The meetings
The CEO Forum
The meeting of the CEO Forum coincides with meetings of the Indian and Australian Prime Ministers and Trade Ministers.
2026 CEO Forum
The Business Council of Australia (BCA) convened the Australia-India CEO Forum in Melbourne on 9 July 2026, bringing together senior business leaders from both countries alongside Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP and the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advance one of Australia's most important economic partnerships. Since the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement entered into force in 2022, two-way trade has reached $50.2 billion, making India Australia’s fifth largest trading partner.
2026 Australia-India CEO Forum business delegation with Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP and the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The Prime Ministers addressed the CEO Forum and outlined their shared vision for the bilateral relationship. Co-chairs, AustralianSuper’s Chief Executive Paul Schroder and Mahindra Group’s Group CEO and Managing Director Dr Anish Shah, led discussions on opportunities across investment, infrastructure, tourism, education and skills, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, critical minerals and agritech. The Forum also highlighted the opportunities created by closer cooperation on Australian uranium and critical minerals to support India's expanding civil nuclear energy program and clean energy transition.
Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP and the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the CEO Forum
2026 Australia-India CEO Forum
On the sidelines of the Forum, the Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP, convened a roundtable on expanding Australia's education presence in India and strengthening research, innovation and industry partnerships. Building on this discussion, Chief Executive of the BCA Bran Black and Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Chandrajit Bannerjee signed a Statement of Collaboration to strengthen links between education and industry through work-integrated learning, internships and employment pathways, helping connect Australian-educated Indian graduates with Australian businesses operating in India.
L-R: The Hon Jason Clare MP, Bran Black, Chandrajit Bannerjee and the Hon Julian Hill MP with the signed Statement of Collaboration
L-R: Chandrajit Bannerjee, H.E. Philip Green OAM, the Hon Steve Dimopoulos MP and Bran Black at the welcome reception
The Forum commenced with a welcome reception hosted by the BCA, featuring addresses from Australia's High Commissioner to India, H.E. Philip Green OAM, the Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, the Hon Steve Dimopoulos MP, and other senior leaders, highlighting the importance of Victoria’s cultural and educational strengths to the bilateral relationship.
