To bolster bilateral relations, Australia announced a commitment to partner with India in the space sector. On Wednesday, Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green expressed Canberra’s eagerness to collaborate with New Delhi on various space projects, marking the signing of the first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two nations under this initiative.
High Commissioner Green highlighted Australia’s keen interest in supporting India’s space exploration efforts. He revealed that the Australian government has allocated a USD 18 million grant to fund joint India-Australia space projects.
“Here today we are saying that we are keen to be partners for India in its space journey. We’re already strategic and quad partners with India, and we want to do more with space, and my government is backing it,”
Green stated.
The first of three MoUs was signed, representing a crucial step in the collaborative space projects funded by the grant.
“Today we’re signing the first MOU of three that has been settled as a result of a USD 18 million grant from my government specifically for India-Australia space collaborations,”
Green added.
S. Somanath India’s Secretary for the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO said,
“Bringing down the cost of access to space is a global trend; space must inspire generations to innovate for the human race.”
Green emphasised the complementary skills that both nations bring to the table. He noted that Australia’s vast, sparsely populated continent offers unique advantages for space tracking due to its dark skies and advanced capabilities.
“We’re very excited about the Indian space sector, and we’re particularly excited about the fact that Australia has different and complementary skills,” Green said.
“We have great abilities in terms of space tracking.”
The Australian High Commissioner also extended congratulations to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his re-election and expressed anticipation for even closer cooperation in the future.
“We congratulate Modi and his government on re-election. We look forward to working even more closely as we go forward. There are three powerful drivers in our bilateral relationship: our new strategic alignment, the very strong complementarity between our economies, and what we call the human bridge, the more than a million people of Indian origin who now make Australia their home,” Green remarked.
Looking ahead, Green hinted at high-level visits between Australia and India to further solidify the partnership. “We’re planning visits. I’m not going to announce them to you today, but I can assure you there will be high-level visits by Australia and India to galvanise what is already a strong partnership,” he added.
This announcement follows the Australian Government’s funding declaration on April 30, supporting three collaborative space projects aimed at strengthening the space economy for both nations.
The projects will receive a total of AUD 18 million (Rs 98 crore) through the International Space Investment India (ISI) Projects program. Each project will involve multiple Australian and Indian partners, focusing on addressing climate change, boosting manufacturing, and advancing artificial intelligence, among other goals.
This collaboration between Australia and India marks a significant milestone in their relationship, emphasizing the shared commitment to innovation and the advancement of space technology. The partnership promises to yield substantial benefits for both countries, enhancing their capabilities and contributions to the global space community.
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