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Uranium deal, defence ties on agenda for PM Modi’s Australia visit

Published July 8, 2026 at 6:51 PM UTC

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday evening as part of a three-nation tour that includes Indonesia and New Zealand. During his visit, Modi is expected to finalize a commercial agreement for the supply of uranium from Australia to India, aiming to support India's nuclear power generation goals. This agreement builds upon the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signed in 2014. Australia, possessing about a third of the world's uranium reserves, has previously made only one shipment to India in 2017. The two nations have been negotiating this commercial deal for some time, with recent discussions indicating a positive direction. In addition to the uranium deal, the visit is set to enhance cooperation in maritime security and defense. Both countries have been conducting regular defense policy talks and joint exercises, and signed the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement in 2021, allowing mutual access to each other's military facilities. Modi's visit is also expected to boost India's MAHASAGAR and Indo-Pacific visions by strengthening ties with Australia, a key partner in the Quad framework. The agenda includes addressing critical minerals, cybersecurity, and clean energy, aiming to deepen the strategic partnership between the two nations. Modi will also address the India-Australia CEOs Forum, focusing on upgrading the interim trade deal into a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. Since the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement was signed in 2022, bilateral trade has seen significant growth, with India's exports to Australia doubling from $4 billion in 2020-21 to $8.5 billion in 2024-25. Total bilateral trade reached $24.1 billion in 2024-25. The visit underscores the growing strategic and economic ties between India and Australia, with a focus on energy security, defense collaboration, and regional stability.