Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet Angus Taylor, Australia's Leader of the Opposition, and visit the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday, 11 July 2025, during the final leg of his three-day Australia visit. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed the programme at a special media briefing in Melbourne on Thursday.

Key Engagements on Friday

According to Misri, the day begins with a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Angus Taylor, Leader of the Opposition, in the morning — a customary diplomatic courtesy that signals the breadth of India's engagement across Australia's political spectrum. Following that, Prime Minister Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will jointly visit the MCG, one of the world's most storied cricket venues, to unveil the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap.

'Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Albanese will visit the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground to highlight one of the other subjects, a growing sector of cooperation between the two countries which is sports and they will take this opportunity to unveil the India-Australia sports collaboration roadmap,' Misri said.

Why Sports Cooperation Is in Focus

The timing of the sports roadmap is deliberate. India is set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, while Australia will host the Olympic Games in 2032 — a two-year window that creates a natural corridor for joint planning, athlete exchange, infrastructure expertise, and broadcasting partnerships. Misri noted that this sector 'promises to be one that can see a lot of cooperation and opportunities between the two sides.'

Notably, cricket has long served as an informal bridge between the two nations, and the choice of the MCG — capacity 100,024 and home to some of the most celebrated India-Australia Test matches — carries strong symbolic weight beyond the diplomatic optics.

Thursday's Outcomes: Summit, CEO Forum, Community

Thursday was the substantive day of the visit. Modi and Albanese participated in the third Australia-India Annual Summit, reviewing bilateral progress across trade and investment, critical minerals, clean energy, technology, defence and security, education, skills, science and innovation, culture, and people-to-people ties. Both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

Earlier, Modi met Australia's Governor-General Sam Mostyn and Victoria Governor Margaret Gardner AC, attended the Australia-India CEO Forum, and participated in an Indian community reception in Melbourne. He also held a separate meeting with former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Misri's Assessment of the Visit

Foreign Secretary Misri described the visit as 'a short but extremely productive and fruitful' one, citing 'several substantial outcomes' and 'a number of important shared objectives being reinforced.' The characterisation suggests both sides are satisfied with the pace of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership — the framework that has governed India-Australia ties since 2020.

What Comes Next

The sports roadmap to be unveiled at the MCG on Friday is expected to set out specific cooperation targets ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2032 Brisbane Olympics. Analysts will watch for whether the document includes binding commitments on athlete training exchange or remains a framework declaration — a distinction that has mattered in past bilateral roadmaps between the two countries.