Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 11 June 2026 publicly thanked former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for his kind wishes, acknowledging their personal friendship and Turnbull's continued advocacy for stronger India-Australia relations.

Context

In his post on X, Prime Minister Modi wrote: 'Thank you Mr. Turnbull for your kind wishes. I deeply value our friendship and your consistent support for stronger India-Australia ties.' The message was directed at @TurnbullMalcolm, the personal account of Malcolm Turnbull, who led Australia as Prime Minister from 2015 to 2018. While the specific occasion prompting Turnbull's wishes was not publicly detailed, the exchange underscores the warmth maintained between the two leaders beyond their respective tenures.

Policy Backdrop

The India-Australia bilateral relationship has been formally elevated over recent years. In June 2020, Prime Minister Modi and then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, covering defence, trade, technology, and people-to-people links. That same year, India invited Australia to join the Malabar naval exercise on a permanent basis, institutionalising defence cooperation between the two nations.

On the trade front, India and Australia signed the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) in April 2022, which entered into force later that year. The agreement was designed to reduce tariffs and expand bilateral goods and services trade, forming a key pillar of the economic relationship. Australia is also a fellow member of the Quad grouping alongside India, the United States, and Japan, making the partnership central to Indo-Pacific strategy.

Stakeholders and Impact

The personal diplomacy between Modi and former leaders like Turnbull reflects India's deliberate approach to sustaining bilateral momentum across political cycles in partner countries. Turnbull was an early champion of deeper India-Australia defence and economic cooperation during his term, and his continued engagement as a former head of government carries symbolic weight. Defence establishments, trade communities, and critical minerals sectors on both sides stand to benefit from the sustained warmth at the leadership level.

Successive Australian governments have viewed India as a key partner for regional stability and supply-chain diversification, particularly in critical minerals. The continuity of goodwill expressed in exchanges such as this one reinforces the durability of the partnership beyond any single administration.

What's Next

Observers will watch for the next annual India-Australia leaders' summit and any updates on the implementation or review of the ECTA. Broader progress on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership — including joint military exercises and technology cooperation — will serve as the practical measure of how the relationship deepens. Personal outreach of this kind, while ceremonial in tone, reinforces the diplomatic continuity that underpins those formal engagements.