MELBOURNE — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, delivered a major investment pitch to global fund managers, vice-chancellors, and corporate chiefs at the Australia-India CEOs Forum and the Economic Roadmap Business summit.
Emphasizing that the combination of India’s market scale and Australia’s technical expertise forms an unbeatable commercial engine, PM Modi urged businesses to secure long-term stakes in India’s industrial transition.
1. High-Value Investment Sectors
The Prime Minister invited Australian institutional investors and major superannuation funds to deploy capital directly into India’s primary growth corridors:
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The Green Transition: Mega clean energy installations, electric vehicles (EVs), and advanced battery storage manufacturing.
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Critical Mineral Alliances: Strategic joint ventures in lithium mining, rare earth elements, and electronics supply chains.
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Future Tech & Mobility: Semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), fintech, defense networks, aviation, and major logistical infrastructure.
2. Upgrading the Trade Architecture
While acknowledging the sharp increase in bilateral trade following the 2022 Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), PM Modi stressed that the next phase of growth requires a more ambitious framework:
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Finalizing CECA: He called for an immediate push to conclude the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) to systematically eliminate remaining regulatory hurdles.
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State-to-Province Corridors: To diversify investment, he proposed that individual Indian states and Australian provinces bypass central channels to build direct, competency-based economic pacts.
3. Human Capital & Institutional Integration
With several Australian university vice-chancellors in attendance, the summit highlighted the critical role of academic partnerships. PM Modi praised the establishment of Australian university campuses in India, stating that deep-tech research collaboration and joint skill-development programs are essential to building a resilient, future-ready global talent pool.
