth in two-way trade under the India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). PM Modi and Albanese have re-affirmed their commitment to a balanced and mutually beneficial Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). 

Importantly, there is a growing cooperation in critical minerals. Partnerships between Indian and Australian government agencies, public and private companies and research institutions to promote investment, to secure long-term supply and offtake arrangements, and support the development of processing and value-addition capabilities are imperative in this partnership. Transparent, secure and resilient supply chains of critical minerals are central to economic security. There is a need to work together to support supply chain collaboration, particularly for energy, and critical minerals. Australia’s decision to make a uranium supply pact is naturally noteworthy.

All in all PM Modi’s visit to the Down Under has been keenly watched across the world. 

(The writer is a commentator on geopolitics and geoeconomics. Views expressed are personal.)