Australian business and tourism leaders have expressed strong optimism following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the Australia CEO Forum, held in Melbourne on July 9, 2026. Industry officials highlighted significant collaboration opportunities between India and Australia, particularly in tourism, critical minerals, clean energy, and green gas.
PM Modi's Address at Australia CEO Forum
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Australia on Wednesday as part of the second leg of his three-nation visit. On Thursday, he joined Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the India-Australia CEO Forum and Economic Roadmap Business Reception, where he outlined a vision for enhanced bilateral ties.
Speaking to ANI, Peter Shelley, Managing Director of the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC), said the address underscored the immense potential for expanding tourism ties between India and Australia. "The biggest takeaway is the opportunity for Australia and India, especially in tourism," Shelley said. He added, "I think the interest is already very strong across many dimensions and in the tourism context we just keep seeing Indian tourism building and building all the time and we're really excited about that."
Opportunities in Critical Minerals and Clean Energy
Anil Advaney, Founder of Amore Advisory, noted that the discussions reflected a genuine intent from both nations to deepen economic collaboration. Reflecting on PM Modi's speech, he said, "We have a lot of opportunity in critical minerals, clean energy, green gas." Advaney emphasized that manufacturing will be a key driver of future cooperation, with significant scope for sector-specific investments between India and Australia. He stressed that the willingness to collaborate already exists on both sides, backed by strong enthusiasm from businesses across the two markets, but a clear roadmap and focused direction are needed to translate that intent into tangible partnerships and investments.
Roadmap for Bilateral Engagement
Viswanathan, Chair of the Make in India Focus Group at the Australia India Business Council, said Prime Minister Modi had laid out a clear roadmap for the next phase of bilateral engagement. Praising PM Modi for discussing nuclear programs and renewables, Viswanathan said, "I was particularly impressed how each state of India will be able to contribute to Australia's economic growth and by this collaboration in many sectors. So that is particularly very important to bilateral relations and he has set a tone for the future direction and the future level of engagement what is going to happen between Australia and India."
Tourism Growth Prospects
Robin Mack, Managing Director of Tourism Australia, said the Prime Minister's visit would further strengthen tourism cooperation between the two nations. "We see such growth in opportunities ahead for Indian visitors coming across to Australia. We have 450,000 visitors from India every year and we see future growth opportunities coming through future investment and future interest in having a holiday here," he added.
The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) and other industry bodies are optimistic that the momentum generated by the CEO Forum will lead to increased collaboration and investment, benefiting both economies.
