Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed thousands of Indian-Australians at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, describing the group as essential to the bilateral relationship with India. Speaking at the Melbourne Meets Modi event on 9 July 2026 in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Albanese called the community a living link between the two countries. He noted that Australia is stronger because of their presence and praised the positive atmosphere as a sign of the partnership’s vitality. The gathering coincided with the Australia-India Annual Leaders’ Summit, which produced several major agreements during Modi’s three-day visit.
Albanese referred to Modi as a true friend of Australia and expressed honour in hosting him. He portrayed both nations as great democracies and multicultural societies bound by shared values and people-to-people connections. Albanese credited more than one million Australians of Indian origin with strengthening the economy, society and multicultural fabric. He highlighted their roles in healthcare, information technology and small business, as well as the contribution of Indian students to education, especially in Victoria. He also mentioned Victoria’s Deakin University as the first foreign institution to open a campus in India.
The event was the largest single gathering of Indian-Australians in the country’s history. It followed an Australian Federal Police warning about an online threat to Modi that was assessed as posing no credible risk. Albanese recalled his 2023 visit to India, including a chariot lap at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, and compared the warmth felt then to the mood in Melbourne.
The three-day visit yielded outcomes including a uranium supply deal, the PACTS technology partnership, a Critical Minerals Corridor, a Defence Innovation Corridor and accelerated CECA trade talks. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan also spoke at the event about the significance of the relationship.
