India and Australia on Thursday launched the Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS), a new bilateral framework that will replace their 2020 cyber cooperation arrangement. The announcement came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia.
What is PACTS?
According to the joint framework, PACTS will guide cooperation between the two countries on cybersecurity, emerging technologies and supply chains. It seeks to support India and Australia’s “shared interest in national and regional security, empower our partners with greater digital choices, make critical supply chains more resilient, and strengthen global cyber resilience”.
It adds that “safety, security, resilience, inclusivity for all, and shared democratic values will be built into every stage” of the partnership.
What does it include?
PACTS is built around five areas of cooperation:
-
Supply chain resilience: The two countries will work on trusted technology supply chains, semiconductor collaboration, critical minerals, undersea cable security and trade diversification. -
Critical technologies: The partnership covers artificial intelligence, space technologies, telecommunications, biotechnology and advanced materials. It also includes research collaboration and work on international standards for safe and secure AI. -
Cybersecurity: India and Australia will cooperate on tackling cybercrime, protecting critical infrastructure, strengthening cyber diplomacy, expanding cybersecurity investments and building cyber skills. -
Digital resilience: Both countries will promote India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model across the Indo-Pacific and work on digital solutions for sectors such as health, education, clean energy and connectivity. -
Defence research collaboration: The framework provides for joint defence science research, innovation partnerships, collaboration between defence research organisations and work on maritime technologies.
What was the 2020 framework that PACTS replaces?
The earlier India-Australia cyber cooperation framework was signed in June 2020 by the foreign ministers of both countries under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
It focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in cybersecurity through a 2020–2025 Plan of Action, protecting critical information infrastructure, promoting the secure and ethical development and use of critical and emerging technologies, and supporting joint research initiatives, including the Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership.
The new framework states that the two countries have built their partnership under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the 2020 framework and “two decades of collaborative research, operational coordination and policy engagement”.
PACTS succeeds and replaces the 2020 arrangement by expanding cooperation to include supply chains, digital resilience and defence research alongside cyber and critical technologies.
Why does it matter for India?
The framework gives India a broader platform to work with Australia on technologies and supply chains that have become increasingly important for economic and national security.
The Ministry of External Affairs says that for India, the partnership creates collaboration opportunities in AI, semiconductors, critical minerals, space technologies and digital public infrastructure.
It also provides a structured mechanism for joint research, investment, standards development and technology partnerships across government, academia and industry, the ministry said.
The document states that the partnership will support government-to-government cooperation, encourage two-way investment in new technologies and help translate intellectual property into products that contribute to economic growth.
It further establishes an annual review mechanism under senior officials from both countries to identify new projects and assess emerging cyber and technology risks.
