PM Modi begins three-nation tour to Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand: What's on agenda
The Prime Minister embarked on a six-day state visit (July 6–11, 2026) to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand, the first Indian prime ministerial visit to New Zealand in 40 years.
In Jakarta (July 6–8), discussions focused on elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership — established in 2018 — to a higher level, with emphasis on critical minerals (particularly nickel for EV batteries), defence and maritime cooperation, digital economy, and clean energy. Both nations also announced the "Tagore-Dewantara Year" (2026–2027) marking the centenary of Tagore's 1927 visit to Indonesia.
In Melbourne (July 8–10), bilateral talks with the Australian PM were accompanied by the India-Australia CEOs Forum and diaspora engagement; cooperation areas include defence, critical minerals, and digital payments.
In Auckland (July 10–11), the state visit hosted by New Zealand's PM Christopher Luxon signals a deepening of ties with a historically under-engaged partner in the Pacific.
The tour is framed as an expression of India's Act East Policy, MAHASAGAR Vision, and commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Act East Policy
India's Act East Policy is the evolved successor to the "Look East Policy" launched in 1991 under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. The shift from "Look" to "Act" was announced by PM Modi at the East Asia Summit in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, in November 2014, signalling a move from passive engagement to proactive economic and strategic integration with Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific. Its core framework rests on the "4 Cs": Culture, Commerce, Connectivity, and Capacity Building. ASEAN remains the centrepiece, with India-ASEAN ties elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.
Key Details
- Launched as Look East Policy in 1991; rebranded as Act East Policy in 2014.
- Covers ASEAN nations, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and increasingly Pacific island states.
- Institutional anchor: India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (goods, 2010); services/investment agreements followed.
- Connects to domestic northeast India development via BIMSTEC and India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.
The three-nation tour directly operationalises Act East objectives — deepening bilateral partnerships with ASEAN's largest economy (Indonesia), a Quad partner (Australia), and an emerging Pacific partner (New Zealand).
MAHASAGAR Vision
MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) is India's updated maritime doctrine, announced during PM Modi's visit to Mauritius in 2025. "Mahasagar" means "ocean" in Hindi and several Indian languages. It extends the earlier SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) framework — articulated in 2015 — from the Indian Ocean to encompass the entire Indo-Pacific and reflects India's ambition to position itself as a net security provider and development partner across the Global South's maritime geography.
Key Details
- SAGAR (2015): Indian Ocean-focused; emphasised collective security, humanitarian assistance, anti-piracy.
- MAHASAGAR (2025): Wider Indo-Pacific scope; adds Global South solidarity and comprehensive economic/security partnerships.
- Builds on the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), launched at the East Asia Summit in 2019, which covers seven pillars: maritime security, maritime ecology, maritime resources, capacity building, disaster risk reduction, science and technology, and trade connectivity.
The Indo-Pacific tour is explicitly described by the government as advancing the MAHASAGAR Vision, with Indonesia's maritime geography (world's largest archipelago, straddling the Strait of Malacca) making it a central node.
Quad and Indo-Pacific Architecture
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) groups India, the United States, Japan, and Australia. Originally convened in 2007, it was revived in 2017 and elevated to leader-level format in March 2021. Beyond security, Quad now covers critical and emerging technologies, infrastructure financing (counter to Belt and Road), vaccine delivery, and climate action. Australia's role as both a Quad partner and a major supplier of critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, rare earths) gives the India-Australia bilateral relationship strategic depth beyond traditional security ties.
Key Details
- India and Australia signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020.
- The India-Australia Critical Minerals Investment Partnership targets supply chain resilience for clean energy and semiconductor sectors.
- Australia is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance; India is not — but defence information-sharing MoUs bridge some of this gap.
- New Zealand participates in certain Indo-Pacific frameworks but is not a Quad member.
The Australia leg of the tour deepens Quad-aligned cooperation on critical minerals and technology; the New Zealand leg broadens India's Pacific Island engagement beyond traditional Melanesia and Micronesia-focused diplomacy.
Critical Minerals Diplomacy
Critical minerals — lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, graphite, rare earth elements — are essential for EV batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and semiconductor manufacturing. Indonesia is the world's largest nickel producer (~50% of global output), making it pivotal for EV battery supply chains. India's own critical mineral strategy, announced under the National Critical Mineral Mission (2024), identifies 30 critical minerals and seeks overseas sourcing partnerships to reduce dependence on Chinese processing capacity.
Key Details
- India's 30 critical minerals list includes lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, titanium, and rare earth elements.
- The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023 enabled private sector exploration of deep-sea and critical mineral deposits.
- Indonesia imposed a nickel ore export ban in 2020 to encourage domestic downstream processing — a policy model India is studying for its own mineral wealth.
Critical minerals featured explicitly in the India-Indonesia and India-Australia agendas, reflecting the convergence of energy transition imperatives and strategic supply chain diversification.
- PM Modi's New Zealand visit ends a 40-year gap in Indian prime ministerial visits to the country.
- India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was established in 2018; being elevated further in 2026.
- Act East Policy launched as Look East Policy in 1991; rebranded in November 2014.
- SAGAR doctrine articulated in 2015; MAHASAGAR announced in 2025 during visit to Mauritius.
- IPOI (Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative) launched at East Asia Summit, 2019 — covers 7 pillars.
- Quad revived in 2017; elevated to leader-level in March 2021.
- India-ASEAN ties elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.
- Indonesia produces approximately 50% of global nickel output.
- India's National Critical Mineral Mission (2024) identified 30 critical minerals.
- 2026–2027 declared "Tagore-Dewantara Year" by India and Indonesia, marking Tagore's 1927 Indonesia visit centenary.