Layton, P (2023) Contemp Issues in Air & Space Power Vol 1 BP29294000
BP29294000-1
The deepening Australia–India
geostrategic relationship
The relationship between Australia and India is rapidly evolving, inuenced in part by
the changes across the Indo-Pacic region. This vast area, where more than half the
people of the world live, is moving towards a new regional order, but what this will be is
not yet decided. Australia and India intend to use their agencies to shape a favourable
future for themselves in terms of greater prosperity and enhanced security. This paper
initially reviews the contemporary Australia-India relationship with its newly created in-
stitutions and rapidly developing interactions. The second section considers some key
present-day issues regarding prosperity were cooperation would be mutually advanta-
geous: cyber, hydrogen energy, rare earths, and critical and emerging technology. The
third section deliberates on security collaboration through discussing the two nations’
strategic focuses, the possibilities for increased defence interaction and a potential de-
fence technology cooperation approach. The nal section considers the longer-term
aspirations of both nations and concludes that Australia may need to be as pragmatic as
India. Future progress will require effort and with both nations’ limited resources, some
tough prioritisations may be necessary.
1 Introduction
Australia and India are both continental-sized na-
tions within the Indo-Pacic region, whose shores are
connected to the Indian Ocean. For some decades, it
seemed that the relationship between the two was lim-
ited to simply Commonwealth, cricket and curry. Times
have changed. Geostrategic forces, globalisation and
the rush of technology are now overcoming geograph-
ic separation and pushing the two nations into an ev-
er-closer political, economic, diplomatic and military
embrace.
This shift has not happened slowly. Instead, the last
ve years have seen an accelerating urry of activity
between the two nations and between them and other
regional and extra-regional states. The most important
of these for both Australia and India has arguably been
the formation of the Quad, a formal but rather loose
arrangement that unites the United States (US), Japan,
India and Australia.
The Quad remains a work-in-progress but has quick-
ly become a dynamic grouping with considerable ambi-
tion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking recently,
declared that the Quad is now a ‘force for global good’,
with a positive and practical agenda that will advance
prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacic and beyond
(Press Trust of India, 2021).
This paper focuses on the evolving relationship be-
tween Australia and India in this time of Indo-Pacic dy-
namism. This immense area, where more than half of
the world’s population reside, is moving towards adopt-
ing a new regional order. What that will be, however,
remains undecided. Australia and India thus intend to
use their agencies to shape a favourable future. This
paper accordingly takes a forward-leaning stance and
Peter Layton
Air and Space Power Centre
Contemporary Issues In aIr & spaCe power
Air And SpAce power centre
https://doi.org/10.58930/ciasp-bp29294000
2653-7745 © 2023 Commonwealth of Australia. Open Access article published under CC BY 4.0 license.
