India and Australia pump $12.7 million into AI, quantum computing and robotics — renewing their cyber and critical technology partnership

• India and Australia have renewed their cooperation on cyber and cyber-enabled critical technologies.
• This includes everything from artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum computing.
• The four-year agreement includes a corpus of $12.7 million to fund research and development for Indian and Australian businesses.

India and Australia have signed a new ‘Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technologies Cooperation.’ This will include everything from artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum computing and robotics.

“Maybe the next time can have hologram of your excellency, here in Australia… You have always been a pioneer in the area of technology for India, and today is another good example of that,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the virtual summit interaction.

The new four-year agreement includes a corpus of $12.7 million to fund research and development for Indian and Australian businesses and researchers that will help both countries improve their cyber resilience.

“This is a grand portfolio of specific and very practical arrangements that give form and substance to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” said Morrison.


“Together, these measures will help shape a global technology environment that meets our shared vision of an open, free, rules-based Indo-Pacific region,” said Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marise Payne.

She explained that the cyber and critical technology partnership ties into the countries' endeavour to create a cyber-resilient Indo-Pacific region that is open, free and rules-based.

“They present significant opportunities for people, businesses and the broader economy, but also must be guided by international standards to ensure they do not present risk to security or prosperity,” Payne added.

The two countries also plan on exploring the possibility of launching the Indian RuPay Card in Australia.

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