Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Melbourne is set to significantly advance the strategic and economic partnership between India and Australia, according to former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and senior business leaders who gathered on Thursday, 9 July for the Australia-India CEOs Forum and the Economic Roadmap Business event.

Morrison Hails Bilateral Progress

Speaking on the sidelines of the dual business events, Scott Morrison credited the groundwork laid during his own tenure with PM Modi for elevating the bilateral relationship to its current standing. He expressed confidence that the momentum would only accelerate.

'During the time PM Modi and I served in our respective roles, we were able to elevate the Australia-India relationship to the level it is at today, and I'm very pleased that it has been maintained by the Albanese Government. This relationship is only going to get stronger, and his visit here to Melbourne is incredibly important,' Morrison said.

Business Leaders Signal Growing Opportunity

Tania Constable, Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Council of Australia, pointed to the personal rapport between PM Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as a key driver of the strategic partnership. 'There's an obvious strong relationship between PM Modi and Prime Minister Albanese that has been there now for a few years. It's that strength of relationship right at the top between our countries that will continue to drive a strong strategic partnership,' she said.

Paul Henry, Senior Principal, Global Director and Co-Founder of Populous, described Modi's presence at the Melbourne events as a powerful signal of India's bilateral intent. 'What a successful time it has been today and it shows tremendous commitment by PM Modi to attend the function with PM Albanese. I think that's a great sign for Australia-India ties,' Henry said.

Bran Black, Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia, highlighted India's expanding middle class as a transformative opportunity for Australian businesses. 'The projections are that the size of the Indian middle class will increase to 600 million people by 2035. What that signals to me, and what it signals to the world, is that these reform efforts are having tangible impacts on people's lives every day,' Black said.

Olympics and Commonwealth Games Ambitions in Focus

Henry also drew attention to India's sporting ambitions as a marker of its long-range strategic vision. PM Modi's backing for Ahmedabad's bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games and the 2030 Commonwealth Games was cited as evidence of India's forward-looking posture on the global stage. 'PM Modi's support for Ahmedabad for a possible Olympics in 2036 and also the Commonwealth Games in 2030 is very exciting, showing the kind of future thinking in India at the moment,' Henry added.

Joint Address and Areas of Collaboration

Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Prime Minister Albanese jointly addressed the Australia-India CEOs Forum, calling for deeper collaboration across trade, investment, critical minerals, clean energy, technology, education, and innovation. This comes amid a broader push by both governments to diversify supply chains and reduce strategic dependencies — areas where the India-Australia partnership holds particular promise.

Notably, this visit builds on a series of high-level engagements between the two nations in recent years, including the elevation of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020. With the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) already in force, the Melbourne forum signals a shift from framework-building to tangible delivery. All eyes now turn to what concrete commitments emerge from the bilateral discussions.