The Missing Frontier in India–Australia Relations

India and Australia have moved closer over the past few years in ways that are easy to follow. Defence cooperation has expanded, trade agreements are in place, and areas such as critical minerals and technology now sit at the centre of the relationship. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in 2020 and the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement that came into force in 2022, have given the relationship institutional weight. From January 2026, all Indian exports now enter Australia duty-free, and bilateral trade has expanded steadily in recent years. Both governments speak with confidence about the Indo-Pacific, and the direction is clear. The geography behind it has not shifted in the same way.