India, Australia Pivot to Mission-Mode Tech Partnership

India and Australia on Tuesday agreed to expand and realign their science and technology collaboration towards mission-oriented, industry-integrated partnerships in critical and emerging technologies, signalling a new phase in bilateral innovation ties.

The decision followed talks between Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh and Australian Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy Dr. Andrew Charlton MP, who led a high-level delegation to New Delhi.

AISRF Marks 20 Years with New Strategic Focus

The Ministers reviewed progress under the Australia–India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF), which completes two decades in 2026. They welcomed the finalisation of five joint research projects under Round-16, reflecting a sharper alignment with clean energy transitions, supply chain resilience and advanced biotechnology priorities.

The newly approved projects span:

• Critical minerals processing

• Quantum technologies

• Advanced manufacturing

• Climate-resilient agriculture

• Cellular immunotherapy

The joint announcement of the Round-16 outcomes is expected to further strengthen applied research collaboration between the two countries.

Clean Energy, Quantum and Biotech in Focus

Three projects supported by India's Department of Science and Technology (DST) will focus on:

• High-value electronic waste recycling through photovoltaic panel reuse

• Green chemistry solutions for recovering critical minerals from batteries

• Adversarial resilience in quantum machine learning systems

Two projects backed by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) will advance:

• Engineering thermotolerant crops to enhance agricultural resilience

• Cellular immunotherapy solutions for viral infections in immunocompromised patients

The portfolio signals a growing emphasis on translational research linked to climate action, advanced computing and biotechnology.

India's Mission-Mode Innovation Strategy

Dr. Jitendra Singh outlined India's mission-driven approach in frontier domains, including advanced materials, quantum technologies, AI-enabled research, clean energy transitions and critical minerals.

He also highlighted the BioE3 policy, which seeks to position India as a globally competitive bio-economy hub, and stressed the need to embed industry participation to ensure research outcomes translate into scalable, commercially viable solutions.

$90 Million Fund, ₹140 Crore Support

Since its launch in 2006, AISRF has supported over 370 collaborative activities, including joint research projects, fellowships and workshops.

Australia committed AUD 90 million to the fund between 2006 and 2020 and has announced continued allocations for subsequent rounds. India's DST and DBT have collectively supported projects worth approximately ₹140 crore since inception.

The partnership has led to a threefold increase in joint publications, alongside technology demonstrators, patents and sustained researcher mobility between the two nations.

Expanding Cooperation in Space and Climate

The Ministers also explored expanding collaboration in space technologies, including:

• Earth observation for climate resilience and agriculture

• Disaster management applications

• Maritime domain awareness

• Space situational awareness

• Long-term sustainability of outer space

Both sides highlighted opportunities for deeper engagement between space agencies, research institutions and private enterprises across the entire space value chain.

Strengthening Research Mobility

To future-proof the partnership, India and Australia agreed to deepen two-way mobility through:

• Joint doctoral and postdoctoral programmes

• Industry-linked fellowships

• Co-supervision models

The goal is to build a next-generation innovation workforce capable of driving co-development and co-creation in the Indo-Pacific region.

From Collaboration to Co-Creation

The meeting underscored the growing centrality of science, technology and innovation in the broader India–Australia strategic relationship. Both countries signalled their intent to move beyond traditional cooperation models towards mission-oriented, impact-driven and industry-integrated innovation frameworks.

As AISRF approaches its 20-year milestone, the renewed focus on critical technologies, sustainable development and industrial translation marks a strategic shift in bilateral engagement — positioning India and Australia as key innovation partners in the Indo-Pacific.