From solidarity to strategy: Richard Marles' visit to India elevates India–Australia strategic ties amid Indo-Pacific uncertainty

Time of India

4 hours ago

Dr. Ashok Sharma is a Visiting Fellow at the University of New South Wales Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy and is an Academic Fellow of the Australia-India Institute at the University of Melbourne. His recent roles include Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University in the Department of Strategic & Defence Studies within the Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Canberra. There, he was the Head of the 'South Asia Strategic, State Fragile and Security Program' and Conjoint Head of the 'Indo-Pacific Strategic Issues and Major Powers Studies' at the National Asian Security Studies Centre. An alumnus of both Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University, Dr. Sharma's academic journey includes Faculty, Fellow, and Honorary positions at the Australian National University, the University of Melbourne, the University of Auckland, and Victoria University of Wellington, as well as the University of Delhi. Notably, he served as the Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Auckland Branch, from February 2012 to June 2022. Dr. Sharma, one of the leading voices in the global affairs and security studies, is also the accomplished author of significant works including book titled India's Pursuit of Energy Security: Domestic Measures, Foreign Policy and Geopolitics and Indian Lobbying and its Influence in US Decision Making: Post-Cold War. LESS ... MORE
In the backdrop of the brutal Pahalgam terrorist attack and the growing instability across the Indo-Pacific, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles' June 2025 visit to India has emerged as a significant reaffirmation of India–Australia strategic ties. At a time when the region is grappling with escalating security threats and strategic ambiguities—particularly regarding the unpredictability of the United States' posture towards China—Marles' presence in New Delhi sent a strong and timely message. It underscored Australia's determination not only to deepen its engagement with India but also to jointly shoulder the responsibility of maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific.
The timing of Marles' visit could not have been more politically and symbolically potent. Occurring just days after India conducted precision strikes in response to the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives, his presence was far from a routine diplomatic gesture. It was an act of solidarity. Marles met with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, and later Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In all three meetings, he made it unequivocally clear that Australia stood firmly with India in its fight against terrorism, condemning the Pahalgam attack in the strongest terms. Crucially, he lauded India's calibrated response, acknowledging New Delhi's sovereign right to self-defence while commending its strategic restraint—a nuanced formulation that reflected both support and shared democratic values.
Defence Minister Singh welcomed Australia's strong show of support and reiterated that the India–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership now constitutes one of the principal pillars of New Delhi's Indo-Pacific policy. Singh and Marles announced new initiatives to bolster bilateral defence-industrial cooperation, including a joint research programme on emerging defence technologies and enhanced collaboration between Indian and Australian small and medium-sized enterprises. This reflects a maturing relationship that has moved beyond symbolic military exercises and strategic dialogue into genuine co-development and capability-building. For India, striving to expand its indigenous defence manufacturing under the 'Make in India' programme, Australia's advanced defence-industrial base and innovation ecosystem provide both strategic synergy and long-term alignment.
Marles also participated in in-depth discussions on expanding maritime security cooperation. With both countries increasingly concerned about China's assertive activities across the South China Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Islands, the maritime domain has naturally emerged as a focal point for collaboration. Australia's recent gifting of a patrol boat to the Maldives—viewed as a strategic response to growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean—resonates with India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative. Marles' declaration that Australia seeks 'a free and open Indo-Pacific where no country is allowed to dominate by force or coercion' echoed India's own strategic lexicon, signalling a deeper convergence of geopolitical perspectives.
The broader regional environment lends further urgency to this strategic convergence. Although U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated Washington's Indo-Pacific commitment at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue, lingering doubts about American reliability persist. The advent of a second Trump presidency has unsettled many regional allies. Trump's transactional view of alliances and erratic approach to China—swinging between combative trade measures and abrupt conciliatory overtures—have contributed to an atmosphere of strategic uncertainty. Against this backdrop, India and Australia appear to be recalibrating their strategic postures. The emphasis is now on building robust bilateral mechanisms that can endure shifts in US foreign policy. This does not imply a sidelining of the Quad—of which both countries are founding members—but rather a determination to ensure that Indo-Pacific stability is not solely dependent on US leadership.
This is a pragmatic recalibration. As the Indo-Pacific becomes a contested geopolitical arena, marked by economic rivalry, military build-up, and cyber threats, mid-level powers such as India and Australia have little choice but to assume greater responsibility for regional order. Marles' visit represents a deliberate move in this direction. His statement that 'India and Australia are now not just partners, but stakeholders in the region's security architecture' was far more than diplomatic nicety—it was a reflection of the shared conviction that the time has come for responsible regional powers to act proactively, not reactively.
Meanwhile, trade and economic ties continue to gather momentum. Ongoing negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) aim to build on the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) signed in 2022. As global supply chains undergo strategic reconfiguration and nations seek to de-risk critical dependencies, the India–Australia economic corridor could emerge as a vital node in ensuring regional economic resilience. Additionally, both nations are cooperating on critical minerals—essential for clean energy transitions, semiconductors, and advanced defence systems. With Australia's rich mineral resources and India's burgeoning manufacturing sector, the complementarity is not only strategic but also timely.
The evolution of India–Australia relations over the past decade has been profound. What was once a cautious engagement based primarily on shared democratic values has transformed into a robust strategic partnership. Today, the two countries are at the forefront of regional security dialogues, conduct advanced military exercises such as AUSINDEX and AUSTRAHIND, and are operationalising logistics and refuelling agreements to enhance interoperability. Recent developments include joint naval patrols in the Indian Ocean, expanded information-sharing protocols, and collaboration on emerging defence technologies. The elevation of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and the growing engagement between defence industries underscore this momentum. Marles' visit was not merely a continuation of these efforts—it marked an inflection point, a shift to a phase where diplomacy, defence, economics, and innovation converge under a unified strategic vision.
In an era defined by growing instability, terrorism, and shifting power dynamics, the actions of India and Australia are both bold and necessary. Together, they are crafting a reliable, rules-based, and inclusive Indo-Pacific order—anchored not in confrontation, but in cooperation, deterrence, and shared capacity-building. The June 2025 visit of Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles thus marks yet another decisive milestone—signalling the transformation of the India–Australia partnership into a linchpin of Indo-Pacific strategy and a vital counterweight to coercive geopolitical manoeuvres.
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