Australia India Defence Industry Roundtable

Good afternoon and thank you for that introduction.

It is a real honour to be here today in my role as Australia’s Assistant Minister for Defence to represent my country, and to build closer ties with yours. 

I want to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land we are meeting on here in Sydney – the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, and to pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

And to acknowledge the many distinguished guests here today.

Discussions this afternoon are vital to our two nations. 

It was so great to share a fantastic experience this morning – aboard the Admiral Hudson.

Together we toured Fleet Base East and sailed on through a particularly picturesque Sydney Harbour.

It was such a pleasure to showcase Australia’s iconic harbour on this, the Royal Australian Navy ceremonial vessel.

The perfect way to celebrate this historic visit. 

This visit by India’s esteemed Minister of Defence – the Raksha Mantri – Sri Rajnath Singh - means a great deal to the Australian Government.

On a personal level I have great admiration for Minister Singh as a man of great principle.

Minister Singh, I truly respect your political acumen and your role in Indian politics to date.

This is the first visit to Australian by an Indian Minister of Defence in twelve years.

And the second meeting of our Defence Ministers this year. 

A visit that signals the deepening of our national ties. 

You will no doubt hear these sentiments expressed by many during your visit, but I want to add my own thoughts.

To express my personal recognition and appreciation, for the depth of the India-Australia relationship…

…for the cooperation we share across so many spheres and fields…

…and for the strategic trust fostered between our two nations.

This relationship is built on a shared historical legacy, and an abiding commitment to democratic liberal values.

Its foundations lie in our shared vision for an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. 

It has grown - steadily, mindfully - nurtured by mutual trust and a deep understanding of our shared interests..

…and it has accelerated at an unprecedented pace in recent years. 

At this time of great challenge in the world, it is a true partnership that grows more integrated, more cooperative each day. 

In many ways, this is emblematic of a something deeper – a friendship. 

In the face of increasing global instability – this relationship is a source of strength, security and opportunity. 

The human and economic connections between Australia and India continue to grow. 

The Indian-Australian community is our second-largest and fastest growing overseas-born community group. 

Ties of work, family, and culture continue to flourish and deepen.

The Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, which came into effect in December 2022…

…and the Australian Government’s A New Roadmap for Australia’s Economic Engagement with India launched earlier this year….

…together these reflect our shared commitment to a dynamic partnership that leverages human capital and economic opportunity. 

Human and economic ties are two of the three key pillars of cooperation between our two nations.

And the third is Defence. 

Defence and security cooperation between India and Australia is now one of the strongest pillars of our strategic partnership.

It is extensive – covering maritime domain awareness, information-sharing, science and technology, and training.

We train together, plan together, share information, share capability. India’s inaugural participation in Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre just a few months ago exemplifies our growing strategic convergence. 

And so we arrive at the subject of this afternoon’s roundtable discussions – defence industrial collaboration.

India’s and Australia’s defence industrial collaboration leverages the human, the economic and defence pillars of our relationship.

Today is a significant opportunity - to have so many leading lights of defence industry, innovation, research and business gathered in one room for discussions.

It is a timely gathering.

Australia’s first defence industry trade mission to India is happening as we speak. 

Like that mission, this Roundtable today will serve as a catalyst for enhancing vital connections between our two industrial bases. 

Rapid technological developments, which in many ways are reflective of growing global strategic uncertainty, call for a new approach to defence capability development.

We need agile interoperability, empowering us to perform and succeed in complex multi-domain operations.

Our strategic environment is increasingly volatile and uncertain. 

Each one of us in the room grasps the urgency of our strategic circumstances. 

And critical to our common security is defence industrial collaboration with trusted partners like India.

Collaboration can take many forms:

• creating mutually beneficial agreements
• sharing innovation
• developing research and activation partnerships
• driving careful and deliberate compatibility between our defence industries. 

This work will bolster the defence capabilities of both nations, bringing our mutual and complementary skills and expertise to enhance security across the Indo-Pacific.

We must never forget that deterrence is always the objective.

Enhanced defence industrial collaboration between our nations facilitates has many benefits:

• greater defence capability in an era where advanced technologies have added speed, ambiguity and complexity to our defence environments
• economic benefits, leveraging our unique specialties and expertise to expand our industrial and manufacturing sectors
• skills and jobs for our people, and our people working together
• the social, medical and other technological benefits that can arise from any accelerated research and innovation collaboration

This moment offers all of us in this room an enormous opportunity, but it is also one that carries responsibilities. 

To share, explore, drive innovation and work together on the cutting edge of technology and science. 

And where our greater capability, our greater combined capacity and combined strength, is the armour of deterrence. 

In this important moment of technological cooperation between our two great nations, let us recall that, throughout history, the bedrock driver of all science and technological advancement has been the betterment of humanity. 

Australia will be there as India’s true friend, and I greatly look forward to our discussions this afternoon, and our work together for the future of our nations.

ENDS