Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist March 2019

SPECIAL REPORT democracy, stopping nuclear proliferation to other states and terrorists, and thwarting the domination of Asia by China. But the most important strategic concern emanates from the growing Chinese military assertiveness. The growing aggressive power of China and the question of USA’s historical security commitments in the Indo-Paciﬁ c region have pushed major countries in the region to form various strategic units. Consequently, India and Australia have sought to elevate their partnership in security and defence arena. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia resulted in an India-Indonesia Strategic Partnership which along with India- Australia-Indonesia strategic partnership and the US, India and Japan trilateral defence exercise are the new strategic units in the Indo-Paciﬁ c strategy. In addition, revival of the Quad consisting US, India, Japan and Australia, converging Australia-India security interests and a deepening and robust India- US strategic partnership dovetails with the larger strategic convergence which underpins a comprehensive India-Australia strategic partnership and an impactful Indo-Paciﬁ c strategy. The emerging trends in the Indo-Pacific and the maritime democracies converge on protecting the global commons, an open free trade, free navigation, the rules-based international order and preventing domination of the region by a single country. India-Australia relations are all set to strengthen further. India’s expanding economic, energy needs and strategic interests, and its big power ambition makes it imperative that it engages Australia, a major power in the Indo-Paciﬁ c region. To ensure that Australia continues to embark on its uninterrupted annual economic growth and businesses continue to ﬂ ourish and generate employment opportunities, Australia will need to engage with India as the next big market. Both nations have a lot to oﬀ er on a range of issues. The high-level meetings have reaﬃ rmed that both nations are no longer conﬁ ned to the periphery but have risen to the top tier of their economic and foreign policy priorities.  * The author is Adjunct Associate Professor at the National Asian Studies Centre of Institute for Governance & Policy Analysis at the University of Canberra and an Adjunct Faculty at University of New South Wales Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy. He is also deputy chair of the New Zealand Institute of International Aﬀ airs, Auckland. India-Australia relations are all set to strengthen further. India’s expanding economic, energy needs and strategic interests, and its big power ambition makes it imperative that it engages Australia, a major power in the Indo- Pacifi c region. 1 Visit to Australia by Mr Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India - Address to Members & Senators in HOR Chamber, 18 November 2014, http://parlview.aph.gov.au/mediaPlayer. php?videoID=243743&operation_ mode=parlview 2 For details on Indian economy, see Raghbendra Jha, Facets of India's Economy and Her Society Volume II (London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018) 3 Peter N. Varghese, An India Economy Strategy to 2035, Navigating from Potential to Delivery, A Report to the Australian Government, https://dfat.gov.au/geo/india/ ies/pdf/dfat-an-india-economic-strategy- to-2035.pdf 4 Ashok Sharma, “Australia Poised for an Enhanced Partnership with India”, Australian Outlook, 18 July 2018, http://www. internationalaﬀ airs.org.au/australianoutlook/ australia-poised-for-enhanced-partnership- with-india/ 5 Xuchun Liu , “Australia’s Chinese and Indian Business Diasporas: Demographic Characteristics and Engagement in Business, Trade and Investment” A consultancy report for Securing Australia’s Future Project (SAF11) Australia’s Diaspora Advantage; Realising the potential for building transnational business networks with Asia, 2016, https://acola.org.au/ wp/PDF/SAF11/Liu%20Xuchun.pdf 6 Ashok Sharma, Indian lobbying and its Infl uence in US Decision Making: Post-Cold War (New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2017) 7 Sharma, “Australia Poised for an Enhanced Partnership with India”, n. 4. 8 Ramesh Thakur and Ashok Sharma, “India in Australia’s Strategic Framing in the Indo-Pacifi c”, Strategic Analysis VOL. 42, No. 2 (2018), P. 69-83. Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 3 • March 2019, Noida • 25

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