Prime Minister’s visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand
India's Prime Minister is undertaking a three-nation visit to Indonesia (July 6–8), Australia (July 8–10), and New Zealand (July 10–11, 2026) — a tour anchor...
What Happened
- India's Prime Minister is undertaking a three-nation visit to Indonesia (July 6–8), Australia (July 8–10), and New Zealand (July 10–11, 2026) — a tour anchored in India's Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific engagement strategy.
- In Indonesia, the visit to Jakarta marks the fourth engagement with the country and the first bilateral visit since the bilateral relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018. The agenda covers defence, trade, maritime cooperation, and a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta.
- In Australia, the visit to Melbourne at the invitation of the Australian Prime Minister includes co-leading the India-Australia CEOs Forum, with discussions on critical minerals, clean energy, cyber security, resilient supply chains, defence cooperation, and advanced technologies.
- In New Zealand, the visit is the first state visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 40 years, with bilateral discussions covering trade, commerce, and defence, along with engagement with the business community and the Indian diaspora.
- All three legs include diaspora addresses — underlining the role of the Indian community as a strategic soft-power asset in the Indo-Pacific.
Static Topic Bridges
India's Act East Policy
India's Act East Policy (AEP) was announced on November 13, 2014, at the 9th East Asia Summit in Nay Pyi Daw, Myanmar. It evolved from the earlier Look East Policy (launched in 1991 under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao) — shifting from passive engagement with Southeast and East Asia to active strategic and economic integration. The AEP focuses on the 4Cs: Culture, Commerce, Connectivity, and Capacity-building. Its geographic scope extends from ASEAN nations to Japan, South Korea, Australia, and increasingly the Pacific.
- Look East Policy: 1991, initiated under P.V. Narasimha Rao; focused on economic reintegration post-liberalisation
- Act East Policy: 2014, PM Modi; deepens AEP into strategic, defence, and maritime domains
- ASEAN is the core of AEP; India-ASEAN relations elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022
- India's Northeast region is central to AEP's connectivity vision (border trade, ASEAN highway projects)
- Key institutional mechanism: East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers Plus (ADMM+)
Connection to this news: The three-nation visit directly operationalises India's Act East Policy by deepening bilateral ties with a key ASEAN member (Indonesia), a Quad partner (Australia), and extending India's diplomatic footprint to the Pacific (New Zealand).
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership — India-Indonesia
India and Indonesia elevated their bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018. Indonesia is India's largest trading partner in ASEAN, a major Muslim-majority democracy, and a critical maritime power in the Indo-Pacific (straddling the Malacca Strait and controlling key sea lanes). Defence and maritime cooperation — including access to Sabang port in the Andaman Sea — has been a cornerstone of the partnership.
- India-Indonesia CSP: 2018
- Indonesia controls the Malacca Strait, Lombok Strait, and Sunda Strait — critical chokepoints for global shipping
- Sabang Port cooperation: India has expressed interest in developing Sabang port, strategically located near the Andaman Sea
- Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state (17,000+ islands) and the 4th most populous country
- Prambanan Temple: 9th-century CE Hindu temple complex in Yogyakarta, dedicated to the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva); UNESCO World Heritage Site
Connection to this news: The first bilateral visit since the 2018 CSP elevation signals an intent to operationalise commitments made then — particularly on maritime security, defence production, and digital economy cooperation with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto.
India-Australia Relations and the Quad
India and Australia are both members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) — alongside the United States and Japan — a strategic grouping revived in 2017 and elevated to the leader level in 2021. The Quad is the primary multilateral mechanism for India's Indo-Pacific security architecture. India-Australia bilateral relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020. The India-Australia ECTA (Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement), signed April 2022 and effective December 2022, has further deepened economic integration.
- Quad: Original formation 2007; revived 2017; Leader-level Quad Summit since 2021
- Quad members: India, USA, Japan, Australia — focus on free and open Indo-Pacific
- India-Australia CSP: 2020
- India-Australia ECTA: Signed April 2022, effective December 2022
- Critical minerals: Australia is a leading supplier; India seeks to secure supply chains for green energy transition (lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earths)
- India-Australia bilateral trade: approximately USD 26–30 billion annually
Connection to this news: The India-Australia leg of the visit, centred on the CEOs Forum and discussions on critical minerals and clean energy, builds on Quad-level cooperation and the ECTA, pushing the relationship into advanced technology and supply chain domains.
Indo-Pacific — Strategic Concept and India's Position
The Indo-Pacific is a geopolitical and strategic construct encompassing the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean as a single, interconnected strategic space. India's Indo-Pacific vision — articulated at the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2018 — is inclusive, rules-based, and centred on ASEAN centrality. It contrasts with narrower formulations that emphasise containment. India's Indo-Pacific engagement spans the Quad, the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and bilateral partnerships from East Africa to the Pacific Islands.
- India's Indo-Pacific vision articulated: Shangri-La Dialogue, June 2018 (Singapore)
- ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP): 2019; India supports ASEAN centrality
- Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA): 23 members; India is a founding member
- South China Sea: India has consistent position — disputes must be resolved per UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982)
- New Zealand: First Indian PM state visit in 40 years; New Zealand is a member of Five Eyes and Pacific-oriented NATO partner
Connection to this news: The three-nation arc — from Southeast Asia (Indonesia) through the Pacific's edge (Australia, New Zealand) — maps directly onto India's goal of building a networked security and economic architecture across the Indo-Pacific without formal alliance commitments.
Key Facts & Data
- 2014 — Year India's Act East Policy announced (9th East Asia Summit, Nay Pyi Daw)
- 1991 — Year Look East Policy was launched (P.V. Narasimha Rao government)
- 2018 — India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership elevated
- 2021 — Quad elevated to Leader-level Summit
- 2022 — India-ASEAN ties elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
- Prambanan Temple — 9th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yogyakarta; Hindu temple dedicated to the Trimurti
- First state visit in 40 years — India-New Zealand; PM Modi's visit to Wellington
- Critical minerals — Key agenda item in Australia leg (lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earths)
- India-Australia ECTA — Signed April 2022; effective December 2022
- Quad members — India, USA, Japan, Australia
- ASEAN centrality — India's stated cornerstone of its Indo-Pacific approach