Modi Uses Indo-Pacific Tour to Expand India’s Strategic Footprint

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July 6–11, 2026 tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand produced a series of agreements spanning defense, civil nuclear energy, critical minerals and trade, reinforcing India’s effort to become a more consequential Indo-Pacific partner.

In Indonesia, New Delhi and Jakarta advanced defense cooperation through arrangements covering India’s BrahMos cruise-missile system and Astra air-to-air missiles, alongside initiatives involving maritime security, critical minerals and technology. The agreements give India another avenue to expand defense exports and deepen security ties in Southeast Asia.

Talks in Australia delivered an administrative arrangement enabling Australian uranium exports to India for peaceful civil-nuclear purposes. The two governments also broadened cooperation in critical minerals, energy, maritime security, technology and supply-chain resilience. In New Zealand, Modi and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon elevated bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, building on a free-trade agreement signed in April and discussions covering trade, maritime security, technology and people-to-people links.

The tour reflects a regional preference for diversified partnerships as governments manage China’s expanding military and economic influence while seeking greater clarity on the future scale of US engagement. It also highlights India’s balancing act: New Delhi is strengthening ties with like-minded partners while remaining economically dependent on China for important industrial inputs, including some rare-earth-related supply chains.