EURASIA REVIEW

APLN member Rajaram Panda, former Senior Fellow at the Pradhanmantri Memorial Museum and Library, co-wrote a commentary with Upasha Kumari on Indian Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to the South Pacific, highlighting that India’s expanding partnerships with New Zealand and Australia reflect its broader Indo-Pacific strategy and vision for a multipolar Asia.

In the second leg of his three-nation visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Australia and then New Zealand before returning to India on 11 July 2026. The outcome of his visit to Indonesia, the first of the trip, has already been analysed in details elsewhere. This essay shall dissect the outcomes and the agreements reached on a host of issues and their significance in the larger Indo-Pacific context.

PM Modi was in Australia from 8 to 11 July, interacting with the Indian diaspora, an important pillar of India-Australian partnership, and held the 3^rd Annual Summit talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese aimed at strengthening the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The objective of talks with Albanese was to deepen ties in the areas of defence and security, trade and investment, education and mobility and people-to-people ties.

The diaspora element was captivating. Modi, who previously visited Australia in 2023, met thousands of expatriate Indians at an event in one of the biggest stadiums in Melbourne and witnessed performances, including a special fusion between the Australian didgeridoo, an ancient wind instrument developed by indigenous Australians, and he Indian tabla, a 10-piece symphony orchestra presentation of ‘Ma Tujhe Salaam’ and a Kathak performance. The harmony between these two timeless instruments beautifully reflected the deep cultural connect between the two countries.

Read the full article here.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.