Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Thursday (July 9, 2026) made a joint call for a de-escalation of tension and hostilities in West Asia, where fighting has restarted between the United States and Iran.

Modi and Albanese urge restraint in Gulf tensions, emphasizing maritime security and India’s nuclear partnership with Australia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (July 9) pitched for early finalisation of the proposed India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) as it will further accelerate bilateral trade and investment ties.

In an address at a business forum, Mr. Modi also invited Australian companies to invest in India, saying it offers “unmatched opportunities” for growth in sectors such as aviation, financial services, critical minerals, technology and food processing.- PTI

India and Australia on Thursday (July 9) unequivocally condemned the scourge of terrorism and emphasised the importance of all countries joining forces to combat it without any double standards.

They also called for action against all those involved in any manner with terrorism.Addressing a special press conference after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, Foreign Secretary Vikarm Misri also said that the situation in West Asia came up for discussion and the Prime Minister expressed once again India’s desire to see sustained peace in the region.- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (July 9) invoked India and Australia’s shared passion for cricket to highlight the rapidly expanding strategic ties between the two nations.

Flanked by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Mr. Modi contrasted the different formats of cricket to map out the pace and depth of the India-Australia bilateral engagements. 

“As we are here in Melbourne - the sports capital of the world - not talking about sports would be like not starting a cricket match after the toss,” PM Modi remarked.- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (July 9, 2026) praised Australia’s ban on social media access for teenagers, in the clearest indication so far that the Union government is mulling similar curbs. “I have followed you closely, and the way you have legislated and worked to protect society in IT and social media is inspiring the world,” Mr. Modi told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in remarks open to the press. The Prime Minister is on a bilateral visit to Australia.

PM Modi commends Australia’s social media ban for minors, hinting at potential similar regulations in India to protect youth.

Three antiquities of Tamil Nadu origin, including a stone idol of sacred bull Nandi, are set to be repatriated to India by Australia, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday (July 9).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese welcomed the voluntary return of these cultural artefacts to India.- PTI

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday (July 9) said AustralianSuper will deepen its commitment to India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund with a further 500 million Australian dollar (about $347 million) investment to fund infrastructure development.

This will take the fund’s overall holdings in India across all asset classes to 3.3 billion Australian dollar, she said in a post on X.

“Thank you @PMOIndia for championing greater investments in India and strengthening the #NIIF. Under PM @narendramodi ji leadership, India continues to be the fastest growing economy. Thanks #AustralianSuper for continuing your trust in NIIF,” it said.- PTI

People cheer during the 'Melbourne Meets Modi' community event, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Australia, at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, on July 9, 2026.

At a diaspora event in Melbourne, Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked his third visit in 12 years as a “hat-trick” and emphasised that 21st-century India is driven by the mantra of “Nagrik Devo Bhava” and the collective aspirations of its people, or “We, the People”.

Declaring that the nation is working toward becoming a developed country where citizens aim to “grow more, achieve more”, the Prime Minister highlighted significant technological and industrial progress, noting that India is developing a manufacturing ecosystem ranging “from chips to ships”, advancing 6G technology, and working toward building its own space station.

Furthermore, PM Modi asserted that the world places immense trust in India because the nation provides humanitarian aid regardless of the “colour of passports”, while also noting that during “Operation Sindoor”, India’s decisive action against terrorist bases resonated globally. 

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who previously visited Australia in 2023, is expected to meet ‌thousands of expatriate Indians at an event in one of the biggest stadiums in Melbourne on July 9 evening.

After meeting Modi at the business event, Australian PM Anthony Albanese called PM Modi a “living bridge” between Australia and India, saying Mr. Modi’s vision had helped reshape the roadmap for Australia’s economic engagement with India.

India is Australia’s fifth-largest trading partner after China, Japan, the U.S. and South Korea, while around 1 million people in Australia claim Indian ancestry, out of a population of 28 million.

- Reuters

Australia’s largest pension fund, AustralianSuper, said it would invest a further A$500 million ($347 million) in National Investment and ‌Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).

⁠The NIIF was created in 2015 to ‌attract global investment into the country’s infrastructure development.

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AustralianSuper invests an additional 500 million AUD in India's infrastructure fund, boosting its total Indian investments to 3.3 billion AUD.

“Australia and India are close partners and even ‌closer friends,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in Melbourne, after ‌finalising ⁠the deal with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The arrangement facilitates Australian ⁠uranium exports to India to help increase the share of non-fossil fuel power capacity, providing an additional market for the Australian resources sector,” he added.

- Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (July 9, 2026) met Australia’s Governor-General Sam Mostyn and discussed “enduring” bilateral bonds, strong people-to-people ties and the strengthening of the “multifaceted partnership” between the two countries.

Mr. Modi is in Australia on the second leg of his three-nation visit. He arrived in Melbourne from Indonesia on Wednesday (July 8, 2026).

He met Ms. Mostyn in Melbourne following his talks with the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

- PTI

PM Modi meets Australia's Governor-General Mostyn, enhancing bilateral ties and discussing opportunities in trade, education, and sports.

PM Modi held wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Melbourne on July 9 afternoon. “The India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of 2022 has continuously expanded the scope of our cooperation,” PM Modi said in a tweet, adding “We have now decided to accelerate work on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation, with unprecedented progress over the past few years.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi compared India-Australia meetings to different formats of cricket highlighting the dynamic and multifaceted nature of the bilateral relationship between the two nations.

PM Modi announced a key nuclear energy agreement to enable uranium supply from Australia to India after discussions with Australian Prime Minister Albanese.

“India and Australia firmed up an important agreement on nuclear energy. The agreement on nuclear energy will facilitate the supply of uranium from Australia to India,” said PM Modi.

He also added that both the countries will work together on a critical minerals corridor.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a joint press meeting with Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese said that both the countries have “released a joint declaration to expand defence and security cooperation.” 

He said, “We will work towards collaboration between Indian, Australian defence industries through India-Australia defence innovation corridor.” 

“Our fight against terrorism is shared, our resolve is unwavering, and our cooperation is continuously strengthening,” Mr. Modi adds. 

Reacting to the announcements, PM Albanese said, “We share a focus on diversifying India-Australia ties to continue growing from strength to strength.”

India and Australia are expected to announce a series of initiatives aimed at deepening cooperation in defence, energy security and critical minerals, according to sources.

On defence, the two countries are likely to unveil a defence innovation corridor to promote collaboration between startups and manufacturers, while a joint defence declaration is expected to strengthen industrial cooperation and interoperability between their armed forces. 

According to sources, both sides are expected to reinforce their partnership through cooperation on uranium supplies for India’s civil nuclear programme, along with increased imports of LNG, coal and diesel from Australia to diversify India’s energy basket.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, while participating in the third Australia-India Annual Leaders’ Summit, in Government House, Melbourne.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister was also accompanied by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with the Governor of Victoria, Margaret Gardner AC, at the Government House in Melbourne, the official residence of the Governor. 

-ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison during his visit to Australia, saying the two had a “great conversation” on the India-Australia friendship.

Prime Minister Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome and a Guard of Honour in the Australian capital as part of his visit to the country.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was also present and received the Prime Minister at the ceremonial venue, where the two leaders greeted each other before the ceremony.

Earlier, PM Modi addressed the business leaders at the India-Australia CEO Forum and Economic Roadmap Business Reception in Melbourne, attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Highlighting India’s clean energy ambitions, PM Modi said, “Many companies associated with clean energy are present here. We are building a manufacturing ecosystem in India for hydro projects, green hydrogen, solar modules, and wind turbines. India has set a target of achieving 500 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2070. Australia’s technology, capital, and resources can accelerate this transition.”

-ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (July 9, 2026) joined his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, at the India-Australia CEO Forum and Economic Roadmap Business Reception, as part of efforts to bolster bilateral trade and strategic relations during the second leg of his three-nation visit. 

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said, “The presence of all of you is a symbol of our shared confidence and shared aspirations. Today, the world is going through a period of uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and an energy crisis. At such a time, it is both natural and necessary for India and Australia to move forward as natural and trusted partners. Over the past few years, we have built a strong framework for future cooperation by combining the capabilities of both countries.” 

Published - July 09, 2026 09:19 am IST

Narendra Modi / India-Australia / Australia / Live news