Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday described the nearly one million-strong Indian community in Australia as a “living bridge” between the two countries, praising its role in strengthening bilateral ties while calling on members of the diaspora to contribute their ideas, expertise and innovation towards India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Addressing a packed community gathering at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium during his visit to Australia, Modi highlighted India’s transformation over the past decade, ranging from digital governance and advanced manufacturing to space exploration, startup innovation and infrastructure development. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined the event in a special gesture, underscoring the growing importance of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the contribution of the Indian diaspora.
Opening his address by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land, Modi thanked the Indian community for the warm welcome and expressed appreciation to Albanese for his unwavering commitment to India-Australia ties and the welfare of the Indian diaspora.
“This show is houseful—it is a blockbuster,” Modi said as he asked the audience to switch on the flashlights on their mobile phones to honour Albanese and the Premier of Victoria.
Recalling his earlier visits to Australia, Modi noted that his 2014 visit came after a 28-year gap since an Indian Prime Minister had travelled to the country.
“Over the past 12 years, this is my third visit to Australia. This is a hat-trick. It reflects the great heights that India-Australia relations have reached. And do you know who deserves the greatest credit for this? Not Modi—it is all of you, the Indian diaspora,” he said.
The Prime Minister further said that the Indian community had successfully integrated into Australian society while preserving its cultural identity. “They say Melbourne lets you experience four seasons in a single day. But the Indian community has made this city even more vibrant with the colours of Indian culture,” he said, adding that Indian neighbourhoods, markets, festivals, religious gatherings and cultural activities had enriched Australia’s multicultural fabric.
Describing overseas Indians as ambassadors of Indian values, Modi said, “Just as sugar dissolves into milk and makes it sweeter, Indians spread the sweetness of love wherever they go.”
He observed that while many members of the community had settled in Australia or were born there, their emotional and cultural links with India remained intact through family ties, traditions and daily interactions.
Highlighting the expanding educational partnership, Modi said thousands of Indian students were pursuing higher education in Australia, while Australian universities had begun establishing campuses in India.
He noted that campuses of Deakin University and the University of Wollongong were already operational and said the initiative would help produce globally skilled and innovative talent while further deepening bilateral cooperation in education, research and innovation.
Modi devoted a significant part of his address to outlining India’s economic and technological transformation under the vision of a developed India.
Calling “Grow More, Achieve More” the defining aspiration of contemporary India, he said the country was determined to become one of the world’s top three economies after already emerging as the fastest-growing major economy.
He cited India’s successful Chandrayaan mission to the Moon’s south pole, preparations for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission and plans to establish an indigenous space station as examples of the country’s growing scientific ambitions.
The Prime Minister said India had emerged as the world’s second-largest 5G market after completing one of the fastest rollouts globally, with services covering 99 per cent of districts, while work on indigenous 6G technology was progressing rapidly.
He also highlighted the expansion of metro rail networks to more than two dozen cities, the development of the Namo Bharat Rapid Rail and Vande Bharat train networks, and the growth of India’s manufacturing ecosystem through the Make in India initiative.
Referring to defence manufacturing, Modi said Indian-made defence platforms had gained increasing global credibility.
Mentioning Operation Sindoor, he said the strikes on terrorist camps had demonstrated India’s growing defence capabilities.
“You saw the demonstration during Operation Sindoor. The explosions were taking place at terrorist hideouts, but the impact echoed across the world,” he said.
He added that India was now creating an integrated manufacturing ecosystem “from chips to ships” to strengthen its industrial base.
The Prime Minister also highlighted what he described as citizen-centric governance driven by the principle of “Nagrik Devo Bhava” (Citizen First).
He pointed to reforms such as self-attestation of documents, the DigiLocker platform, digital health records and the eSanjeevani telemedicine platform as examples of governance becoming more accessible and technology-driven.
According to Modi, DigiLocker now has more than 700 million users storing over 8.5 billion documents, while the government’s eSanjeevani platform has facilitated more than 480 million teleconsultations through over 225,000 healthcare providers.
He also cited improvements in passport services, saying applications that once took weeks were now processed within days.
Emphasising India’s humanitarian approach, Modi said the country’s growing capabilities were benefiting not only its own citizens but also the wider international community.
Recalling relief operations in Venezuela following a devastating earthquake, as well as assistance extended to Türkiye, Syria, Myanmar and Sri Lanka after natural disasters, he said India had consistently responded to global crises without discrimination.
“When India extends help, it does not ask about anyone’s passport. It does not look at the colour of a passport. That is why the world places such trust in India,” he said.
Turning to sports, Modi described Australia as a global sporting powerhouse and highlighted India’s rapidly evolving sports ecosystem through initiatives such as the Khelo India Mission.
He said sports infrastructure was expanding even in remote areas, creating opportunities for young athletes, particularly women, while expressing confidence that sports cooperation between India and Australia would deepen further.
Modi noted that India would host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and was also bidding to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
The Prime Minister also praised the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, saying it had become the foundation for a broader expansion of India’s trade engagement across the world.
“India and Australia are not merely trading nations. We value innovation, science and technology,” he said, acknowledging Australia’s contributions to global innovation, including Wi-Fi, hearing implants, cervical cancer vaccines, flight black boxes and the secret ballot voting system.
Highlighting India’s innovation ecosystem, Modi said the country had established Atal Tinkering Labs in 10,000 schools and become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem with more than 200,000 registered startups and over 4,000 new startups being registered every month.
He said reforms had opened sectors such as defence and space to private participation, enabling Indian startups to enter advanced technology fields, including satellite launches.
Inviting greater participation from overseas Indians, Modi urged families to encourage children to take part in the sixth edition of the Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz, which familiarises members of the diaspora with India’s heritage and diversity.
He also encouraged participants to invite their Australian friends and classmates to join the competition, saying it would strengthen cultural understanding between the two countries.
Concluding his address, Modi said India-Australia relations had entered a new phase and urged the diaspora to continue serving as a dynamic force in strengthening the partnership.
“You have worked tirelessly to strengthen India-Australia relations. But your work is not over. In fact, your responsibilities are now even greater. A new phase of the India-Australia partnership is beginning. Continue to energise India-Australia relations. Keep hitting fours and sixes. Your success is the success of both India and Australia,” he said.
The event brought together members of the Indian community from across Australia, including students, professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, community leaders and representatives of cultural organisations, reflecting the deep people-to-people ties that underpin the growing strategic partnership between the two countries. Australia is home to around one million people of Indian origin.