PM Modi Invites Australian Investors to Explore India’s ‘Unmatched’ Growth Opportunities, Pushes for Early CECA Deal

Melbourne, July 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invited Australian businesses to invest in India, highlighting the country’s strong economic growth, policy reforms and expanding innovation ecosystem. Addressing the Australia-India CEOs Forum and the Economic Roadmap Business event in Melbourne along with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Modi said India offers “unmatched opportunities” for growth and innovation. He urged Australian companies to explore investment opportunities in sectors including aviation, transport and logistics, financial services, critical minerals, technology, food processing, artificial intelligence, clean energy, semiconductors, electric vehicles and defence. “India offers unmatched opportunities for growth and innovation. I invited businesses to invest and innovate in India,” Modi said in a post on X. The Prime Minister also called for the early conclusion of the proposed India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), saying it would take bilateral trade and investment ties to a new level. Modi highlighted the growing economic partnership between the two countries, noting that the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) signed in 2022 has helped strengthen trade relations. He said India’s scale and Australia’s expertise create a “win-win proposition” and encouraged businesses from both nations to collaborate on global solutions in areas such as rare earths, lithium, batteries, electronics, EVs, semiconductors, AI and defence supply chains. The events were attended by more than 200 CEOs and business leaders from India and Australia. Modi also welcomed the increasing presence of Australian universities in India and stressed the importance of cooperation in higher education, research, innovation and skill development. India and Australia are currently negotiating CECA to build upon the foundation laid by ECTA. Bilateral trade in goods and services between the two countries stood at USD 24.1 billion in 2025-26, with Australia ranking as India’s 14th-largest trading partner. Modi arrived in Australia on Wednesday as part of his three-nation tour, after visiting Indonesia and before travelling to New Zealand.