Beyond three Cs, the new lexicon of India-Australia ties

 During his visit to Australia in May 2023, when the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Australia was almost three years old, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had characterised India-Australia ties as having entered T-20 mode. He also stressed that the relationship had gone beyond the conventional three Cs — of Commonwealth, Cricket and Curry — and the subsequent three Ds — Democracy, Diaspora and Dosti. As Mr. Modi undertakes his third visit to Australia this week, it would be instructive to look at some of the recent progress in two other important dimensions, the Ds of Development and Defence.

Growing bilateral economic cooperation has brought dividends like never before for both countries. All Indian exports to Australia now have duty free access under the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), benefitting textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering goods, gems and jewellery. Preferential access to 90% of Australia’s trade value has facilitated Australian exports of critical minerals, resources, wool, avocados, and macadamia. There is the shared ambition to raise bilateral trade from $33 billion in 2025 towards $100 bn by 2030.