The 17–25 September mission comes as the University of Western Australia (UWA) opens its Mumbai campus, making it the first Australian Group of Eight university to establish a campus in India.

Cook is scheduled to attend the opening and meet senior government, business and education representatives in Mumbai and Delhi to strengthen Western Australia’s economic partnership with India.

India is WA’s largest international student market, with more than 15,000 enrolments recorded last year.

The mission will also promote opportunities in investment, tourism and creative industries, including the new Perth Film Studios, alongside WA’s established strengths in mining and the energy transition.

A key priority for the Cook Government is establishing a direct air connection between Perth and India. Meetings with major Indian airlines are planned during the visit.

“My number one priority for future direct flights is to secure a connection between Perth and India.”

The Premier said India is among Western Australia’s largest trading partners and that closer relationships with both markets could support opportunities across mining, energy, defence, agriculture, education and tourism.

At the UWA Mumbai campus inauguration, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the establishment as a milestone for Mumbai and Maharashtra, highlighting opportunities for collaboration in areas including artificial intelligence, healthcare, clean energy, critical minerals and advanced manufacturing.

Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green also joined Cook and Fadnavis at the milestone event.

Fadnavis said the campus reflected Mumbai’s growing role as a global hub for knowledge, innovation, technology and talent, while creating new opportunities for students, researchers, startups and industry.

The UWA Mumbai campus is expected to strengthen academic and research links between India and Australia while expanding opportunities for collaboration between the university, Indian industry and Maharashtra’s education and innovation ecosystem.

Cook said face-to-face engagement with governments and businesses was important to strengthening WA’s long-term relationships with both markets.

“There is no substitute for sitting down with businesses and governments face-to-face,” Cook said, adding that the mission was aimed at creating WA jobs and business opportunities “now and for the future.”

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Western Australia Premier Roger Cook pushes for direct Perth–India flights as UWA opens Mumbai campus first appeared on The Australia Today.

Parmar, who came to Australia from India, is pursuing a PhD in Public Health at Western Sydney University while working with the university’s Health Equity across the Lifecourse (HEAL) Research Lab and teaching health science and public health students.

Her community-focused work has now earned her the 2026 Western Sydney University Unsung Hero Award, part of the annual ZEST Awards recognising contributions across Greater Western Sydney.

Parmar’s research focuses on health equity among culturally and linguistically diverse communities, particularly the barriers created by language, culture, health literacy and access to healthcare.

One recent study involving 309 Indian migrants with Type 2 diabetes in Greater Western Sydney found that more than two-thirds had low health literacy, while almost 69 per cent reported low medication adherence.

The findings reinforced Parmar’s belief that better health outcomes require culturally appropriate support and a deeper understanding of people’s lived experiences.

Parmar first studied at Western Sydney University in 2015, completing a Master of Public Health in 2017. After working in research and health-related roles, she returned in 2021 to begin her PhD.

Today, she combines research, teaching and community engagement, with a focus on turning evidence into practical solutions.

For Parmar, the award is recognition of work that often happens quietly — through conversations, trust-building and helping people navigate the healthcare system.

Her hope is that her work will ultimately be remembered not for a single paper or award, but for helping create more equitable and inclusive health outcomes.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Indian-origin PhD researcher Jinal Parmar wins Western Sydney ‘Unsung Hero’ Award for community health work first appeared on The Australia Today.

You’re standing in the skincare aisle and pimple patches are everywhere – clear ones, flesh-coloured ones, stars, hearts. They promise to flatten a pimple overnight.

Then there are those satisfying social media videos where someone peels off a pimple patch to reveal a much calmer-looking pimple underneath.

But do pimple patches actually work? And what are they really doing to your skin?

What’s a pimple?

A pimple forms when a hair follicle gets clogged with oil, dead skin cells and bacteria, causing inflammation, redness and sometimes a pus-filled head. You might also hear a pimple called a “spot” or a “zit” – these are just names for the same thing.

“Acne” is the name for the broader skin condition of getting pimples recurrently (along with blackheads and whiteheads), rather than a word for a single pimple.

In this article we’ll mostly stick to “pimple” for an individual lesion, and use “acne” only when we’re talking about the overall condition.

Pimples affect an estimated 20.5% of people worldwide at any one time, and up to 80–85% of adolescents. This makes it one of the most common skin conditions.

What are pimple patches?

Pimple patches look like a TikTok-era invention, but the underlying technology isn’t. They’re based on hydrocolloid dressings, which were developed decades ago for wound care. Then dermatologists began adapting them for skin conditions, such as acne.

Hydrocolloid patches caught on as a beauty product in South Korea almost 20 years ago before crossing into Western markets around 2012.

Today’s pimple patches are made from a hydrocolloid material – a gel-forming substance – which is often a blend of ingredients such as pectin, gelatin and carboxymethylcellulose. This bonds to a thin, flexible, waterproof outer layer.

The hydrocolloid absorbs moisture, so it can soak up fluid from a wound and hold it in place while the skin underneath heals.

On a pimple, the same process kicks in. Press the patch over a pimple with a visible head, and the hydrocolloid layer starts drawing fluid – pus, oil and dead skin cells – out of the pore and locking it into its gel matrix.

As the patch fills up, it turns white or cloudy, which is exactly what people are peeling off in those satisfying videos. The outer layer holds everything in place and keeps the area covered while this happens.

Pimple patches also act as a physical barrier. They cover the pimple, making it harder to pick, squeeze or touch it, which can otherwise introduce more bacteria and worsen the inflammation.

Some pimple patches are medicated, most commonly with salicylic acid. Others contain tea tree oil, niacinamide or benzoyl peroxide. Rather than simply drying out the pimple, these ingredients are meant to help exfoliate the skin, calm inflammation or target acne-causing bacteria.

You can buy pimple patches at supermarkets or pharmacies, typically for about A$6–20 a pack, depending on the brand and whether they’re medicated (medicated patches typically cost more than unmedicated ones).

Do they actually work?

A 2025 review found most evidence for hydrocolloid patches comes from wound care, not for pimples specifically.

Of the handful of studies on pimples, many are small and industry-funded that test the brands’ own patches. Often these studies are not “blinded”. This means either the researchers, participants or both knew if they were using pimple patches, which risks skewing the results.

So while the early results are promising, the evidence for pimple patches is still limited.

One manufacturer-funded trial of 41 people found applying a patch to a pimple that had already come to a head and been popped improved its appearance in a day.

Another small industry-funded study followed 37 people over ten days. In two days, pimples covered with the patches were 35% smaller and looked 44% less less inflamed, based on a combined visual assessment of size and redness. Untreated pimples showed little change. By day ten, the treated pimples were also less likely to develop post-inflammatory pigmentation (dark marks on your skin after a pimple heals).

Patches seem to work best on pimples that already have a visible white or yellow head. That’s because the pus sitting inside has already risen close to the skin’s surface, putting it within reach of the patch’s absorbent gel.

For the best results, apply to clean, dry skin and leave on for six to eight hours or overnight, swapping it once it turns cloudy and swollen. Afterwards, place your pimple patch in the bin.

Are they for me?

Pimple patches can be handy for the odd pimple. But they can only do so much, and they’re not for every pimple.

They don’t work well for deep, painful cystic pimples because the patch can’t reach inflammation that sits deeper in the skin.

People with darker skin tones may also need to be careful, as irritation can increase the risk of dark marks after a pimple heals. This can happen with any skin tone, but skin with more melanin tends to produce more pigment in response to inflammation or irritation, so the resulting dark marks are often more noticeable and slower to fade.

If you have sensitive skin or an allergy to adhesives, patches can cause redness, itching or a rash. Medicated patches containing ingredients such as salicylic acid can also be irritating.

My pimples aren’t getting better

If you’ve tried patches, cleansers and treatments for a few weeks and your pimples aren’t budging, it’s probably time to get some help. Likewise, if your pimples are deep, painful or starting to leave scars, don’t wait.

A GP can discuss your options, and if needed, refer you to a dermatologist to work out what’s driving your pimples and find a treatment.

Lisa Byrom, Associate Professor, Dermatology, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Do pimple patches actually work? Here’s what the science says first appeared on The Australia Today.

The institution-wide rollout will give students and staff secure and equitable access to the enterprise version of ChatGPT, alongside training and support to help them use AI critically, responsibly and effectively.

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President Prof. Mark Scott said the initiative was designed to ensure graduates were equipped for the changing world of work while giving researchers access to advanced AI tools.

“It’s our responsibility to graduate students who are well equipped for the modern world of work.”

The university said ChatGPT Edu would complement, rather than replace, its existing AI education platform Cogniti, which will remain the preferred classroom tool for educators.

The university is also maintaining its focus on academic integrity through its “two-lane” assessment approach. Students will continue to demonstrate their knowledge and capabilities through supervised assessments while using AI appropriately in open, unsupervised assessments.

Prof. Scott said the goal was to help students develop AI literacy alongside human capabilities including judgement, creativity, ethical awareness and adaptability.

“Free access to ChatGPT Edu, alongside other platforms including Cogniti, supports a level playing field for AI use.”

The university said ChatGPT Edu would allow students to collaborate on group learning activities, develop ideas, brainstorm, conduct advanced information analysis and ask questions while building practical AI skills.

Alongside the OpenAI agreement, the University of Sydney is establishing a $1 million AI Sustainability Research and Innovation Fund to investigate ways to understand, measure and reduce the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence.

The fund will draw on the university’s multidisciplinary research capabilities, including work across engineering, science, medicine and health, business, law and social sciences.

OpenAI Managing Director for APAC Kiran Mani said the university was making a significant investment in preparing students for the future.

The university said the ChatGPT Edu rollout would be staged, with additional capabilities introduced progressively. University data will not be used to train models, while pilots, focus groups and AI training will form part of the implementation.

The rollout will be guided by the University of Sydney’s Responsible AI Framework, which establishes principles and safeguards for the adoption and use of AI across the institution.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post University of Sydney gives all students and staff free ChatGPT Edu access in major AI push first appeared on The Australia Today.

Amit Shukla, Joint Secretary for Cyber Diplomacy at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, held a meeting with Jessica Hunter, Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, during his visit to Australia.

The officials discussed the longstanding India-Australia partnership in cyber and critical technologies and exchanged ideas on operationalising the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS).

Shukla also participated in an AI masterclass organised by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in Canberra, joining a panel examining artificial intelligence adoption across the Indo-Pacific.

The PACTS framework was launched on 9 July 2026 in Melbourne by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the third Australia-India Annual Summit.

The partnership succeeds and replaces the 2020 Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation, expanding bilateral cooperation to address emerging digital, economic and national security challenges.

Under PACTS, Australia and India aim to strengthen national and regional security, provide partners with greater digital choices, improve the resilience of critical supply chains and contribute to global cyber resilience.

The framework focuses on safety, security, resilience and inclusivity, while promoting shared democratic values and responsible technology development.

The two countries see cyber security, critical technologies and supply chains as increasingly important to economic growth, national security and the ability to shape global technology standards and norms.

The new partnership brings these areas under a broader strategic framework, with cooperation organised around five key pillars designed to deepen practical collaboration across the Indo-Pacific.

The latest discussions in Canberra come as India and Australia continue to expand their broader Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with technology, cyber security and supply-chain resilience emerging as important areas of bilateral cooperation.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Australia and India deepen cyber and critical technology partnership under new PACTS framework first appeared on The Australia Today.

Founded in 2011, the Australian company develops biological agricultural solutions designed to improve soil health, increase nutrient efficiency and strengthen crop resilience while helping farmers reduce their reliance on chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Converte Managing Director John Ridley said the company saw India as both a major commercial opportunity and a market where its products could make a meaningful difference.

“We got a bite straightaway in India,” Ridley said in a statement.

“We were introduced to 12 companies and ended up with two major partners.”

He said Indian corporations were particularly willing to put new agricultural products through field trials, helping Converte generate scientific evidence about how its products perform in different growing conditions.

Those initial partnerships resulted in 60 scientific trials, which Ridley described as “game changing”.

“Those studies would never have happened without the connections made through the Going Global initiative,” he said.

The company’s products are made using naturally sourced inputs including plant extracts, mineral chemistry and biological feeds. Its biostimulants are designed to improve nutrient absorption and support the health of seeds, soils, plants and livestock.

Ridley said the company’s focus extended beyond productivity.

“We are passionate about the health of the farm, the health of people working on the farm, and environmental outcomes.”

Converte’s expansion into India has not, however, been straightforward.

Despite promising trial results, commercial agreements took longer than initially expected, forcing the company to rethink its market-entry strategy.

The company subsequently strengthened its local presence by hiring a professional with extensive Indian market knowledge to develop commercial partnerships on the ground.

India’s changing fertiliser regulations and registration requirements have also created additional challenges, particularly for speciality fertilisers.

Converte responded by adapting its products, manufacturing processes and formulations to meet local requirements and price expectations.

“We’ve adapted our products where required to fit the market, meaning changes in our manufacturing and formulation,” Ridley said.

“We’ve had to make changes in line with price expectation as well.”

The company now works with six major Indian companies and is exploring additional manufacturing options in Australia to improve supply efficiency and reduce export distances amid rising freight costs.

Ridley is optimistic that one of Converte’s core products could receive Indian registration before the end of 2026.

He described the first registration as a potential turning point for the business. “The first registration will be a landmark for us,” he said.

“Once that’s registered, it just becomes a case of how much product are you sending each month.”

Converte believes the potential Indian market is considerably larger than its current sales pipeline suggests and is considering expanding its local workforce and manufacturing capacity as commercial opportunities grow.

The company’s expansion has been supported by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), including through government-funded Going Global initiatives and an Austrade-led AgTech Mission to India in August 2024.

The mission enabled Converte to meet senior government officials and participate in business-to-business engagements across Bengaluru, New Delhi and Lucknow.

The company’s experience comes as Australia and India deepen cooperation in agricultural technology. Austrade’s 2026 Australia–India AgTech Business Opportunities Report identified several areas where Australian capabilities align with Indian agricultural needs, including precision agriculture, agribiotechnology, climate-focused agtech and supply-chain innovation. (Austrade⁠)

Australia’s agrifood technology sector includes more than 2,500 enterprises, while agtech attracts around A$800 million in investment each year, according to Austrade. (Austrade International⁠)

Ridley said the relationship with India was increasingly becoming a two-way commercial opportunity.

“India is a long way ahead in terms of the adoption of biological products.”

Converte is also in discussions with Indian companies interested in entering the Australian market and is assisting with product registration where products and market demand align.

For Australian businesses considering India, Ridley urged companies to work with government agencies and trade networks to establish local connections.

“There is a demand for innovative Australian-made products that are scientifically backed and proven,” he said.

“You just have to be super resilient, super flexible and stick with it.”

Austrade says the Australia–India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement has created market-access opportunities for Australian businesses and gives Australian exporters a competitive advantage in expanding into India. (Austrade⁠)

For Converte, the next milestone could be the registration of its first major product in India — potentially opening the door to regular commercial sales and a much larger Australia–India agricultural technology partnership.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post ‘India is a long way ahead’: Australian agtech firm Converte eyes it as its next big growth market first appeared on The Australia Today.

The proposed change will form part of Labor’s long-awaited Digital Duty of Care framework, which is designed to shift responsibility for online harm away from individual users and place a proactive legal obligation on technology companies to identify, prevent and reduce foreseeable risks created by their platforms. An exposure draft is expected to be released this week, with the government working towards legislation later this year.

Under the proposal reported by the ABC, social media platforms would be required to regularly ask users, through pop-up messages, whether they want to continue using an algorithmically curated feed or instead see content from the people and accounts they have chosen to follow.

The change would amount to one of the most direct attempts yet by an Australian government to regulate the recommendation systems at the heart of platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube.

Algorithms determine which posts, videos and recommendations appear prominently in a user’s feed. Rather than simply displaying content chronologically, platforms analyse information including viewing behaviour, engagement patterns and other user data to predict what is most likely to keep a person watching, clicking or scrolling.

Those systems have increasingly become a political target because of concerns that content which provokes anger, fear, outrage or insecurity can attract greater engagement and therefore be repeatedly promoted.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously warned that algorithm-driven feeds can progressively expose users to more extreme material. In June, he said people could begin with relatively mainstream content and eventually find themselves being served extremist propaganda and calls for violence.

The government’s approach would not abolish personalised algorithms. Users who want algorithmically recommended content could keep it.

Instead, platforms would be required to provide a meaningful alternative, with users periodically reminded that they can switch away from personalised recommendations.

That distinction is already becoming one of the central political arguments surrounding the reform.

Campaigners including Teach Us Consent founder Chanel Contos have called for a stronger “opt-in” model, under which the algorithm would be switched off by default and users would have to actively choose to activate personalised recommendations.

Contos has argued that an opt-out system is an important first step but may not go far enough, particularly for teenagers beginning to use social media. Her Fix Our Feeds campaign says personalised algorithms should operate on the basis of informed choice rather than being automatically imposed when someone opens an account.

The Greens have also pushed for algorithms to become an opt-in choice.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young introduced the Online Safety Amendment (Fix Our Feeds) Bill 2026 into the Senate in April. Parliamentary records show the bill seeks to amend the Online Safety Act to give social media users the ability to opt out of recommended algorithmic content, while the Greens have publicly argued that personalised feeds should be off by default unless users choose them.

The government’s plans, however, extend far beyond the algorithm switch.

The proposed Digital Duty of Care represents a fundamental change in how Australia regulates online safety.

At present, much of the system relies on users reporting abusive, illegal or harmful material after it appears. Under the new framework, companies would instead be expected to assess potential harms before they occur and build systems to reduce those risks.

The government’s May policy paper said online providers would be required to maintain effective systems and processes that, as far as reasonably practicable, provide Australians with a safe online environment.

Platforms would also have obligations to prevent, monitor and address illegal content and material considered harmful to young people, while ensuring that platform features including artificial intelligence, recommendation algorithms and bot accounts are designed and operated safely.

Importantly, the duty is being designed around systemic failures rather than making platforms automatically responsible every time a harmful post appears.

The government says companies would not necessarily breach the law because of a single instance of harmful content. But repeated failures, widespread harmful material or an inadequate response to known risks could provide evidence that a company had failed its duty of care.

According to the ABC’s report on the latest draft, the reforms would require companies to take steps to prevent adults being exposed to illegal material, including illegal pornography.

For people under 18, the framework is expected to identify additional categories of psychosocial harm, with body image and bullying among the areas being considered.

The eSafety Commissioner would sit at the centre of the enforcement regime.

The government’s earlier policy paper proposed giving eSafety powers ranging from information-gathering notices and formal warnings to remedial directions, enforceable undertakings, audits, infringement notices and applications to courts for civil penalties.

The latest proposal would also reportedly allow the eSafety Commissioner and registered independent researchers to use so-called “sock puppet” accounts, including accounts posing as children, to examine what social media algorithms actually recommend to young users.

Such testing could allow regulators to assess a platform as an ordinary child would experience it, rather than relying solely on information provided by the technology companies themselves.

The government has previously acknowledged the importance of independent researchers being able to study how platforms operate, including potential access to data from high-risk services.

The financial consequences for companies that systematically ignore their obligations could also be substantial.

The ABC reports companies could face fines exceeding $100 million for breaches. The government’s May discussion paper had already indicated that penalties for serious and systemic breaches should be comparable with the largest penalties available under Australian competition law.

The reforms come less than a year after Australia introduced its world-first social media minimum age regime.

Since 10 December 2025, major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, Reddit and YouTube have been required to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts.

eSafety reported that platforms had removed, deactivated or restricted access to about 4.7 million accounts assessed as belonging to Australians under 16 by mid-January. The existing age-restriction regime can expose companies to penalties of up to $54.6 million where they fail to take reasonable steps to comply.

In March, the government tightened the rules defining which platforms are caught by the minimum-age regime, placing particular emphasis on features such as account-based recommendation algorithms, infinite scrolling, likes and other feedback systems, and disappearing or time-limited content.

The Digital Duty of Care would go considerably further.

The government’s consultation framework proposes applying the duty not only to conventional social media but to a wide section of the digital economy, potentially including messaging services, online games, dating services, pornography platforms, generative AI services, hosting providers, internet service providers, search engines, app stores and operating systems.

Communications Minister Anika Wells has repeatedly argued that online companies should be required to design safety into their products rather than responding only after people are harmed.

Earlier this year, while discussing online risks to children, Wells said the Digital Duty of Care would put the responsibility on digital companies to proactively protect users and ensure some of the world’s most powerful technology businesses were held accountable.

The Coalition has yet to settle its response to the latest proposal.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the Coalition wanted parents to have greater control over what their children see online but expressed concern that the legislation could become a mechanism for censorship.

“I am deeply sceptical,” Taylor said, while stressing the opposition had not yet seen the government’s proposal and would examine the details when they were released.

There have also been different views inside the Coalition.

Shadow Communications Minister Sarah Henderson has previously criticised what she described as the psychological manipulation of children through harmful algorithms, while Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson has argued that algorithms often reflect users’ existing interests and has warned against government intervention that could restrict legitimate opinions.

The debate is therefore likely to focus not simply on whether algorithms can cause harm, but on who should control them and how far government regulation should extend.

Supporters argue users currently have little genuine understanding of how recommendation systems influence what appears on their screens and that platforms have powerful financial incentives to maximise engagement.

Critics are likely to demand strong protections for freedom of expression and safeguards against governments or regulators determining which lawful opinions people can see.

The government’s framework says those concerns will have to be taken into account. Rules created under the Digital Duty of Care are proposed to be subject to parliamentary scrutiny and would need to address compatibility with human rights, including freedom of expression.

For Australians using social media, however, the most immediately visible reform could be surprisingly simple: a message appearing on their screen asking whether they want the algorithm to keep deciding what they see.

If the laws proceed, Australians who answer “no” could increasingly find their social media experience looking more like the internet of a decade ago — posts from people they deliberately chose to follow, rather than an endless stream selected by an algorithm designed to predict what will keep them scrolling.

That apparently small choice sits at the centre of a much larger battle over the future of social media: whether technology companies should remain free to decide what fills Australians’ feeds, or whether the final decision should belong to the user.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Australians could get an algorithm ‘off switch’ as federal government prepares new social media laws first appeared on The Australia Today.

The academy will be developed through a partnership between the Albanese Government, the Crisafulli Government and Central Queensland University, focusing on preparing high-achieving regional students for careers in medicine, nursing, paramedicine and allied health.

The Albanese Government is contributing $80 million towards the $95 million project.

The academy will be built at 550–554 Yaamba Road in Norman Gardens, next to Central Queensland University’s Rockhampton North campus.

Students in Years 10 to 12 will be able to undertake advanced health sciences studies while completing school and earn credit towards university health degrees through the academy’s partnership with CQUniversity.

The model is intended to give regional students a more direct pathway into health professions while allowing them to remain close to their families and communities.

The federal government says the project is aimed at strengthening the regional health workforce and increasing the number of doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals trained in Central Queensland.

Education Minister Jason Clare said securing the site was an important step towards delivering the academy.

“Securing this site is another important step towards making the Rockhampton Health Sciences Academy a reality,” Mr Clare said.

“This Academy will help more young people in Central Queensland become the doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health professionals the region needs.

“We’re putting in $80 million to help make that happen. And up to a quarter of a billion more to help more people from Central Queensland get a crack at uni.”

The federal government also has legislation before the Senate that could provide Central Queensland University with up to $260 million in additional funding over the next decade.

The government says that funding would expand access to university education across Central Queensland and help more students study closer to home.

Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said the academy formed part of broader Commonwealth investment in the region.

“The Albanese Government is delivering the infrastructure and facilities communities in Central Queensland need,” Ms King said.

“This health sciences academy is part of our landmark investment in Central Queensland, alongside the $7.2 billion being invested by the Albanese Government in the Bruce Highway safety upgrade.”

The project was also an election commitment of Queensland’s Crisafulli Government.

Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the academy would deliver benefits beyond the students who ultimately attend it.

“This was an election-commitment and we’re proud to be delivering it,” Mr Langbroek said.

“It’s a huge investment and an exciting prospect for the students who will attend the new academy, with even broader benefits for the region.”

Mr Langbroek said the academy would work with health providers, education leaders and tertiary institutions to prepare students for health careers and help address regional Queensland’s growing demand for workers.

The academy is expected to provide an accelerated education pathway for academically strong students interested in health-related professions, allowing them to begin university-level study while still completing secondary school.

Its location beside CQUniversity’s Rockhampton campus is intended to strengthen links between secondary schooling, university education and local health services.

Governments have increasingly focused on growing the health workforce outside major metropolitan areas as regional communities face ongoing challenges recruiting and retaining medical and allied health professionals.

The Rockhampton academy is scheduled to open to students in 2028.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Rockhampton academy to create new pathway into medicine, nursing and paramedicine first appeared on The Australia Today.

Dr Hansra, who continues to work as a doctor, has built a diverse career spanning general practice, digital health, telemedicine, health technology, entrepreneurship and angel investing.

She said the award was particularly meaningful as much of her work now extends beyond traditional clinical practice into the systems and technologies that shape what is possible in healthcare.

“Even though I still work as a ‘traditional’ doctor, a lot of my work now sits in digital health and working in the systems that shape what’s possible in a consult – long before anyone walks through the door,” Dr Hansra said.

“For a while I worried that was drifting away from what we know as medicine. I’ve come to realise it isn’t – it’s the same job, standing a bit further back from the bedside. And maybe even having a larger impact.”

Dr Hansra is also the founder of Creative Careers in Medicine (CCIM), a community supporting doctors and health professionals who are exploring career paths beyond traditional medical practice.

What began from her own uncertainty about moving beyond the conventional medical career pathway has grown into a community of more than 25,000 doctors.

CCIM advocates professional freedom and encourages health professionals to explore career paths aligned with their individual interests, ambitions and strengths.

Dr Hansra said the community had become a place where doctors could explore ideas and seek support while pursuing different professional directions.

“It’s now a tribe of more than 25,000 doctors, but it’s not the number that matters – it’s that people bring their half-formed ideas there before they’re ready to say them out loud anywhere else, and they feel supported and that they still belong.”

Dr Hansra is also involved with Australian Medical Angels, supporting healthcare innovation and investment.

She described the President’s Award as recognition not only of her own work but also of the communities, patients and colleagues who have contributed to her journey. “So this doesn’t feel like my award,” she said.

“It belongs to everyone who has built these two wonderful communities – CCIM and Australian Medical Angels – alongside me, and to the patients and colleagues who innovate alongside me and who’ve taught me most of what I know.”

Dr Hansra thanked AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen and congratulated the other recipients of the 2026 awards.

Her career highlights the increasingly diverse pathways available to Australian doctors, combining clinical practice with digital health, entrepreneurship, health technology and investment.

Dr Hansra studied medicine at the University of Newcastle before completing a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at James Cook University and a Global Executive MBA at the University of Sydney Business School. She is also a Certified Health Informatician Australasia and a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Informatics. Her further qualifications include the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Company Directors Course and an Australian Certificate of Civil Aviation Medicine from Monash University.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Dr Amandeep Hansra wins Australian Medical Association President’s Award for innovation and digital health leadership first appeared on The Australia Today.

Victoria University Assoc. Prof. Khandakar Ahmed and researcher Saima Rani spent two years developing a mental health narrative database and testing two AI models, PaLM 2 and AutoML.

Researchers selected 800 Reddit posts for detailed expert classification, with psychiatrist and University of Melbourne Honorary Assoc. Prof. Dr Manjula O’Connor helping identify the underlying mental health root causes.

The AI models were then tested on 50 previously unseen posts and compared with human assessments.

PaLM 2 matched human judgement in 80 per cent of cases, compared with 68 per cent for AutoML.

The study found PaLM 2 was more likely to consider emotional tone and broader narrative context, while AutoML relied more heavily on specific words and phrases.

Researchers say the technology could eventually support mental health screening and triage, patient onboarding, digital mental health services and the analysis of large-scale public health trends.

“Mental health is deeply personal, and every person has a different story behind their struggles,” Associate Professor Ahmed said.

“We wanted to explore whether AI could look beyond the symptoms and recognise some of the deeper themes people describe in their own words.”

Dr O’Connor said the approach could potentially help identify population-level changes in mental health and assist public health planning.

The peer-reviewed study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, also found that both AI models and human reviewers struggled with ambiguous mental health categories.

Researchers stressed that the technology has limitations and said future studies should use larger evaluation datasets and a broader range of experts.

The researchers said the findings do not suggest AI should replace clinicians, but could help process large volumes of unstructured information and identify patterns that may warrant closer attention.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Melbourne researchers spend two years training AI on one million Reddit posts to detect mental health concerns first appeared on The Australia Today.

Education Minister Jason Clare said the reforms were designed to address barriers preventing young Australians from entering and completing university.

“The Universities Accord set a target that by 2050, 80 per cent of the workforce will have a TAFE qualification or a university degree,” Clare said.

“The only way to do that is if we break down the barriers that stop so many young people from getting to university.”

“Talent is everywhere. It’s opportunity that’s not,” he added.

Clare said the reforms would give more young people from disadvantaged families and regional communities the opportunity to attend university.

The Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill will introduce managed growth funding and needs-based funding, with the Government saying the changes will create more opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and regional and remote communities.

The legislation is the seventh bill introduced by the Albanese Government as part of its implementation of the Universities Accord.

Under the managed growth model, universities will receive additional Commonwealth Supported Places as the higher education system expands. An additional 16,000 university places are expected to be added each year for the next three years, increasing to 19,000 additional places annually from 2030.

The Government estimates the changes will result in about 230,000 additional students commencing university over the next decade.

The Australian Tertiary Education Commission will be given responsibility for allocating Commonwealth Supported Places to universities and will have powers to direct additional places towards areas of greatest need.

The reforms will also effectively remove caps on places for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and those from regional and remote communities.

A second major component is needs-based funding, which the Government describes as a “Gonski for universities”.

Under the model, universities will receive additional funding as they enrol more students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, First Nations students and students at regional campuses.

The Government argues the approach will help more students study closer to home while supporting regional communities to develop their skilled workforce.

The funding impact could be significant for regional universities.

Charles Sturt University, which operates campuses across regional New South Wales including Wagga Wagga, Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo, Albury-Wodonga and Port Macquarie, could receive between $200 million and $500 million in additional funding over the next decade under the reforms.

In Queensland, Central Queensland University, with campuses including Townsville, Rockhampton, Mackay, Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone and Emerald, could receive up to $260 million in additional funding.

The Government says the two regional university examples could together deliver about three-quarters of a billion dollars in additional funding to regional communities, with further funding expected to flow to other regional universities.

The Government says the changes are intended to build a larger and more equitable higher education system while strengthening the workforce in regional Australia.

The legislation now moves to the Senate, where the Government will need to secure the numbers required for the reforms to become law.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Albanese Government passes $3.6bn university overhaul, targeting 230,000 domestic students over a decade first appeared on The Australia Today.

Schmidt made the comments at the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Summit, following the Albanese Government’s decision to terminate an ANU research partnership with China’s Shandong University.

He warned that while stronger research security was necessary, cutting international collaborations could carry significant risks for Australian universities and the nation’s research capacity.

“If we’re not at the table, we’re going to be left in the backyard,” Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson told the summit during a panel discussion on research security and international collaboration.

Thomson stressed that international partnerships were essential because Australia accounts for only about 3 per cent of global research and development, meaning 97 per cent of the world’s R&D takes place elsewhere.

She said Australia had developed world-leading research-security infrastructure but needed to remain engaged internationally if it wanted to maintain its position at the forefront of research and innovation.

The panel included Schmidt, a Distinguished Professor at ANU, and Australian Research Council chief executive Ute Roessner, with discussion ranging from research security and international collaboration to the chronic underfunding of university research.

Australia currently invests about 1.69 per cent of GDP in research and development, well below the 3 per cent target advocated by the sector.

The summit comes as the Federal Government pursues a broader overhaul of the higher education sector, including stronger regulatory powers, new funding arrangements and tougher research-security requirements.

Education Minister Jason Clare used the summit to outline a series of reforms flowing from the Universities Accord.

Clare said the first university compacts were expected to be finalised next month, setting out each institution’s domestic student load for next year.

The Australian Tertiary Education Commission will allocate about 36,000 additional Commonwealth-supported places, including about 20,000 places for universities currently over-enrolled and another 16,000 places across the higher education system.

The Government is also pursuing legislation aimed at expanding university access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and regional and remote communities.

Clare described the proposed needs-based funding model as effectively “Gonski for universities”, with additional funding intended to support tutoring, mentoring, scholarships, emergency grants and other assistance.

The Government is also expanding its paid placement scheme to 10 additional frontline health professions, including clinical psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, radiography, pharmacy, audiology, podiatry and paramedicine.

Clare said unpaid placements could create significant financial pressure for students, including those required to travel or maintain accommodation away from home.

Research security remains one of the most sensitive areas of the Government’s university reform agenda.

Clare said the Government had asked the higher education regulator to review threshold standards to ensure they adequately addressed emerging research-security challenges.

The Foreign Minister is also progressing legislation dealing with foreign arrangements, while Universities Australia and the Universities Foreign Interference Taskforce are working on stronger approaches to managing risks associated with researcher-to-researcher collaboration.

The Government’s decision to end the ANU-Shandong University arrangement has nevertheless raised concerns about the potential consequences for Australia’s international research networks.

Schmidt’s warning highlights the difficult balance facing universities: protecting sensitive research and national interests while ensuring Australian researchers remain connected to the global scientific community.

Clare also announced plans to give the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency stronger enforcement powers.

Under the proposed legislation, compliance with the Higher Education Standards Framework would become a condition of registration.

TEQSA would be able to direct universities and other providers to address non-compliance and impose fines for breaches.

Civil penalties would increase from about $40,000 to more than $2 million.

The reforms would also give TEQSA greater powers to address systemic risks, including racism, governance failures and other emerging threats.

Clare said the changes were intended to allow the regulator to intervene earlier while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on high-quality providers.

The legislation will also amend the Australian National University Act following advice from TEQSA.

Under the proposed changes, the ANU Council would have equal numbers of elected and ministerially appointed members and would be required to have appropriate expertise and representation, including financial expertise, gender diversity and First Nations representation.

The Chair of ANU’s Academic Board would also become an ex officio member of the Council.

Clare said the reforms were part of a broader effort to restore public confidence in Australian universities.

“I don’t like it when people say universities are overrated or friendless. It’s not true,” Clare told the summit.

He described universities as “the great hope for anyone seeking a better world” and said the Government wanted them to be “better too”.

The competing pressures around research security and international collaboration, however, are likely to remain a major issue for Australian universities as Canberra seeks to strengthen national-security safeguards without cutting Australia off from the global research community.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post ‘If we’re not at the table, we’re going to be left in the backyard’: Go8 warns as Albanese’s university reforms first appeared on The Australia Today.

Speaking in Castle Hill, Sydney, on Friday, Mr Albanese said 507,651 home batteries had been installed under the Federal Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program since July last year.

“Australia is a world leader when it comes to solar panels on people’s roofs,” Mr Albanese said.

“And now we’re going for gold when it comes to batteries.”

Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Australian households now had about 14 gigawatt hours of battery storage, compared with 9 gigawatt hours across the United States.

He said the program was also supporting thousands of jobs, with about 8,400 battery installers working across 2,000 firms.

Mr Bowen said the electorate of Mitchell, which includes Castle Hill, had recorded the highest battery take-up in NSW, with 6,958 batteries installed.

The press conference also saw Mr Albanese face renewed questions about his appearance on the Bush Deep comedy podcast, where remarks about Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Japanese melons have sparked political controversy.

Asked whether he knew the podcast host would ask him to play “Shag, Marry, Kill”, Mr Albanese said: “No.”

He was also asked whether discussing his wife’s sexual choices on a public podcast was respectful and appropriate.

“I’ve responded to those comments. I’ve responded on the podcast,” Mr Albanese said.

Asked whether Australians could rely on him to tell the truth, the Prime Minister replied: “Absolutely.”

Mr Albanese rejected suggestions that he had encouraged the podcast host’s sexual innuendo.

“You’re referring to her remarks, not mine,” he said.

The Prime Minister again defended Australia’s relationship with Japan, pointing to what he described as a “really positive and warm and convivial dinner” with Ms Takaichi at The Lodge.

The press conference also highlighted Mr Albanese’s broader message on multicultural Australia. “Modern Australia is multicultural,” he said.

“It’s a country with a Prime Minister called Albanese and a leader in the Senate called Wong.”

Mr Albanese said migrants and their descendants had helped build modern Australia and praised multicultural communities for establishing businesses and creating jobs.

“We’re enriched by our diversity in this country.”

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Prime Minister Albanese praises 500,000 home batteries as ‘great Australian story’ first appeared on The Australia Today.

Dr Simerdeep Dhillon, a senior research fellow at the University of Auckland, has been awarded a Senior Research Fellowship and a Project Grant from the Neurological Foundation.

The funding will support Dr Dhillon in establishing an independent research programme focused on improving outcomes for babies affected by brain injury, while the Project Grant will support research into new treatments for brain bleeds in premature infants.

“I was delighted and extremely grateful to receive the support of the Neurological Foundation,” Dr Dhillon told The Indian Weekender.

“Research of this scale relies on sustained funding support, and these grants provide an important opportunity to address questions that could improve outcomes for babies affected by brain injury.”

In New Zealand, about 173 babies born before 32 weeks of pregnancy are diagnosed with brain bleeds each year, according to Dr Dhillon.

Known medically as intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), the condition occurs when fragile blood vessels in the developing brain rupture.

While some babies recover, brain bleeds can trigger secondary injury and inflammation, increasing the risk of lifelong neurological complications, including cerebral palsy and cognitive, motor, visual and hearing impairments.

“There are currently no treatments that directly protect the brain after IVH,” Dr Dhillon said.

“Our research aims to better understand how injury develops after a brain bleed and to investigate new approaches that may reduce that damage.”

One part of the research will examine whether a drug already used clinically to treat iron overload could help protect the developing brain.

When blood breaks down following a brain bleed, excess iron can accumulate in the brain and contribute to inflammation and secondary injury.

Dr Dhillon and her team will investigate whether removing this excess iron could reduce damage and improve recovery.

The researchers will also examine new physiological warning signs that could help clinicians identify brain bleeds and subsequent injury earlier, potentially allowing treatment to begin sooner.

The research will use a sheep model that closely reflects aspects of human infant development to test potential treatments, including strategies involving the reduction of harmful iron and the use of growth factors to support brain repair.

Dr Dhillon said preclinical research was an essential step before any potential treatment could be tested in babies.

“This step allows us to understand how brain injury develops, identify the best treatment timing, and gather the evidence needed before moving into clinical trials,” she said.

The three-year research programme will focus on establishing the safety and effectiveness of potential interventions and determining the most effective treatment window.

“Over the next three years, we will investigate whether this clinically available drug can safely reduce brain injury after a brain bleed and determine the most effective treatment window,” Dr Dhillon said.

“We will also examine early warning signs that may help clinicians detect these injuries sooner.”

Born and schooled in India, Dr Dhillon moved to New Zealand to pursue a Bachelor of Science and later a Master of Biomedical Science at the University of Auckland.

She subsequently completed her PhD at the university, researching how brain injuries develop and progress in the developing brain.

Dr Dhillon said her interest in science began during childhood, when her parents encouraged curiosity and learning.

“Curiosity and learning were always encouraged in our family. My parents were incredibly supportive of us exploring our interests and asking questions about the world around us,” she said.

Some of her strongest childhood memories involve family trips during which her parents taught her about the natural environment.

“They would explain why different tree and crop species were grown in different regions and encourage us to identify animal footprints on our farmland,” she recalled.

Those experiences helped develop her fascination with how living things adapt to their surroundings.

“Looking back, that curiosity and enjoyment of understanding how things work played an important role in shaping my interest in science and research,” she said.

Her later fascination with fetal physiology and neuroscience led her towards research focused on how babies respond to challenges before and around birth and how the developing brain can adapt and recover following injury.

Dr Dhillon completed her PhD under the mentorship of Professors Laura Bennet and Alistair Gunn and Associate Professor Joanne Davidson.

She said working alongside researchers who have made significant contributions to newborn health reinforced her commitment to the field.

Dr Dhillon said the possibility of improving outcomes for babies and families was a key motivation behind her work.

“The possibility of contributing even a small step towards better outcomes for these babies is what drives my research,” she said.

She also emphasised the importance of collaboration in scientific research.

“Scientific progress comes from teamwork, and I am grateful to be part of a collaborative environment where people are committed to tackling challenging and important problems together.”

Although any potential treatment could take years to reach clinical trials, the researchers say the current phase is critical for building the evidence required to establish safety, effectiveness and appropriate treatment timing.

The ultimate goal is to generate evidence that can support future clinical studies and, eventually, contribute to more effective treatments for premature babies affected by brain bleeds.

“By building a strong scientific foundation now, we hope to support the development of treatments that can improve outcomes for New Zealand families in the years ahead,” Dr Dhillon said.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Indian-origin Dr Simerdeep Dhillon secures $470,000 to advance brain injury research for premature babies first appeared on The Australia Today.

The landmark standards, described by the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) as “world-leading”, will take effect from 17 August 2026 and apply across the on-demand delivery industry.

Under the new system, delivery workers will receive minimum safety-net rates ranging from $31.30 to $32 an hour, depending on the type of vehicle they use. The rates apply to “engaged time” while workers are performing delivery-related tasks.

The standards were developed following an application jointly pursued by the TWU and major delivery platforms Uber Eats and DoorDash, after negotiations over protections for gig workers.

The new framework is expected to apply beyond the two major platforms to other digital platforms providing on-demand food, drink and grocery delivery.

A key change is the introduction of minimum personal accident insurance. Delivery platforms will be required to arrange and pay for insurance providing a reasonable minimum level of cover for workers injured while performing their work.

Workers, however, will remain responsible for maintaining third-party insurance for vehicles used for deliveries. This means platforms will generally not be responsible for damage a worker causes to another vehicle in an accident.

The standards also introduce greater transparency around delivery offers, dispute-resolution processes and worker representation, while seeking to preserve the flexibility associated with app-based work.

TWU national secretary Michael Kaine described the decision as a major step forward for workers in the gig economy.

The FWC’s decision follows years of debate over whether gig workers should continue to be treated primarily as independent contractors or receive protections similar to employees.

The new framework uses the legal category of “employee-like” workers, created under Australia’s recent workplace relations reforms. The FWC has powers to establish minimum standards covering matters including payment, working time, insurance, consultation and representation.

The decision could have implications beyond Australia as governments and regulators in other countries grapple with how to regulate rapidly expanding gig-economy platforms while retaining flexibility for workers.

For Australian delivery workers, the changes represent the introduction of an enforceable income floor in an industry where earnings have traditionally varied according to individual deliveries, demand and platform payment structures.

The FWC’s decision follows extensive consultation with gig workers, unions, digital platforms and other stakeholders, including Amazon and Australia Post.

The new standards are expected to take effect nationally from 17 August, providing what the TWU, Uber Eats and DoorDash described as an industry-wide safety net while retaining the flexibility that has made app-based delivery work attractive to many workers.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Gig delivery workers in Australia win minimum $31.30 an hour and injury cover first appeared on The Australia Today.

The move comes against the backdrop of years of cooperation between NASA and ISRO. Their partnership includes NISAR, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar mission, a joint Earth-observation satellite launched by ISRO in 2025 after more than a decade of technical collaboration between the two agencies.

ISRO has also emerged as one of the world’s leading space agencies, with a string of landmark achievements. In 2023, Chandrayaan-3 made India the first country to successfully land in the Moon’s southern polar region and deploy a rover there, demonstrating capabilities directly relevant to NASA’s growing focus on the lunar South Pole. India’s Mangalyaan, meanwhile, made history by reaching Mars orbit on its very first attempt in 2014, making ISRO only the fourth space agency to successfully place a spacecraft in Martian orbit at the time.

ISRO has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to deliver complex missions at remarkable scale. In February 2017, its PSLV-C37 rocket launched 104 satellites in a single mission, a world record at the time. These achievements have helped establish India as a credible and increasingly influential space power.

The invitation opens the door to discussions on how ISRO could contribute its lunar expertise, technology and scientific capabilities to NASA’s Moon Base effort — potentially taking the India-US space partnership from joint missions on Earth and in orbit to humanity’s next major frontier: a sustained presence on the Moon.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post NASA invites ISRO to Moon Base as India-US space ties reach the final frontier first appeared on The Australia Today.

The consignment was sourced directly from Makhana growers in Bihar’s Darbhanga district. BIADA Industrial Area in Bihta, Bihar shipped it with APEDA’s support.

India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal described the shipment as a major achievement for Bihar’s agricultural export sector.

“For the first time, 18 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from Bihar was exported to Australia by sea route in collaboration with APEDA,” Goyal said.

He said the consignment, purchased directly from farmers in Darbhanga, provided them with around 18 per cent higher returns than prevailing market prices.

The shipment was flagged off by Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and involved state government officials, APEDA representatives, exporters, logistics providers and Makhana growers.

The consignment was exported by NIAD Green, with logistics support from Bihar-based startup Jitban Supply Chain Pvt Ltd. The company was selected as the operations and maintenance agency for an integrated irradiation and packhouse facility developed by the Bihar government at Bihta.

The facility includes irradiation capacity, cold storage, dry warehousing and an export packhouse, providing infrastructure to process and prepare agricultural products for international markets.

Jitban Supply Chain Director Vikash Kumar said the Australia shipment represented the culmination of a wider effort involving farmers, government agencies, research institutions, banks and logistics partners.

He said seven containers of Makhana were shipped to Australia following an order from the NIAD Group, with the product sourced directly from Bihar and packed to meet international retail requirements.

The initiative has also involved technical support from the Food Technology Division of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), which has been working with the Makhana sector since March 2025.

APEDA has supported the initiative through export facilitation, market development, capacity building and coordination with stakeholders.

Bihar is India’s largest Makhana-producing state, accounting for around 85 per cent of national production. The crop is particularly important to communities across the Mithila region, where cultivation, harvesting and processing provide livelihoods for thousands of families.

Makhana, also known as fox nut or the seed of Euryale ferox, is harvested from aquatic plants growing in ponds, wetlands and shallow water bodies. The seeds are roasted and traditionally processed to produce the white, crunchy kernels widely consumed in India.

The product has gained growing international attention as a plant-based snack and health food, while also retaining an important role in Indian religious and cultural traditions.

A separate Harmonised System (HS) code for Makhana came into effect in July 2025, helping improve the identification and tracking of the product in international trade.

During 2025–26, India exported more than 7,000 metric tonnes of Makhana and value-added Makhana products to more than 20 international destinations, including the United States, the Middle East and Africa.

The first sea shipment from Bihar to Australia is expected to further expand the international market for Mithila Makhana and strengthen direct links between farmers and overseas buyers.

Bihar authorities and APEDA are now looking to develop farmer cooperatives, Farmer Producer Companies and modern farm-gate popping and processing centres to support further exports.

The initiative also highlights the growing role of Bihar’s agricultural infrastructure and startups in taking traditional regional products into global markets.

With Australia becoming a new destination for GI-tagged Mithila Makhana, exporters and policymakers hope the shipment will pave the way for regular commercial exports and create higher-value opportunities for farmers across Bihar.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Australia opens new market for India’s GI-tagged Mithila Makhana first appeared on The Australia Today.

Growing competition in outer space provides India with a unique opportunity to shape a narrative in which collaboration, rather than confrontation, drives space exploration. Recognised as a trustworthy and cost-effective spacefaring nation, India is now well placed to transform its technological advances into enduring international partnerships that contribute to scientific progress, economic growth, and sustainable development.

India’s journey into space has been distinctive. Unlike many space programmes that emerged from Cold War rivalries, India’s programme was conceived as an instrument of national development. Dr Vikram Sarabhai anchored India’s space vision in practical applications that would improve the lives of ordinary people. Under his leadership, satellites were developed to strengthen communications, weather forecasting, disaster management, healthcare, agriculture and education. This development-oriented philosophy remains central to India’s space programme and resonates strongly with the needs of countries in the Global South, which seek practical applications of space technology rather than prestige alone.

Today, India’s achievements extend  beyond developmental applications. The Chandrayaan missions, the Mars Orbiter Mission, the Aditya-L1 solar observatory, and the forthcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme have established India as a nation capable of executing sophisticated and reliable space missions. Chandrayaan-3’s successful soft landing near the Moon’s south pole placed India among an exclusive group of space powers while demonstrating that world-class innovation can be achieved at comparatively modest cost.

India’s growing credibility comes at a time when the global space economy is expanding rapidly. Valued at over US$600 billion today and projected to approach US$1.8 trillion by 2035, the sector is increasingly driven by commercial activity in satellite communications, Earth observation, navigation, climate services, broadband connectivity, and emerging fields such as in-orbit servicing and lunar exploration. Many countries aspire to participate but lack indigenous capabilities. They seek dependable long-term partners rather than merely launch providers.

India possesses the capabilities to meet these requirements. The liberalisation of the space sector in 2020 transformed the ecosystem by opening it to private participation. The establishment of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the expanding commercial role of NewSpace India Limited, and the growth of private enterprises have created one of the world’s most dynamic emerging space ecosystems. Indian startups are developing launch vehicles, satellite platforms, geospatial applications and propulsion technologies that are attracting global investment and customers. Companies such as Skyroot Aerospace, Pixxel and Agnikul Cosmos have demonstrated that Indian private enterprise can compete internationally in advanced space technologies.

The next step is to internationalise this ecosystem.

Rather than positioning itself only as a low-cost launch destination, India will offer comprehensive partnerships encompassing satellite design, launch services, mission operations, ground stations, astronaut training, capacity building and downstream applications in agriculture, disaster management and maritime security. Such integrated partnerships would be valuable for countries across the Global South and the Indo-Pacific seeking affordable, customised and reliable technologies to meet their development priorities.

India has demonstrated the diplomatic value of such cooperation. Through the South Asia Satellite, it provided communication and developmental benefits to neighbouring countries. Indian launch vehicles have successfully placed hundreds of foreign satellites into orbit for governments, universities and commercial operators around the world. India’s decision to join the Artemis Accords reflects its willingness to participate in the peaceful exploration of the Moon through international collaboration. Cooperation with  NASA, the European Space Agency and JAXA has strengthened India’s scientific and technological capabilities.

These partnerships reinforce India’s standing as a leading voice of the Global South. India offers development partnerships based on affordability, reliability and mutual respect rather than creating technological dependence. Space cooperation has therefore become an increasingly important instrument of Indian diplomacy, strengthening bilateral relationships while delivering tangible developmental benefits.

To realise its full potential, India will aim to sustain the momentum of reform. Faster regulatory approvals, greater access to venture capital, stronger intellectual property protection, and closer collaboration among research institutions, industry and academia will be essential. Public procurement policies would continue supporting Indian startups, enabling them to scale up, innovate and integrate into global supply chains.

India is positioned to play a larger role in shaping the governance of outer space. Orbital congestion, space debris, responsible resource utilisation and equitable access to emerging space opportunities are becoming pressing international concerns. As space activities expand, there will be an increasing need for countries capable of building consensus on responsible norms and practices. India’s long-standing commitment to the peaceful uses of outer space, combined with its growing technological capabilities, equips it to contribute meaningfully to the development of rules that promote transparency, sustainability and equitable access.

The coming decade will determine not only which countries lead in space but also how space is governed. With its scientific capabilities, entrepreneurial ecosystem and international credibility, India is uniquely placed to bridge the gap between established and emerging space nations. By building collaborative partnerships founded on inclusivity, mutual benefit and innovation, India can transform its space programme into a major pillar of its global engagement.

In an increasingly divided world, India’s space sector offers a powerful reminder that the greatest achievements in space are those that bring nations together. That may well become India’s most enduring contribution to humanity’s next frontier.

Contributing Author: Gurjit Singh is a former Ambassador of India to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia, ASEAN and the African Union. He also served concurrently as Ambassador to Djibouti, IGAD and Timor-Leste. He has chaired the CII Business Task Force on Trilateral Cooperation in Africa, including the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor with Japan. He regularly comments on international affairs in the media and has written extensively on India-Africa and trilateral cooperation, with a particular focus on private-sector engagement.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post India looks beyond the launchpad to lead global space cooperation first appeared on The Australia Today.

Nicknamed “Slinky”, the engine was designed and manufactured by students from the University of Melbourne with support from researchers at CSIRO’s Lab22, Australia’s leading additive manufacturing innovation centre.

The breakthrough came through the University of Melbourne Aerospace and Rocket Engineering Society (ARES) Capstone Project, where a three-member student team developed a regeneratively cooled liquid bipropellant rocket engine — a technology normally associated with professional aerospace programmes.

The engine was created by Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Masters students Jack Gardiner, Brooke Doolan and Stuart Davis, who worked alongside Lab22 engineers to develop a design featuring tiny internal cooling channels built directly into the combustion chamber wall.

Senior CSIRO research scientist Dr Cherry Chen said traditional rocket engines rely on complex external pipe systems for cooling, but 3D printing has enabled engineers to create cooling channels inside the engine itself.

“Now using 3D printing, we can build channels inside the combustion chamber wall, which improve the cooling efficiency.”

The engine was manufactured using a copper alloy selected for its high thermal conductivity and ability to withstand extreme heat conditions. The component was produced at CSIRO’s Lab22 facility in Clayton, Victoria, using a Nikon SLM Solutions 280 2MA laser powder bed fusion system supported by the iLAuNCH Trailblazer programme.

The student team transported Slinky to the United Kingdom to compete at Race2Space, one of the world’s leading student rocketry competitions.

Weighing about 6 kilograms and roughly the size of a large pineapple, the engine completed five successful hot-fire tests in a single day, including throttling demonstrations.

The engine achieved a maximum thrust of 5.4 kilonewtons — comparable to a small lunar lander engine — and won the LOX bipropellant category against an international field of competitors.

Team member Stuart Davis said the achievement demonstrated the potential of combining computational engineering with advanced manufacturing.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be at the cutting edge of computational engineering and demonstrating the results that its integration can achieve.”

Prof. Richard Sandberg, Chair and Professor of Computational Mechanics at the University of Melbourne, said the project showed how emerging technologies could accelerate engineering innovation.

“This rapid concept-to-test approach will speed up development cycles in engineering, helping to innovate and bring down cost.”

The achievement marks the first time an Australian student team has successfully fired a regeneratively cooled liquid rocket engine at Race2Space.

Dr Chen said the project highlighted the growing capabilities of Australian engineering talent and the role of advanced manufacturing in future aerospace development.

“We are incredibly proud of Jack, Brooke, and Stuart for pushing boundaries and demonstrating what Australian engineering talent can accomplish.”

Brooke Doolan said the success represented a major milestone for ARES Rocketry and could pave the way for more advanced propulsion projects.

“It opens the door to more complex propulsion design and manufacturing, with hopes to integrate Slinky into a future rocket and drive the next generation of propulsion development at the university.”

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Australian students make history with 3D-printed rocket engine ‘Slinky’, win global aerospace competition first appeared on The Australia Today.

As per AFR, the plan, known internally as Project iQ, involves discussions with global consulting giant Accenture and could see parts of Qantas’ marketing, finance, human resources and other back-office functions shifted offshore.

Qantas confirmed it was in early-stage discussions with Accenture but said no final decision had been made.

“Like all organisations, Qantas has been looking at ways to accelerate the use of technology and AI to help us modernise the way we work and deliver better outcomes for our customers and our people,” a Qantas spokesperson said.

“We have been exploring partnerships that have the capability to support us and are in early-stage discussions with Accenture, but no formal agreement is in place and no decisions have been made.”

The potential restructuring comes as Qantas increases its reliance on AI and automation to improve efficiency, reduce costs and modernise operations.

The project is being led by Qantas Chief Technology, AI and Transformation Officer Rachel Yangoyan, with involvement from Chief Executive Vanessa Hudson and senior executives.

The possible offshore move has triggered concern from the Australian Services Union (ASU), which represents many corporate workers.

ASU Assistant National Secretary Scott Cowen said the union was worried about the impact on Australian employees and urged Qantas to honour commitments regarding local jobs.

“Qantas has informed that there is no plan to offshore any Australian jobs, and we demand the airline stay true to these commitments,” Cowen said.

“The premium service Qantas passengers expect is built on the expertise of our members, not the efficiency of an algorithm.”

The union said replacing skilled Australian workers with offshore arrangements and AI-based systems could affect service quality and operational knowledge.

As per reports, Qantas said the use of technology was not solely focused on reducing staff numbers, highlighting its investment in Australian operational roles.

The airline said it had added thousands of jobs in Australia in recent years, including pilots and engineers, and expected to continue hiring across operational areas.

Chief Executive Vanessa Hudson has previously said AI could deliver significant benefits across aviation, including improving aircraft maintenance, customer experience and operational performance.

“I don’t think it’s the right thing to only think about the value that AI can give is only through headcount reduction,” Ms Hudson said previously.

The potential Qantas move follows similar decisions by other major Australian companies exploring offshore operations.

Retail giant Woolworths Group has considered moving some corporate functions overseas, while Officeworks has announced plans to shift some customer service roles to India and the Philippines.

Telstra has also entered a major technology partnership with Accenture aimed at accelerating digital transformation and accessing AI capabilities.

As per reports, a final decision on Project iQ, including the number of roles potentially affected, is expected later this year.

Qantas said it remained committed to supporting Australian employment while using technology to improve productivity and customer outcomes.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Qantas exploring outsourcing up to 1,000 jobs to India in AI-driven overhaul first appeared on The Australia Today.

“What a wonderful day with students at Rao Balram Public School: so much energy and optimism!” McCaffrey said.

“Happy to launch a new Robotics STEM Lab, funded by Australia and set up by our partner India STEM. Investing in young minds today will deliver innovators tomorrow.”

The new laboratory has been established through Australian funding in partnership with the India STEM Foundation, as part of efforts to expand access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in India.

The initiative aligns with the India STEM Foundation’s mission to democratise STEM education by providing schools with free STEM Innovation Kits designed to encourage hands-on learning, robotics and coding.

Each eligible school receives a STEM Innovation Kit featuring Arduino Uno and Nano microcontrollers, ultrasonic and infrared sensors, servo and DC motors, breadboards, jumper wires and other components that enable students to design, build and test robotic solutions.

The program particularly targets schools that do not already have robotics laboratories, STEM facilities or Atal Tinkering Labs, helping bridge gaps in access to technology-driven education.

Students are encouraged to apply their skills through the World Robot Olympiad (WRO), with participating schools receiving one complimentary team entry in the Future Innovators category. This year’s theme, “The Future of Robots,” challenges students to develop robotic solutions for real-world problems.

The initiative also supports teachers through certified STEM training programs, with schools whose educators complete India STEM Foundation certification receiving preference for future opportunities.

By combining robotics, innovation and experiential learning, the project also supports the goals of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises critical thinking, creativity and technology-enabled education.

The Australia-funded robotics lab is expected to help students develop practical problem-solving skills while strengthening educational collaboration between Australia and India.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Australia backs new robotics STEM lab for Delhi students to inspire future innovators first appeared on The Australia Today.

The proposed refinery, to be developed by Perdaman in Karratha, is expected to create thousands of jobs, boost regional manufacturing and improve domestic supplies of diesel and other transport fuels, particularly for Western Australia’s regional communities.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Western Australian Premier Roger Cook announced the initiative during a visit to Perdaman’s Project Ceres in Karratha, describing the proposal as a key part of Australia’s efforts to bolster energy sovereignty amid ongoing global geopolitical tensions.

Prime Minister Albanese said recent instability in the Middle East highlighted the importance of strengthening Australia’s domestic fuel production capability.

“The longer war in the Middle East goes on the greater the impact on Australia will be, and my Government will continue to do everything we can to shield Australia from the worst effects – and set us up for the future,” Albanese said.

“My Government’s working to advance Australia’s interests – not just in this crisis but going forward as well to ensure we can meet future challenges.”

The refinery proposal is the first project to be supported under the Albanese Government’s A$10 million feasibility program for new or expanded fuel refining capability and complements the Federal Government’s broader A$15 billion fuel security package.

Australia currently operates only two oil refineries—in Brisbane and Geelong—after four refineries closed under the former Coalition government.

If built, the Perdaman refinery would mark the country’s first new large-scale petroleum refinery in more than six decades and form part of both the Federal Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda and the Western Australian Government’s Made in WA strategy.

Perdaman‘s Founding Chairman and Managing Director Vikas Rambal has more than 30 years’ experience in business and a proven track record in delivering world-class businesses. Born in Delhi, India, Rambal qualified as a chemical engineer specialising in petrochemicals, spending his formative years at Bharat Petroleum (formerly Shell).

In 2023, Perdaman reached a major milestone with the commencement of construction of its Ceres Urea Plant in Karratha. The project is designed to use Australian natural gas to produce around 2.3 million tonnes of urea annually, supporting global food security while promoting sustainable agriculture and regional economic growth.

The Ceres project has received approximately A$475 million in government loans and is expected to create around 2,500 construction jobs and 200 permanent operational positions, while generating an estimated A$8.5 billion in public economic benefits.

Premier Roger Cook said expanding refining capacity would help secure fuel supplies for Western Australia’s economy and regional communities.

“This includes diesel to support the regional communities which drive WA’s economy and which have been most at risk amid this conflict,” Cook said.

“While many Western Australians remain anxious about our State’s fuel security, we are doing everything we can to address these concerns by working with the Commonwealth to provide steady and experienced leadership and continue delivering our Made in WA plan.”

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said expanding Australia’s sovereign refining capability was a prudent response to increasingly fragile global energy supply chains.

“At a time when overseas conflicts demonstrate the fragility of energy supply chains, investing in further onshore sovereign fuel refining capability is a sensible and prudent response to secure our energy security,” Bowen said.

The broader A$15 billion fuel security package includes the establishment of a government-owned Australian Fuel Security Reserve, expanded fuel and fertiliser storage infrastructure, increased minimum fuel stockholding obligations, temporary fuel excise relief and interest-free loans through the National Reconstruction Fund to strengthen critical manufacturing and logistics supply chains.

The governments said consultation on the refinery proposal would continue following completion of the pre-feasibility study, with the project expected to play a central role in Australia’s long-term energy resilience and manufacturing capability.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Indian-origin entrepreneur Vikas Rambal’s Perdaman at centre of Australia’s biggest refinery push in six decades first appeared on The Australia Today.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July visit to Australia, Burke said the traditional understanding of terrorism — based on organised cells, clear hierarchies and identifiable networks — was being replaced by a more complex threat landscape shaped by artificial intelligence and online platforms.

“Their powers, their capacity is about to be supercharged by artificial intelligence,” Burke said, warning that extremist organisations could now produce propaganda “quickly in multiple languages” and distribute content that appears authentic despite being false.

The minister said Australian security agencies were also confronting a new form of domestic radicalisation involving young people, often with little connection to traditional extremist networks.

“We have people now as young as 12 on our caseload,” Burke said, describing a growing challenge involving online gaming platforms and digital communities.

He explained that young users may build relationships with strangers through multiplayer gaming, voice chats and online communities, creating trust that can later be exploited for extremist purposes.

“Someone you’re talking to increasingly with AI will have the capacity to be a bot.”

Burke said authorities were seeing cases involving individuals influenced by a mixture of extremist ideologies that historically would have appeared incompatible.

He pointed to examples where ISIS-inspired beliefs were combined with neo-Nazi ideology, describing it as “mixed ideology, fast radicalisation” that challenges traditional counter-terrorism approaches.

The minister said terrorism was becoming increasingly transnational, with online platforms allowing extremist activity to cross borders.

Asked about cooperation with India following attacks including the Bondi Beach attack in Australia and the Pahalgam attack in India, Burke said some intelligence-sharing arrangements could not be discussed publicly.

“There’s elements of this that I’m not able to talk about… when we talk to our friends we’re also being listened to by our enemies.”

However, he confirmed Australia was establishing a new joint centre involving the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) focused specifically on combating online radicalisation.

Burke said artificial intelligence would also be part of Australia’s response, with authorities developing tools to detect and disrupt extremist activity online.

“Part of what we’ll be using is artificial intelligence as well,” he said, adding that such capabilities would be most effective when shared with trusted international partners.

Burke’s comments come as Australia and India deepen cooperation on technology, security and intelligence amid growing concerns about online extremism and foreign interference.

He said the changing threat environment required governments to adapt quickly, particularly as artificial intelligence lowered the barriers for extremist groups to produce content, communicate and influence vulnerable individuals.

Minister Burke also highlighted the importance of cooperation through partnerships such as the Quad, saying democratic countries needed to work together to protect sovereignty and security across the Indo-Pacific.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Home Affairs Minister warns extremists are using bots, gaming platforms to radicalise children in Australia first appeared on The Australia Today.

The mission, named “Aagaman”—a Sanskrit word meaning “arrival”—carried satellites to an altitude of approximately 450 kilometres. All four stages of the rocket performed as intended on the maiden flight, and satellite deployment was confirmed shortly after launch. A brief internal hold delayed the liftoff by a few minutes, but the mission proceeded without further issues.

Vikram-1 measures approximately 20 metres in height with a diameter of 1.7 metres. The rocket uses an all-carbon composite body, which reduces weight while maintaining structural integrity. Its engines incorporate 3D-printed components, and the vehicle relies on high-performance solid propellant across its stages. The rocket is designed to carry payloads of up to 350 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit, targeting the fast-growing small satellite market.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the Skyroot team following the launch. He praised the founders, stating they had “planted a new tree in space” and “strengthened a new root on the ground to inspire the next generation.” The rocket also carried symbolic items including a handwritten postcard from the Prime Minister with the words “Vande Mataram,” along with messages from ISRO scientists, Indian astronauts, and Skyroot employees.

Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka founded Skyroot Aerospace in 2018. Both are former ISRO scientists who left the government agency to pursue commercial spaceflight. Both hold engineering degrees and spent years working on propulsion and launch vehicle systems at ISRO before starting their venture. Their goal has been to reduce the cost and turnaround time for satellite launches, making space more accessible to commercial customers.

Skyroot previously broke new ground in November 2022 when its suborbital rocket, Vikram-S, became the first privately built rocket from India to reach space. The Vikram-1 orbital launch represents nearly eight years of development from the founding team.

Skyroot’s success rests on foundations laid by ISRO over decades. The Indian space agency holds several historic firsts. In 2014, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, known as Mangalyaan, successfully entered Martian orbit. This made India the first nation to reach Mars on its inaugural attempt and only the fourth space agency globally to reach the planet. In August 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s Vikram lander touched down near the lunar south pole, making India the first country to successfully land in that region of the Moon. In February 2017, ISRO’s PSLV-C37 mission deployed 104 satellites in a single launch, which set a world record at the time.

The agency’s LVM3 heavy-lift rocket has maintained a perfect success record across all its missions. In January 2025, ISRO’s SPADEX mission demonstrated autonomous spacecraft docking and undocking in orbit, making India the fourth nation to achieve this capability with indigenous technology.

Policy changes in recent years have enabled private companies like Skyroot to emerge. The Indian government opened the space sector to private participation, and ISRO has supported startups through access to testing facilities, technical guidance, and technology transfer agreements. Skyroot plans to conduct one or two additional demonstration flights before transitioning to fully commercial operations, with ambitions to eventually launch rockets on a monthly basis.

India’s space economy is projected to grow substantially in the coming years, with estimates suggesting it could reach $44 billion by 2033. Saturday’s launch marks the beginning of a new chapter in India’s space ambitions, with private enterprise now playing a central role alongside the government agency that built the country’s reputation in space.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Historic liftoff: India joins US and China in private space race with successful Skyroot Vikram-1 launch first appeared on The Australia Today.

Exercise Pitch Black 2026 will run from July 20 to August 7 across RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory and RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.

Up to 100 aircraft and more than 2,500 military personnel from 20 nations will participate in the Royal Australian Air Force’s premier air combat exercise, conducting increasingly demanding missions across northern Australia’s vast military training airspace.

The Indian contingent includes more than 120 Air Warriors supporting four Rafales and two C-17 aircraft.

The High Commission of India in Canberra said the Indian personnel would fly alongside participating air forces to improve interoperability, sharpen combat-flying skills and build stronger professional relationships.

“The High Commission of India is proud to welcome the Indian Air Force contingent,” it said, describing the deployment as an opportunity to build lasting bonds with participating nations.

India will join aircraft contingents from Australia, the United States, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Germany, France and Spain.

Personnel from New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, Brunei, Malaysia, Finland and Sweden will also be embedded in the exercise.

Pitch Black 2026 will mark the first participation of Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-35 Lightning II fighters and Indonesian T-50I Golden Eagle jets in the exercise. Finland and Sweden will also be represented by embedded personnel for the first time.

Exercise commander Air Commodore Matthew McCormack said Pitch Black was the Air Force’s largest collective training activity with Australia’s international partners and allies.

“It’s where we plan together, fight together and learn together through realistic and complex training scenarios,” Air Commodore McCormack said.

He said the exercise would build on lessons from the 2024 event and allow participating forces to train in an unusually large military airspace that can accommodate complex missions involving many aircraft.

Air Commodore McCormack said the training supported Australia’s National Defence Strategy by improving integration with partner forces and showing their shared commitment to regional security and prosperity.

Pitch Black is designed to test how aircraft, aircrew, mission planners, ground personnel and command teams from different countries operate together during combat-like scenarios.

Flying activity will become more demanding during the three-week exercise, requiring participating forces to coordinate aircraft with different capabilities, procedures and communication systems.

For the Indian Air Force, the deployment provides an opportunity to operate the Rafale alongside advanced aircraft including the F-35, while the two C-17s will support the movement of personnel, equipment and other operational requirements.

India’s participation also reflects the growing defence relationship between New Delhi and Canberra, with the two countries increasingly training together through bilateral and multinational exercises across the Indo-Pacific.

Exercise Pitch Black was first conducted from RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales in 1981 before moving to Darwin for the first time in 1983. It has been held mainly in the Northern Territory since then and has operated biennially since 1988, except for its cancellation in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2024 exercise was the largest Pitch Black held at the time, involving 140 aircraft and about 4,400 personnel from 20 nations. More than 1,700 missions were flown across an exercise area described by Defence as approximately the size of Great Britain.

This year’s event will conclude a period of sustained military flying across northern Australia that has also included Exercises Diamond Storm and Southern Cross.

The RAAF will hold two public events to recognise the support of the Northern Territory community.

The free Mindil Beach Flying Display will be held in Darwin from 5 pm to 6.30 pm on July 23, with military aircraft from Australia and participating countries expected to appear over the coastline.

RAAF Base Darwin will also hold an open day on August 1, giving members of the public an opportunity to see aircraft and military equipment and meet Australian and international personnel. Entry is free, although visitors must obtain tickets in advance and use designated bus transfers.

Air Commodore McCormack said support from the Northern Territory was central to the exercise’s success, allowing international personnel to experience Australia both in the air and on the ground.

For India’s 120-member contingent, the next three weeks will place its Rafale fighters and aircrew inside a multinational training environment aimed at improving how partner air forces plan, fly and respond together during demanding operations.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.

The post Indian Rafales join 100-aircraft force as Exercise Pitch Black returns to northern Australia first appeared on The Australia Today.