Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Australia from 8 to 10 July 2026, with the two leaders set to meet in Melbourne for the Australia–India Annual Leaders’ Summit.
The visit will place Melbourne at the centre of one of Australia’s most important bilateral relationships, as both governments look to deepen cooperation across trade, defence, security, technology and people-to-people ties.
Mr Albanese said he was honoured to welcome Mr Modi to Australia, describing him as a friend and India as a critical partner.
Mr Albanese said,
“I am honoured to welcome my friend Prime Minister Modi to Australia for our Annual Leaders’ Summit.”
“The Australia-India relationship has never been more consequential, and our partnership fosters peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” He said.
“I look forward to strengthening Australia and India’s deep partnership.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said India, now described by Australia as the world’s fourth-largest and fastest-growing economy, remains a critical economic partner for Australia.
The relationship is underpinned by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which was elevated in 2020 and has since driven closer cooperation in defence, security, education, trade, critical minerals, clean energy, technology and regional issues.
The leaders last met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025, according to the Australian government statement.
Mr Modi’s Melbourne visit will also carry strong diaspora significance, with the Indian-Australian community expected to feature prominently during his time in Victoria.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said Mr Modi would travel to Australia from 8 to 10 July and hold bilateral discussions with Mr Albanese in Melbourne.
The Melbourne summit will follow previous annual meetings between the two leaders, including the first Australia-India Annual Summit in March 2023 and the second summit on the sidelines of the G20 in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024.
The summit is expected to focus on practical cooperation in sectors where both countries have growing strategic and economic interests, including defence, supply chains, technology, energy transition, skills and investment.
India is one of Australia’s most important Indo-Pacific partners, and the relationship has expanded rapidly over the past decade through trade agreements, defence exercises, education links and migration ties.
The two countries are also members of the Quad, alongside Japan and the United States, and share concerns about stability, maritime security and rules-based cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
For Australia, India represents a major market for education, resources, agriculture, technology and services.
For India, Australia is an important partner in energy, critical minerals, higher education, skills, clean technology and regional security.
The visit comes as Indian-Australian community groups prepare for Melbourne Meets Modi, a large community reception in honour of the Indian Prime Minister at Marvel Stadium on 9 July 2026.
Organisers have said gates for the community reception will open from 3.30 m, with registered attendees required to carry a digital pass and valid government-issued photo ID.
Mr Modi’s last major visit to Australia drew large diaspora crowds and significant political attention, reflecting the growing electoral, economic and cultural importance of the Indian-origin community in Australia.
The 2026 visit is expected to again highlight the strength of people-to-people ties, with Victoria home to one of the country’s largest Indian communities.
The Annual Leaders’ Summit in Melbourne will be watched closely by business leaders, universities, strategic policy experts and diaspora organisations, with both governments seeking to convert the warmth of the relationship into concrete outcomes.
For Mr Albanese, the visit offers an opportunity to reinforce Australia’s Indo-Pacific partnerships and deepen ties with a country central to the region’s economic and strategic future.
For Mr Modi, the trip will showcase India’s growing global influence and the importance New Delhi places on its relationship with Australia and the Indian diaspora.
The leaders are expected to use the summit to review progress under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and discuss new areas of cooperation that can deliver economic and security benefits for both countries.
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