India expands technology partnerships through foreign engagement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Australia, for instance, had commentators focusing on the deepening security cooperation with a bilateral commitment “to consult on defence-related developments in the Indo-Pacific that affect shared interests”.

However, another consequential outcome was the elevation of the bilateral ambition on tech cooperation with the Australia-India “Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS)”. Building on the 2020 Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation, PACTS elevates tech cooperation efforts through clearly defined cooperation tracks on supply chain resilience and critical technologies.

This focused effort holds promise from the standpoint of a key complementarity: Australia holds proven reserves of at least 21 of the 49 critical minerals identified by the Government of India. In addition, Australia’s uranium reserves will be key for powering India’s planned expansion of key technology.

The Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains is the cornerstone of bilateral tech ties. It expands cooperation into five key areas: supply chain resilience, critical technologies, cybersecurity, digital resilience, and defence research.

Critical Minerals & Clean Energy: Australia supplies the essential raw materials—such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earths—needed for India's clean energy transition, semiconductor manufacturing, and space ambitions.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): India and Australia are collaborating to share India's DPI principles across the Indo-Pacific, deploying affordable, scalable technology solutions for developing economies.

Space & Defence: Australia provides essential space-tracking capabilities to support India’s human spaceflight program. Their respective defence research organizations collaborate on maritime surveillance and advanced materials