Australia India Institute

18/10/2026

CEO The Hon. Lisa Singh delivered the keynote address at the The Maldives National University on the theme, ‘Maldives-Australia-India Strategic Engagement: Advancing Liberal Institutions and the Rules-Based Order’.

Strengthening multilateral institutions and deepening the triangle of cooperation between Australia, India and the Maldives will be pivotal to helping define much of the next decade and to fostering a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Following on from the address, Lisa joined a panel discussion featuring the Secretary of the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Hala Hameed, Australian High Commissioner David Jessup and Indian High Commissioner G. Balasubramanian.

Thank you to the Maldives National University for hosting Lisa Singh for this timely address.

18/10/2026

14/10/2026

And that’s a wrap on Day 2 at the Khel Connect Symposium 🤝

Led by the Australia India Institute, hosted at IIT Madras and supported by the Australian Government Department of Education, the Symposium, brought together leading Australian and Indian organisations across higher education, sport, industry, and government to exchange knowledge, identify collaboration opportunities, and forge connections in sports education, research, and innovation.

Day 2 focused on promoting connections and partnership development through structured pitch sessions and facilitated discussions within specialisation-based streams. 🏃‍

12/10/2026

The Institute was pleased to host Director General of TERI India, Dr Vibha Dhawan, to deliver the our 2026 Annual Oration in Delhi.

As a distinguished women leader, Dr Dhawan's Oration, 'Powering Change: Women’s Leadership, Innovation and the Australia-India Partnership', offered a reflection on her experience in leadership and on the future of the bilateral relationship.

In her remarks, Dr Dhawan reflected on the challenges and solutions of translating global commitments on sustainable development and climate change into meaningful action.

Thank you to Dr Dhawan for her insightful Oration and thank you to Prof Frank Vetere and Prof Moira O'Bryan for their remarks.

See more on the Institute's Annual Oration here: https://aii.unimelb.edu.au/australia-india-institute-annual-oration-2026-powering-change-womens-leadership-innovation-and-the-australia-india-partnership/

10/10/2026

Wishing everyone a wonderful Navratri! Navratri is a Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil . It is celebrated with great devotion across India, particularly in Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra and northern India, with diverse regional traditions.

May these nine auspicious nights bring strength, prosperity, and inner peace to you and your loved ones.

09/10/2026

Reflections on our 2026 Special Visitors Program💡

The Australia India Institute Defence Special Visitors Program aims to foster dialogue and build connections on issues of strategic importance between India and Australia.

This year, three security experts, Ramu C. M, PhD, Dr. Shayesta Nishat Ahmed, Sushmita Sihwag engaged in a range of site visits, meetings, roundtables and networking opportunities across Melbourne, Canberra and Perth - deepening the understanding of the Australia and India security architecture and the possibilities for future collaboration in defence industry collaboration.

The experts met with academics, senior Australian and Indian government officials and Ministers, presenting their work at events across the country.

Thank you to all our partners for their support in this program. 🌏

Read the discussion paper here: https://aii.unimelb.edu.au/advancing-australia-india-defence-industry-cooperation/

07/10/2026

Australia India Institute Research Fellow Grace Corcoran and Academic Fellow Pradeep Taneja presented at the 2026 Bay of Bengal Conversation in Dhaka, Bangladesh 🌏

This year's theme, "Fragments, Frontiers, Futures: Navigating Power, Technology and Trust in a World Rewritten," analysed geopolitical shifts occurring in the region and explored how states, institutions, and societies can shape these global transformations.

Pradeep Taneja's panel discussion examined emerging alignments, strategic autonomy, and the future of regional security architecture in the Indo-Pacific.

Grace Corcoran moderated a session on emerging approaches to water diplomacy, transboundary governance, and sustainable management of shared resources, with relevance to South Asia and the Bay of Bengal region.

Thank you to the Centre for Governance Studies for hosting an impactful and informative dialogue 💡

01/10/2026

On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti and International Day of Non-Violence, the Institute honours the enduring legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. His principles of truth, non-violence, and self-reliance continue to inspire generations worldwide.

May we all strive to uphold these ideals in our lives and work towards building a more just and compassionate society. Wishing you a meaningful Gandhi Jayanti!

28/09/2026

NEW READ 📚

The Institute’s Defence Special Visitors Program for 2026 kicks off tomorrow.

We’ll be hosting three Indian Defence experts to engage with think tanks, academic and policy professionals in Canberra, Melbourne and Perth. As part of this visit, our experts have prepared discussion papers on “Advancing Australia India Defence Industry Cooperation”.

💡 Dr Ramu C. M, PhD, Senior Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at Bayer, on “Beyond Mineral Security: Building an Australia –India Critical Minerals Partnership for Defence Industrial Resilience”.

💡 Dr. Shayesta Nishat Ahmed, Research Analyst at the Centre for Defence Economics and Industry at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, on “Building the Case for India-Australia DefenceInnovation Partnership”.

💡 Sushmita S., Research Associate at the National Maritime Foundation, on “Accelerating India-Australia Defence Industrial Cooperation in Undersea Technologies.”

Read the publication here: https://aii.unimelb.edu.au/advancing-australia-india-defence-industry-cooperation/

23/09/2026

We are delighted to announce that the Director General of TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute , Dr Vibha Dhawan, will deliver the Australia India Institute's 2026 Annual Oration in Delhi.

Now in its tenth year, the prestigious Oration convenes policymakers, academics, industry leaders and diplomats to advance strategic dialogue, foster business opportunities and celebrate cultural exchange - strengthening both institutional and people-to-people ties between Australia and India.

A distinguished academic and researcher, Dr Dhawan's work on issues of clean energy has made a deep contribution to strengthening the conversation between our two nations. As a female leader in the sector, her Oration will provide a unique reflection on women's leadership, innovation and the future of the bilateral relationship.

We look forward to hosting Dr Dhawan.