Menu

Subscribe Now! Get features like

australian prime minister visit india

  • Latest News
  • Entertainment
  • Real Estate
  • RR vs LSG live Score
  • Election Schedule 2024
  • IPL 2024 Schedule
  • Bihar Board Results
  • The Interview
  • Web Stories
  • IPL Points Table
  • IPL Purple Cap
  • IPL Orange Cap
  • Mumbai News
  • Bengaluru News
  • Daily Digest

HT

Australian PM's first India trip starts with Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad

The visit comes after a series of high-level engagements and an exchange of ministerial visits between the two sides in 2022 and in 2023..

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday visited the Sabarmati Ashram, a place closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, after arriving in Ahmedabad on his first India visit. He landed at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in the city and headed straight to the Ashram, the former home of Mahatma Gandhi and a place linked with India's freedom struggle.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the Sabarmati Ashram - a place closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi - after arriving in Ahmedabad on his first India visit(HT)

Also read: ‘Historic opportunity at time of extraordinary growth’: Albanese on India visit

Albanese, who is on a four-day trip to India, was welcomed at the airport by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who also accompanied the visiting leader during the Ashram tour.

The Australian leader will attend a Holi programme at Raj Bhavan later in the evening, as per schedule shared by authorities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive here at around 8 pm. Both the prime ministers will watch the first day of the fourth cricket Test match between India and Australia beginning at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday.

The visit comes after a series of high-level engagements and an exchange of ministerial visits between the two sides in 2022 and in 2023. The last visit by an Australian PM (Malcolm Turnbull) to India was in 2017.

  • Anthony Albanese

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like.

australian prime minister visit india

  • Terms of use
  • Privacy policy
  • Weather Today
  • HT Newsletters
  • Subscription
  • Print Ad Rates
  • Code of Ethics

healthshots

  • Elections 2024
  • India vs England
  • T20 World Cup 2024 Schedule
  • IPL 2024 Auctions
  • T20 World Cup 2024
  • Cricket Players
  • ICC Rankings
  • Cricket Schedule
  • Other Cities
  • Income Tax Calculator
  • Budget 2024
  • Petrol Prices
  • Diesel Prices
  • Silver Rate
  • Relationships
  • Art and Culture
  • Telugu Cinema
  • Tamil Cinema
  • Exam Results
  • Competitive Exams
  • Board Exams
  • BBA Colleges
  • Engineering Colleges
  • Medical Colleges
  • BCA Colleges
  • Medical Exams
  • Engineering Exams
  • Horoscope 2024
  • Festive Calendar 2024
  • Compatibility Calculator
  • The Economist Articles
  • Explainer Video
  • On The Record
  • Vikram Chandra Daily Wrap
  • PBKS vs DC Live Score
  • KKR vs SRH Live Score
  • EPL 2023-24
  • ISL 2023-24
  • Asian Games 2023
  • Public Health
  • Economic Policy
  • International Affairs
  • Climate Change
  • Gender Equality
  • future tech
  • Daily Sudoku
  • Daily Crossword
  • Daily Word Jumble
  • HT Friday Finance
  • Explore Hindustan Times
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Subscription - Terms of Use

Login

  • India Today
  • Business Today
  • Reader’s Digest
  • Harper's Bazaar
  • Brides Today
  • Cosmopolitan
  • Aaj Tak Campus
  • India Today Hindi

IndiaToday

Australian PM India visit LIVE: PM Anthony Albanese assures to take steps to protect Indians in Australia

Australian prime minister anthony albanese, who is on a four-day trip to india, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of rashtrapati bhawan in delhi on friday. he met prime minister narendra modi and said that australia wants to cooperate with india and build a relationship in culture, economic relations and in the area of security. prime minister narendra modi and his australian counterpart signed mous in sports and audio-visual co-production agreement and terms of reference for solar taskforce exchanged between india and australia were also discussed by the leaders of the two nations. the two prime ministers also held discussions on maritime security and enhancing bilateral security cooperation in the indo-pacific region. prime minister narendra modi also extended the invitation for the g20 summit that india will be hosting in september this year to the australian pm. he also raised concerns about the vandalism on hindu temples by pro-khalistani elements in australia. anthony albanese took note of pm modi's concern and said he would take all necessary measures to ensure the protection and security of the indian community in australia..

australian prime minister visit india

This live blog has ended.

There are no further updates to this live blog. 

Indian 5th largest economy, yet classified as developing nation, says Australian PM

Australian PM Anthony Albanese said India is the fifth largest economy in the world and yet it is classified as a developing nation.

'We share values of democracy, peace and security': PM Albanese on India, Australia relationship

Australian PM Anthony Albanese said Indian and Australian economies are complementary and both the nations share values of democracy, peace and security. 

Delhi| Our economies are complementary. We share values of democracy, peace & security. PM Modi, EAM Jaishankar discussed that we must increase our presence together in Indo-Pacific&how do we provide opportunities for some of Pacific island nations:Australian PM Anthony Albanese pic.twitter.com/d0fMuy3Js3 — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese calls on President Droupadi Murmu

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. 

#WATCH | Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese calls on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/VAQH5qPyXt — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

General Rawat Officers Exchange Programme to facilitate friendship between Indian, Australian soldiers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that to increase contact and friendship among young soldiers, India and Australia have established the General Rawat Officers Exchange Programme, which has started this month.

'PM Albanese assured to take all necessary measures to ensure peace and harmony prevails'

Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his government has a deep understanding and appreciation of India's concern for vandalism on Hindu temples in Australia. Kwatra also said that the Australian PM has assured that his government would be taking all necessary measures to ensure peace and harmony prevails.

'Both leaders noted strong all-round progress around a range of areas'

Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Anthony Albanese assessed and noted the strong all-round progress across a range of areas, including science & technology, strategic and security domain, renewable energy partnership in critical minerals, trade and economic engagement. "The full set of comprehensive progress that the two countries have achieved since the relationship was upgraded to a comprehensive, strategic partnership in 2020," said Kwatra. 

First annual meet between India and Australia: Foreign secy

Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit underlined his enthusiasm and commitment to India-Australia ties. It is also the first annual summit between India and Australia at the level of the leaders.

Australian PM Albanese has assured safety of Indian community, says PM Modi 

"It is a matter of grief that, from the past few days, reports of attacks on temples in Australia have emerged. Such news impacts the Indians and is a matter of concern for all of us," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. 

"I have seen reports of attacks on temples in Australia. I have conveyed this to PM Albanese and he has assured me that the safety and well-being of the Indian community in Australia is a priority for them," PM Modi said. 

"The Australian PM Albanese has assured the safety of the Indian community after reports of attacks on temples," the prime minister added. 

#WATCH | PM Modi says Australian PM Albanese has assured the safety of the Indian community after reports of attacks on temples pic.twitter.com/20swtPDZWk — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

PM Modi, Anthony Albanese discuss Malabar exercise

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart discussed Malabar exercise which Australia is going to hold this year. 

"We also discussed Exercise Malabar which Australia is honoured to host this year," Australian PM Anthony Albanese said.

We also discussed Exercise Malabar which Australia is honoured to host this year: Australian PM Anthony Albanese pic.twitter.com/dsOLdbKrzX — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

India, Australia hold bilateral talks to boost ties

Today, PM Modi and I agreed on an early conclusion of our ambitious Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement as soon as possible. I am hopeful that we will be able to finalise it this year: Australian PM Anthony Albanese

Today, PM Modi and I agreed on an early conclusion of our ambitious Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement as soon as possible. I am hopeful that we will be able to finalise it this year: Australian PM Anthony Albanese pic.twitter.com/2m5Yine8y4 — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

PM Modi invites Anthony Albanese for G20 summit in September

Australian PM Anthony Albanese invited his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for the G20 summit to be held in September. 

"India and Australia are both members of the Quad. I thank PM Albanese for inviting me to Australia for the Quad Leaders' summit in May. I have invited him to India for the G20 summit in September," PM Modi said.

India and Australia are both members of the Quad. I thank PM Albanese for inviting me to Australia for the Quad Leaders' summit in May. I have invited him to India for the G20 summit in September: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/Txxqo4DSaR — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

Colours, culture, cricket reflect India-Australia friendship, says PM Modi

The celebration of colours, culture, and cricket is a reflection of India-Australia friendship and enthusiasm, PM Modi said.

The leaders spoke on all areas of cooperation. A detailed conversation on maritime security and enhancing bilateral security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was also held. 

We discussed mutual cooperation to develop reliable, strong global supply chains, PM Modi said. 

"We discussed maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and ways to enhance mutual security. Security cooperation is an important pillar of our comprehensive strategic ties," he added. 

(With inputs from Geeta Mohan)

PM Modi raises vandalism of temples issue in Australia with PM Anthony Albanese

PM Modi publicly raised vandalism of temples in Australia (by Khalistani elements) during his press statements along with Australia PM Albanese. 

We discussed maritime security in Indo-Pacific region, says PM Mod

"Security cooperation is an important pillar in Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Australia. We discussed maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region today," PM Modi said. He was speaking at a joint press briefing with Australian PM Anthony Albanese.

Security cooperation is an important pillar in Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Australia. We discussed maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region today: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/UldQcQZOpI — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

India, Australia sign Mous in sports, audio-visual co-production

PM Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese witnessed the exchange of MoUs between the two countries in Delhi.

MoUs were signed in sports and audio-visual co-production agreement and terms of reference for Solar Taskforce exchanged between India & Australia.

PM Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese witness exchange of MoUs between the two countries in Delhi MoUs signed in sports and audio-visual co-production agreement and terms of reference for Solar Taskforce exchanged between India & Australia pic.twitter.com/JIDZBexClA — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

PM Modi, Australian PM hold delegation-level talks in Delhi

PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese hold delegation-level talks in Delhi.

PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese hold delegation-level talks in Delhi pic.twitter.com/nJZwBuWydU — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

PM Modi, Anthony Albanese meet at Hyderabad House in Delhi | Video

PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese meet at Hyderabad House to hold bilateral talks.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese meet at Hyderabad House to hold bilateral talks pic.twitter.com/kcZh3rjmJG — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023

EAM Jaishankar calls on Australian PM Albanese

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called on Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and discussed key aspects of the fast deepening India-Australia ties. Jaishankar met Albanese ahead of the visiting leader's summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Delighted to call on Prime Minister @AlboMP of Australia this morning. His visit and today's Annual Summit will take our ties to a higher level," Jaishankar tweeted. In their talks, PM Modi and Albanese are expected to focus on boosting overall bilateral ties in areas of trade and investment, defence and critical minerals. The two leaders are also expected to review the situation in the Indo-Pacific amid growing concerns over China's increasing military assertiveness in the region, people familiar with the matter said. (PTI)

PM Narendra Modi, Australian PM hold bilateral talks in Delhi

PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese held bilateral talks in Delhi. 

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese hold bilateral talks in Delhi pic.twitter.com/gwT7AHAukh — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2023
  • SYDNEY, NSW
  • MELBOURNE, VIC
  • HOBART, TAS
  • BRISBANE, QLD
  • ADELAIDE, SA
  • CANBERRA, ACT

Australia, India friendship enters 'T20 mode', Modi says

australian prime minister visit india

Rock star welcome for Modi

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

  • Anthony Albanese

Send your stories to [email protected]

Auto news : 'Don't be this guy': Internet turns on EV driver over parking.

Top Stories

Young drivers are overrepresented in car crashes.

'Don't buy your kids a car': Australian study's key warning for parents

Grudge held by king's relative turns bloody

Grudge held by king's relative turns bloody

australian prime minister visit india

Bull shark spotted lurking only metres from shore

Maximum phase of Penumbral Lunar eclipse at Nehru Planetarium, on January 10, 2020 in Mumbai, India.

How to see tonight's lunar eclipse in Australia

australian prime minister visit india

Australian PM Anthony Albanese Begins 4-Day India Visit With Holi Celebration, Sabarmati Visit. Top Points

Australian prime minister anthony albanese commenced his four-day state visit to india on wednesday. here are the key points from the first day of his four-day tour of the country..

Australian PM Anthony Albanese Begins 4-Day India Visit With Holi Celebration, Sabarmati Visit Top Points Australian PM Anthony Albanese Begins 4-Day India Visit With Holi Celebration, Sabarmati Visit. Top Points

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commenced his four-day state visit to India on Wednesday. It’s the first visit by an Australian prime minister in six years and it came on the heels of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which entered into force in December.

The Australian prime minister is accompanied by Australia's Minister for Trade and Tourism Senator Don Farell, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King, and other senior officials, as well as a high-level corporate delegation, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

After The First Day Of His Four-Day Tour To The Country, These Are The Key Points:

  • 'Historic Opportunity To Strengthen Our Relationship': Australia PM Tweeted Ahead Of His Arrival

Anthony Albanese took to Twitter on Wednesday ahead of his visit, saying in a series of tweets, "Today I’m bringing a delegation of ministers and business leaders to India. At the kind invitation of PM Narendra Modi, we'll be visiting Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi."

"We have a historic opportunity to strengthen our relationship with India at a time of extraordinary growth and dynamism in our region," he added.

We have an historic opportunity to strengthen our relationship with India, at a time of extraordinary growth and dynamism in our region. Australia is a better place because of our large, diverse Indian-Australian community. — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) March 8, 2023
  • Australia PM Celebrates Holi At Gujarat's Raj Bhavan

On the first day of his India visit, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese celebrated Holi at Raj Bhavan in Gujarat's capital of Gandhinagar, saying the festival of colours symbolises the triumph of good over evil and its message is an enduring reminder for all.

Honoured to celebrate Holi in Ahmedabad, India. Holi’s message of renewal through the triumph of good over evil is an enduring reminder for all of us. pic.twitter.com/DSyxcY02bX — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) March 8, 2023
  • 'Gandhian Values Continue To Inspire World': Australian PM Visits Sabarmati Ashram 

As he arrived in Ahmedabad on his first India tour, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, saying his values and philosophy continue to inspire the world and a lot can be learned from his life.

He arrived at the city's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in the evening and went straight to the Ashram, Mahatma Gandhi's former home that also served as one of the main centres of India's freedom struggle.

  • Australian PM Announces Education Qualification Recognition Mechanism: 

Australian Prime Minister announced that his country and the Indian government had completed the 'Australia-India Education Qualification Recognition Mechanism.' Albanese was in India for a visit and was speaking at a programme to officially announce that Deakin University in Australia would be establishing an international branch campus at GIFT City in Gujarat's Gandhinagar.

"There is a significant development in our bilateral education relations. I am pleased to inform you that the Australia-India Education Qualification Recognition Mechanism has been completed," he was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI. 

"This new mechanism means that if you are an Indian student who is studying or have studied in Australia, your hard-earned degree will be recognised when you return home. Or, if you are a member of Australia's 500,000-strong Indian diaspora, you will be more confident that your Indian qualification will be recognised in Australia," he said. 

He also announced a new scholarship programme for Indian students interested in studying in Australia.

Albanese said: "I am pleased to announce a new scholarship offering — the Maitri scholarships. This is for Indian students who wish to study in Australia for a period of up to four years. The scholarships are part of the larger Maitri programme, which aims to strengthen cultural, educational, and community ties between Australia and India."

  • PM Modi, Australian Counterpart To Watch Test Match On Thursday: 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese will attend the first day of the fourth Test between Australia and India on March 9 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, PTI reported citing an official. 

Since a large number of spectators are expected at the final Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ahmedabad police have deployed more than 3,000 cops to guard the stadium and surrounding areas in the city, according to Neeraj Badgujar, additional commissioner of police, sector 1.

"Our PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM will watch the Test match at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 9. The police have already completed all security arrangements. We have nearly 200 police officers and 3,000 policemen on the ground to secure the stadium and other locations," Badgujar was quoted as saying by PTI.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

Accu Weather

Top Headline

'PM Modi Killing Democracy': Atishi, Pradeep Kumar Participate In Candle March To Protest Against Kejriwal's Arrest

Trending News

ABP Live

Photogallery

Ram Lalla Celebrates His First Holi After Pran Pratishtha — IN PICS

Trending Opinion

Sagarneel Sinha

Personal Corner

'PM Modi Killing Democracy': Atishi, Pradeep Kumar Participate In Candle March To Protest Against Kejriwal's Arrest

  • Election 2024
  • Entertainment
  • Newsletters
  • Photography
  • Personal Finance
  • AP Buyline Personal Finance
  • Press Releases
  • Israel-Hamas War
  • Russia-Ukraine War
  • Global elections
  • Asia Pacific
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • March Madness
  • AP Top 25 Poll
  • Movie reviews
  • Book reviews
  • Personal finance
  • Financial Markets
  • Business Highlights
  • Financial wellness
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Social Media

India and Australia set to hold talks to boost defense and strategic ties

This photo released by India's External Affairs Ministry shows Australia's foreign minister Penny Wong, left being received by an unidentified Indian official upon arrival at the airport in New Delhi, India, Monday, Nov.23, 2023. India and Australia are set to hold talks focused on bolstering their strategic, defense and security ties on Monday in New Delhi. (Indian External Affairs Ministry via AP)

This photo released by India’s External Affairs Ministry shows Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong, left being received by an unidentified Indian official upon arrival at the airport in New Delhi, India, Monday, Nov.23, 2023. India and Australia are set to hold talks focused on bolstering their strategic, defense and security ties on Monday in New Delhi. (Indian External Affairs Ministry via AP)

Australia’s captain Pat Cummins, left, shakes hands with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks on after Australia won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final match against India in Ahmedabad, India, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

  • Copy Link copied

NEW DELHI (AP) — India and Australia are set to hold talks focused on bolstering their strategic, defense and security ties on Monday in New Delhi.

Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong and defense minister Richard Marles arrived to meet with their counterparts for the second India-Australia 2+2 Dialogue, where they’re expected to discuss regional and global issues, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

“Both sides will also exchange views on shared priorities for strengthening minilateral and multilateral cooperation,” the statement said.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with Marles, who is also the deputy prime minister. India’s Minister of External Affairs Subhramanyam Jaishankar will take stock of ties between the two countries with his counterpart Wong on Tuesday, according to the statement.

The talks come a few weeks after India hosted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Llyod Austin in New Delhi, where both countries underlined their commitment to boosting security ties , and reaffirmed their support for a free and resilient Indo-Pacific region.

BritainÅfs Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps, center right, and BritainÅfs Foreign Secretary David Cameron, left, walk with the Premier of South Australia Peter Malinauskas, right, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia Richard Marles, second right, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, second left, and United StatesÅf Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, during a visit to the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide, Australia, Friday, March 22, 2024. Australia is set to provide 4.6 billion Australian dollars ($3 billion) to British industry to support the construction of nuclear-powered submarines and ensure its new fleet arrives on time. (Matt Turner/AAP Image via AP)

India and Australia are also part of the Quad, an alliance that includes Japan and the United States, which aims to counter China’s rising influence in Asia.

The two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020, when they signed various agreements to strengthen defense ties and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

Earlier this year, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in India on a four-day visit where he held talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and praised the two countries’ progress in ties, including in scientific and technological cooperation and military exercises.

Marles arrived Sunday, and watched Australia beat India to win the Cricket World Cup for the 6th time in Ahmedabad city. The victory, much to India’s dismay, ended the host country’s dominant run in the tournament.

australian prime minister visit india

  • Today’s Paper
  • Bihar Class 12 results
  • Premium Stories
  • Express Shorts
  • Health & Wellness
  • Board Exam Results

Australian PM Albanese to visit Gujarat in March

On March 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will accompany his Australian counterpart for the India-Australia cricket match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

australian prime minister visit india

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat next month.

Albanese, who is scheduled to land in Ahmedabad on March 8 afternoon, will have an interaction with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar , following which he will preside over an education event the same evening in Ahmedabad, said sources in the government.

australian prime minister visit india

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is also expected to attend the event, where some major announcements will be made in the field of education to take forward the Australia-India collaborations.

It will be the fourth meeting between Modi and Albanese since he took charge as the Australian Prime Minister in May 2022.

  • Australian PM

lok sabha

BJP has released its fifth list of candidates for Lok Sabha elections, with 111 names across 16 states. Among the new faces are actor Kangana Ranaut and former Calcutta High Court Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay. The party has dropped names of Union ministers and MP Varun Gandhi.

  • T20 World Cup 2024 Live Updates: Samson, Hardik, Rahul in action; Rohit Sharma No.1 rank on our India T20 WC Squad Ladder 60 mins ago
  • Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Live Updates: Former Congress MP Naveen Jindal quits to join BJP, set to contest from Kurukshetra LS seat 6 hours ago
  • RR vs LSG highlights, IPL 2024: Nicholas Pooran's efforts go in vain as Rajasthan Royals win by 20 runs in Jaipur 8 hours ago
  • Arvind Kejriwal Arrest Live Updates: AAP writes to J P Nadda over 'money trail' between BJP and Sarath Reddy, accused in excise policy case 9 hours ago

Indianexpress

Best of Express

Over 50 per cent govt proposals cleared within 72 hrs during poll code: EC 2018 data

Buzzing Now

Viral videos this week

Mar 24: Latest News

  • 01 Media should not become battleground for partisan politics: V-P Dhankhar
  • 02 INDIA alliance an eyewash, only PM Modi can develop India: Tripura CM Manik Saha
  • 03 Arrest of 35 Somali pirates: How authorities faced a tough time in 2011 after 120 pirates were held
  • 04 When one leader asks for a ticket, there are 10 others who are as capable: Gujarat BJP leader
  • 05 Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal seeks ACP’s removal from security; court orders to preserve CCTV camera footage
  • Elections 2024
  • Political Pulse
  • Entertainment
  • Movie Review
  • Newsletters
  • Web Stories
  • Infosys share price
  • 1,508.85 -2.98%
  • Tata Steel share price
  • 151.95 1.27%
  • Bharti Airtel share price
  • 1,237.85 1.31%
  • Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  • 275.70 0.71%
  • ITC share price
  • 428.45 1.71%

Back

From watching cricket match to negotiating trade deals - Highlights from Australian PM's visit to India

Whatsapp

Anthony Albanese visit entailed discussions on various topics from defense to economic cooperation and even some sensitive issues

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi arrive to attend a photo opportunity ahead of their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi (REUTERS)

The leaders of India and Australia expressed commitment to expanding the scope of the existing free trade agreement as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese looks at concluding his India visit on Saturday. The visit entailed discussions on various topics from defense to economic cooperation to cricket and even some sensitive issues like Khalistan. 

Highlights from Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to India

Cricket Diplomacy

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in India on 8 March on a four-day visit. This was his first official visit to India after taking over the office in May 2022. The visit kickstarted in Ahmedabad where the Prime Ministers of India and Australia inaugurated the fourth Test match between the Indian and Australian cricket teams.

Economic Cooperation

PM Modi and PM Albanese agreed on concluding the India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) as soon as possible. Australian Prime Minister said that the landmark agreement will be a transformational step and create jobs and opportunities for both countries.

The bilateral trade between both nations was US$ 27.5 billion in 2021 and in the next five years, it can reach $50 billion. The leaders of both nations have set an ambitious target to take it up to $100 billion soon.

The Economic Cooperation Trade Agreement (ECTA) between India and Australia came into force in December 2022 and resulted in zero duty on 96% of India's exports to Australia and 85% of Australia's exports to India.

Defense cooperation

The discussion between PM Modi and PM Anthony ranged around defense, economic cooperation, education, and bilateral trade. Albanese also visited India's indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. He was received onboard Vikrant by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar with a Guard of Honour.

Amid an increasingly ‘uncertain’ global environment, Albanese emphasized “defense and security" as the important pillars of the strategic partnership between the countries.

The relations between India and Australia have deteriorated with China in recent times. Australia's ban on Huawei from the 5G network, calls to investigate the origin of the Covid-19 virus, and concerns around human rights violations in Xinjiang and Hongkong has irked China.

Education Sector

Mutual Recognition of Educational Qualifications (MREQ) was signed between India and Australia in March 2023 to facilitate mobility of students between India and Australia. Recently, the Deakin University and University of Wollongong have announced their plans to open campuses in India. 

Australian PM announced ‘Australia-India education qualification recognition mechanism’ which mean that degrees obtained in India and Australia will be recognised is both countries. “This new mechanism means that if you are an Indian student studying or have studied in Australia, your hard-earned degree will be recognised when you return home," PM Albanese said

Sensitive Issues

PM Modi also discussed some sensitive issues with his Australian counterpart like the spate of attacks by Khalistan supporters on Hindu religious sites in Australia. The discussions were around attacks on Hindu temples in Australian cities like Melbourne and Brisbane by Khalistan supporters.

Australian Prime Minister assured the Indian side that all necessary measures will be taken in this regard on priority to ensure the prevalence of peace and harmony in their societies.

Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

australian prime minister visit india

Mint Primer | Happiness report: Why it has raised eyebrows in India

An InvIT or infrastructure investment trust is a pooled investment vehicle—similar to a mutual fund—that is used for development of infrastructure projects such as highways

For private InvITs, a new asset category is about to open up

Alia Bhatt and Isha Ambani,

How celebrity brands finally reach the point of sale

The impetus by industry bodies comes at a time when a section of the fintech industry believes the regulator is against the development of the sector.

DLAI, FACE rally for fintech self-regulation amid regulatory scrutiny

The postal department’s life insurance business has edged out its private-sector competitors.

A 140-year-old policy puts its stamp on postal department’s life insurance biz

India's last census was carried out in 2011 when the country's population stood at 121 crore.

Mint Explainer: What falling total fertility rate will mean for India

Indian silver bullion imports hit a monthly record of 2,211 tonnes in February, which was 64% of total imports in 2023. (Mint)

No silver lining for buyers in this India-UAE treaty

The income distribution is so skewed that one must be at the 90th percentile—or make more than 90% of the population—just to earn the average income.

Mint Primer | Mind the income gap: Is India becoming a plutocracy?

A phytosanitary certificate verifies and establishes that a certain produce is pest-free, disease-free, and meets other health requirements. (Photo: Mint)

Trade officials, exporters to meet over rejection of Indian farm exports

 IBBI amended its regulations on 15 February to say that the RP shall seek the committee of creditors’ (CoC) clearance for all such costs, at each meeting. (Photo: Mint)

IBBI’s cost tweak: The case for and against

footLogo

Wait for it…

Log in to our website to save your bookmarks. It'll just take a moment.

You are just one step away from creating your watchlist!

Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image.

Your session has expired, please login again.

Congratulations!

You are now subscribed to our newsletters. In case you can’t find any email from our side, please check the spam folder.

Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App

Subscribe to continue

This is a subscriber only feature Subscribe Now to get daily updates on WhatsApp

close

TOI logo

Australian PM Anthony Albanese to visit India next month, may watch Test match with PM Modi

Australian PM Anthony Albanese to visit India next month, may watch Test match with PM Modi

Visual Stories

australian prime minister visit india

The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

Australian pm anthony albanese to visit india next month.

Whatsapp Follow Channel

People familiar with the plan for his visit said on Monday that Albanese is expected to begin the visit around March 8 and he and Prime Minister Narerndra Modi are likely to travel to Ahmedabad to witness the fourth cricket Test match between India and Australia.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

Read More News on

Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.

Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.

The missing link: How criminals teamed up with bank employees to orchestrate cyb:Image

The missing link: How criminals teamed up with bank employees to orchestrate cyber frauds.

Payments banks a flawed business model, needs relook: former SBI chairman Rajnis:Image

Payments banks a flawed business model, needs relook: former SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar

What’s stopping GIFT City from becoming India’s Dublin?:Image

What’s stopping GIFT City from becoming India’s Dublin?

Was Dalal Street underestimating the potential of Maruti’s first EV?:Image

Was Dalal Street underestimating the potential of Maruti’s first EV?

With USD169 billion in cash, what will be Warren Buffett’s next big money move?:Image

With USD169 billion in cash, what will be Warren Buffett’s next big money move?

Challenges turning into tailwinds? 6 auto stocks from different segments with up:Image

Challenges turning into tailwinds? 6 auto stocks from different segments with upside potential between 7-40%

The Economic Times

Find this comment offensive?

Choose your reason below and click on the Report button. This will alert our moderators to take action

Reason for reporting:

Your Reason has been Reported to the admin.

avatar

To post this comment you must

Log In/Connect with:

Fill in your details:

Will be displayed

Will not be displayed

Share this Comment:

Stories you might be interested in

Narendra Modi is asking India to extend his term as one of the most powerful people in the world. This is his secret past

Narendra Modi looks directly into camera while wearing rimless glasses and a beige stole

Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world, but much of his life is shrouded in mystery. These hidden chapters tell the true story. 

The Modi family gathered on the lawn of the fanciest hotel in their hometown in the Indian state of Gujarat for their nephew's engagement.

It was October 2023. The trees were lit up with multi-coloured lights, buffet tables were spread out across the garden while men in kurtas and women in saris chatted and ate.

But there was a key person missing from this family event: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Being the leader of the world's most populous country is a busy job, but Indian weddings are a major family affair — even the most elite members of society usually make time to attend a relative's nuptials. So, Modi's absence was remarkable.

It wasn't that Modi avoids weddings altogether. A few years earlier, he attended the wedding of Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra and musician Nick Jonas.

"Wishing you a happy married life," he wrote in the caption of a snap with the couple shared with millions of Instagram followers.

Typically, the weddings of India's elite are lavish on a level unheard of in the West.

Beyonce and Rihanna performed at the pre-wedding celebrations for the children of Mukesh Ambani — India's richest man and a personal friend of Modi's.

But as his own family was celebrating his nephew's engagement at an understated party with a modest guest list, Modi was prepping for a major media moment: his appearance at the Cricket World Cup final in a stadium named after him.

With hundreds of millions of Indians watching, many analysts believed Modi was banking on an Indian win to catapult his election campaign. This may partially explain his absence from the significant family event.

Since Modi unexpectedly left home as a teenager, he's had a patchy relationship with everyone in his family except his mother, who died in 2022.

Despite his relative family estrangement, Modi constantly talks about his humble beginnings.

He has a tight leash on his image, and is cautious not to derail every carefully crafted story that's brought him to the top.

"There's this almost mystical aspect to Modi and the folklore can extend to his childhood," Indian journalist Manisha Pande says.

Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world, but besides what he chooses to share about his background, the public knows little about him.

Narendra Modi, seen through a car window, brings his hands together in prayer

Under his leadership, India has undergone massive change.

Modi has made his country a powerful geopolitical player lauded by the West, and brought India closer to Australia than ever before.

He's instilled a sense of empowerment in ordinary Indians, giving tens of millions of people homes and toilets — welfare policies that have boosted his approval rating to become one of the most popular leaders in the world.

His nationalist stance has led to policies which favour India's Hindu majority, while democratic pillars such as press freedom and free speech have been threatened, undermined and eroded.

He's become so popular, it's likely he'll win a national election this year, giving him a rare third term and a total of 15 years in power at its conclusion.

There are many myths and legends about Modi's life that have built his appeal. He says he worked for his dad as a chai seller and walked across the country trying to become a monk.

And there are parts of his life he's tried to keep a secret, like the arranged marriage he abandoned as a teenager.

The stories Modi has told about his life have led to his extraordinary rise in the world, but deciphering what's fact from fiction is essential to understanding where he's taking India.

The chai wallah's son

Everyone in the town of Vadnagar seems to have the same last name: Modi.

Most are not related to the prime minister even though they live in his hometown. But Syamaldas Madhavas Modi sees India's leader as a brother.

An older man with red marking on his forehead looks directly into camera

When Syamaldas's mother died when he was young, he moved in with Narendra Modi, his parents and five siblings.

"We used to fly kites and play games in the village. Narendra Modi was very smart," he says fondly.

"We did not have any facilities at home. We used to go outside to go to the toilet … It was hard to get water, so we'd go to the lake to take a bath."

Modi's childhood home is nestled along a narrow concrete lane, where the houses painted in pastel colours are built in a tight terrace formation.

The single-storey, long, narrow house has a large wooden door and is on the edge of Vadnagar, a quaint town built around a lake.

Modi's father, Damordas, was what's known as a chai wallah, or a tea seller, at the local train station.

Chai is a part of the daily hustle for many Indians, and the country has the largest train network in the world.

The Vadnagar station hasn't changed much. Families walk past the pink pillars at its entrance and gather on the station's wide platforms to set off for their big journeys.

Modi consistently references working with his dad at the railway stall.

"I was born in a very poor family. I used to sell tea in a railway coach as a child. My mother used to wash utensils and do lowly household work in the houses of others to earn a livelihood," he said in a 2015 interview with Time Magazine.

"I have seen poverty very closely. I have lived in poverty. As a child, my entire childhood was steeped in poverty."

A train parked by an almost empty platform, with three people talking

To understand why Modi's story of being a chai wallah's son has resonated with India's 1.4 billion voters, it's important to understand the country's political history.

Since independence, India had been largely ruled by one family — the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his descendants. He and his daughter Indira Gandhi, who went on to follow in his footsteps, were rich, English-speaking, university graduates.

Narendra Modi stands apart, connecting on a more relatable level with the everyday Indian, according to Modi biographer and veteran political observer Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.

"The fact that he came from a very poor family, all that has been actually dwelled upon at great length. It's also been publicised greatly by Mr Modi because it conveys the sense that he was an outsider, not part of the Indian elite," he says.

"But his father had enough money to ensure that Mr Modi and his brothers went to school. Going to school [meant] he was not working anywhere else."

Mukhopadhyay says that these stories and images of Modi carrying tea to train passengers have been "grossly exaggerated, primarily because it was a nice idea to sell" to the Indian public.

Some locals in Vadnagar dispute how often Modi worked for his father growing up.

In a video that went viral in 2021, Modi's brother Prahlad said Narendra Modi had been hyping up his upbringing as a lone tea seller.

"Narendra did not sell tea alone — we are five brothers and we all sold the tea. So, Narendra should be called a son of a tea vendor, not a tea vendor. This is the mistake of journalists," he said.

While the chai wallah story is questioned, everyone seems to agree on Modi's willpower, ambition, and even stubbornness — all qualities that pushed him to the top.

A black and white portrait shows a class of cadets, from young boys to teenagers and some men.

Syamaldas remembers how Modi would stand up and "dominate" their teachers in front of the class.

"He has always been the same kind of person. If he wants to do something, then he'll definitely do it. He wouldn't be influenced by anyone once he's made up his mind," he says.

"Even today, he can't be influenced."

The child politician

One day after school in the 1960s, Modi and his friend Chandubhai Chimanlal Rami were playing a game called vetra charm, fighting with sticks.

"I remember that game with Modi even today … the game could rip your skin, even make your hands bleed," Chandubhai says.

They were playing at their local branch of a Hindu right-wing organisation known as the RSS, whose volunteers recruited Modi when he was eight years old.

Chandubhai recalls a moment in the game when he made a mistake and it hurt Modi.

"So, he also started making attacks in the incorrect way and it was hurting me too," he says.

Chandubhai saw it as a painful but necessary lesson.

"He did it so I realised I was making a mistake. It also helped me better prepare and boosted my willpower, encouraged me a lot."

An older man in pale pink shirt with pen in pocket looks just beyond camera while a woman sits behinid

With an estimated 6 million members across 68,000 branches known as shakhas, the RSS is believed to be the largest far-right organisation in the world.

Like many ideological organisations, the RSS recruits children to expand its supporter base, says Christophe Jaffrelot, a prominent academic from French university Sciences Po, who is studying the Hindu right.

"You can build or reshape their psyche," he says.

"In the branches of the RSS, young boys are attracted by games … they don't realise and the families don't realise — in the beginning at least — that the content of the ideology is infused via these games and via the atmosphere in the shakha. It's a good way to become a mass movement, without saying it."

A man handles a pole with an orange flag, it has a split in the middle

After months of requests, the ABC gained rare access to an RSS branch that runs similarly to how Modi experienced one as a child decades ago.

In the harsh winter, as the sun rises, around a dozen young men hoist a saffron flag, the colour associated with the Hindu religion.

For many RSS volunteers, the focus on Hinduism is a drawcard.

"I joined the RSS because I have an interest in Hinduism ideology," one RSS member, Ambika, says. "So that keeps me satisfied that I'm doing something for my society and for the nation."

At this shakha, members practise group exercises, many of which involve martial arts. They chant Hindu nationalist slogans that encourage patriotism such as "long live Mother India" and "worship your motherland".

Five men stand with arms by their sides in two rows

Despite the fervent exercises, there's a jovial atmosphere.

"We are Hindu, we are part of this land, we are living here for thousands of years, so, the knowledge [and] tradition which our ancestors developed, it all belongs to us," senior RSS member Rajneesh says.

When asked about people of other religions he says: "We welcome all religions that came to India."

Rajneesh disputes the suggestion the RSS uses games as a way to indoctrinate its young followers, saying the exercises encourage discipline and unity.

"If you have to work for society, you have to be physically fit. If you're physically ill, how can you work for society?" he says.

The focus on physical strength has led many researchers to argue the RSS is a paramilitary organisation, something its members deny.

But in 2018, RSS chief Mohan Bhawat said the organisation could prepare an army to fight for India "within three days".

The RSS has been central to Modi's political rise. He describes it as a "socio-cultural organisation working towards the social and cultural regeneration of India".

It's a description that skirts around the clear and direct goals of the RSS put in place by its founders almost 100 years ago: to make India an emphatically Hindu society.

India is secular in its constitution and, while the vast majority of the country is Hindu, more than 200 million people are Muslim and tens of millions follow other faiths including Sikhism and Christianity.

While the members at the meeting were careful in their language, the RSS founders have been more direct.

"The non-Hindu people of [India] must adopt Hindu culture and languages and respect. They must entertain no idea but those of glorification of the Hindu race and culture," RSS founder M S Golwalkar said.

Hindu right researcher Mr Jaffrelot says that "in terms of ideology, there are affinities between the RSS and the Nazi Germany brand of nationalism, the Mussolinian brand of fascism".

RSS members have been known to resort to violence in the name of their ideology.

One of its members assassinated Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. Decades later, a government-appointed commission found the RSS was responsible for creating a climate conducive to a riot in Jamshedpur that killed 79 Muslims and 25 Hindus. As recently as 2018, RSS members were involved in violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Bihar. 

But the RSS consistently rejects that it sparks religious riots and directs attention to the organisation's efforts to coordinate relief after several natural disasters.

The organisation was praised for delivering oxygen cylinders and medicine to thousands of Indians in hospitals during the country’s debilitating COVID-19 crisis, while helping families cremate their loved ones.

Narendra Modi as a young man stands at a microphone, extending a hand out while speaking to a crowd

Through the 1970s and 80s, Modi rose through the RSS ranks, becoming one of its key organisers.

As prime minister, Modi hasn't actively condoned or condemned violence attributed to RSS members, but his government has enacted laws that critics say have persecuted religious minorities.

Those include revoking the autonomy of India's only majority-Muslim area, Kashmir; passing a law that only permits non-Muslim migrants from nearby countries to be granted citizenship; and opening a Hindu temple where an ancient mosque was torn down , saying it was the birthplace of an important god.

"Modi's politics is based on the RSS agenda, the ideology is the same," Mr Jaffrelot says.

"Muslims have been pushed as second-class citizens by the Modi government with the help of vigilante groups. That's something that the RSS wouldn't have achieved without a leader like him."

While Modi has faced criticism for some of these policies, he's still enormously popular, and research shows he consistently appeals to voters.

The prime minister has defended his government's record, arguing it has brought normalcy to restive Kashmir, for example. 

"If there is a smell of discrimination in anything I have done, then put me in front of the country," Modi said in 2019, while defending the citizenship law.

The RSS maintains it is solely a cultural organisation and doesn't back politicians.

A man wearing black sports jacket sits on a step, smiling in the sun

But like Modi, senior RSS members often transition to the prime minister's political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

In 1951, RSS members created a political arm which eventually merged with other parties to create the BJP.

"RSS is not a political organisation, we believe only in making men. But Narendra Modi is doing a good job," Rajneesh says at the shakha.

"As a citizen, I think those who wish that India should lead, they should support Narendra Modi. So as a citizen, it's my right to vote so I will vote for him."

The secret wife

In the late 1960s, everyone in Narendra Modi's friendship group was being married off by their families.

"So his family got him married, worried that later it would be hard to find a bride," Syamaldas, the man who grew up with the Modi family, says.

Modi, about 18 at the time, sat with his bride Jashodaben and their families in the house for a traditional, religious wedding ceremony.

India's caste system is a complex hierarchy of different groups stemming from their social and economic past.

Jashodaben and Narendra Modi's families came from the same caste, the Gujarati Ghanchis, traditionally vegetable oil producers described as lower-middle class.

As per the Ghanchi caste's traditions, the couple had gone through a ceremony called Shaadi when they were about 12 years old, which meant they were engaged, to be married when they came of age.

But they were initially promised to each other by their parents when they were toddlers, something Modi wasn't told about until later.

While marriage is becoming less conservative in India, at that time most people in Gujarat strictly married within the same caste.

After the marriage, the woman was usually sent to the husband's family home.

The facade of a two-storey concrete home with wooden door, a stair case leading to

In recent years, surveys of Indian households have found the majority of Indians are in arranged marriages, most of them happy.

But Narendra Modi had different feelings about the institution in the 1960s.

"He was completely opposed to marriage," Syamaldas says.

So before the couple could move in together, Modi decided to leave home.

"The family was in a state of mourning, but his mother stood behind him and wanted him to progress. The rest of his family felt really bad," Syamaldas says.

"During that time, he told his wife that this is her house as well and … she is free to live in the house and then he left home."

Until the early 2000s, few people knew about Modi's wife.

As Modi rose through the RSS ranks, he proved his dedication to the association and its cause by showing he had no family ties.

When he started running for elections, first in his home state of Gujarat, he would leave the spouse section blank on forms year after year.

In campaign speeches, he would say he was single.

"Why would I indulge in corruption? For whom? There is no one behind me or in front of me," he said at a 2014 political rally, using a Hindi phrase meaning he has no family.

Narendra Modi, wearing a blue checked waistcoat, smiles while holding a baby on his lap at a desk

While Modi has staked his reputation on putting the public before a family, he takes every opportunity to portray his connection with children.

For some Indian leaders, being single is a selling point. It means they can show their only commitment is to their country.

Mahatma Gandhi took a vow of celibacy, and the current leader of the main opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is also proudly single.

"I'm dedicated to the people of this nation … every moment of my time is for the people of India," Modi said in a speech last year.

It's a popular trope in a society that emphasises devotion, service and duty.

Eventually, journalists started searching for a schoolteacher they heard was secretly married to Modi.

When one reporter eventually found her, she was shocked by how humble Jashodaben's life was.

A woman wearing a red and orange sari holds a tray of food and feeds a cow by hand. She stands infront of a brick wall.

"With her hair tied up in a bun, you could pass her by because she's just like any other woman in any village," says the journalist, who does not want to be named.

"Her house had a tin roof and mud walls, and it was a house that would get very hot in the summers, and she did not have a bathroom."

When news reports about Modi's arranged marriage emerged, he directed focus away from them.

But during his run for prime minister in 2014, he was legally forced to go public about his marriage for the first time in almost 50 years.

In the spouse section of his election nomination, he had to write his wife's name: Jashodaben Modi.

"So it was kind of a victory for us and for her that her name had to be written in that column," the journalist says.

A scanned document shows two pages, including stamps and a photograph of Narendra Modi and a table including his wife's name

It turned into a national scandal. Narendra Modi's brother Sombhai (whose son's engagement the prime minister would go on to miss a decade later) defended him.

He said the marriage was a formality and the couple never consummated it, something Jashodaben Modi also confirmed.

"Narendra's whole life is a life of sacrifice, and we have to accept it. The whole country knows his sacrifice, and the people of the nation know it," he said.

"This event of 40 or 50 years back of a poor family in those circumstances should be seen in that context."

Despite some backlash from opposition parties over his secret marriage and estranged wife, Modi won the 2014 election in a landslide.

Soon after, Jashodaben Modi told Reuters she was surrounded by armed bodyguards every day and she had to cook for them. She has not spoken publicly since.

Now 72, Jashodaben Modi has retired from her job as a schoolteacher.

A woman wearing a yellow sari decoratid with flowers sits on a bench in a small room filled with items.

The Gujarat village where she grew up is made up of a few small streets clustered around a brown, stone, Hindu temple in the middle.

Usually, in small Indian villages, locals are open to giving directions to someone's house, but here they're reluctant.

Some say she's moved to the nearby town. Several people refuse to offer any information on her whereabouts, but one woman finally acknowledges having met her: "She was a nice woman and was helping out at the local hospital."

Jashodaben now lives with her brother. After eventually tracking down his phone number, we give him a call.

He answers but wants to know what we would ask his sister in an interview. She seems to be in the background, listening in on our conversation, but tells him she doesn't want to meet or speak with any journalists.

After her identity was confirmed by Modi, Jashodaben tried to start speaking at public events. She even told a journalist that if the prime minister called to check in, she'd be interested in starting a new life with him.

When it was announced that she would be speaking at an event run by a Modi fan club, the conference was shut down.

When she tried to get a passport, her application was rejected because she couldn't produce a marriage certificate.

"Modi has chosen to cut off that part of his life from public consumption, from public view and he has never, ever acknowledged her other than in that election affidavit," the anonymous journalist says.

"I feel that there's an abandoned woman, and she needs her justice."

Modi's monkhood

In his public life, with no family ties and a sole commitment to his country, Modi has presented himself as God's representative on Earth.

"God has made me an instrument to represent all the people of India. This is a huge responsibility," he said on X, formerly known as Twitter, ahead of a Hindu temple opening in the town of Ayodhya in January.

That narrative harks back to a relatively opaque part of his life story — the years after he left his arranged marriage as a teenager.

Modi says he left for the Himalayas and pursued a monk-like life of renunciation. He had no material possessions and ate only food given to him by strangers.

A young Narendra Modi sits on a door step, smiling while extending a hand out

"There was no comfort in my life. I had a small bag and my whole life was in that bag," he told biographer Andy Marino.

He says he studied the teachings of one of India's most iconic Hindu spiritual leaders, Swami Vivekananda, and went to his ashrams seeking to become a monk.

The story goes that after being turned away twice, at the third ashram a monk told Modi that his destiny lay elsewhere. That's what set him on his path of politics.

"He was advised by the great monk who was there at the time he could reach out to larger masses, so his reach is huge," Swami Shantatmananda, a current monk at one of the Vivekananda ashrams, says.

"He has brought in immeasurable changes, a revolution awakening in the country."

But not everyone is convinced.

"There's just not a lot of contemporary evidence that would suggest that we know exactly what was going on," says Griffith University professor Ian Hall, one of Australia's leading experts on India.

"I don't expect the monastery kept records of that kind of interaction either, so what we're left with is a story that is presented later on by the sympathetic biographers."

Swami Vivekananda introduced Hinduism and yoga to the West in the 1800s.

A monk wearing red robes and orange head covering folds his arms across his chest

He attained enormous influence in India and around the world, in part because of his teachings that anyone of any religion can find God using Hindu philosophy.

The swami, his influence and his teachings have informed Narendra Modi's curated public image since those teenage years. In 2012, he tweeted a quote from the monk every day for a year.

Professor Hall says an affinity with Swami Vivekananda helps Modi attract moderate Indian voters who may be concerned by his connections with the far-right RSS.

"He's setting up an alternative … softer, friendlier, broader kind of figure [with Swami Vivekananda] as his guru and his intellectual inspiration," he says.

"Modi here is reaching for a figure that allows him to then reassure those who are concerned that he's going to be a real hardliner."

The Modi image

Part of the genius of the Modi narrative has been his ability to be many things to many people.

"I've gone backwards and forwards from thinking that Modi was a very hardline Hindu nationalist to thinking that he was somebody who was more of a moderniser," Professor Hall says.

"The reality is that Modi is able to present himself in all of those different avatars at once or to different audiences."

Narendra Modi pictured against a pale blue sky, squinting through his glasses

Modi has been described as a mastermind of image management.

He has managed to escape reputational stain despite the various accusations against him, from targeting religious minorities to democratic backsliding.

He's also widely promoted his successes in developing India and bringing the country to the world stage.

Before the digital age, Modi would personally fax press releases to lists of journalists to ensure his words and deeds attracted fast distribution and positive coverage.

He now runs a slick social media operation in which he controls his own story — he has the largest following of any leader in the world.

But his critics say measures introduced under Modi's leadership have severely undermined press freedoms.

Last year, the Modi government banned a BBC documentary that was critical of the prime minister's role in deadly religious riots that broke out in 2002. Tax authorities searched the broadcaster's bureaus in India the week after the program went to air.

Reporters Without Borders has warned "press freedom is in crisis" in India , noting in its most recent report that an average of three or four journalists are killed in connection with their work in the country every year.

Modi's office has not responded to numerous requests for an interview with the ABC.

"[We've] had a prime minister who's refused to engage with the press," Indian journalist Manisha Pande says.

"You have almost North Korean levels of obedience in major prime-time anchors, major prime-time news."

The prime minister has consistently denied he is threatening democracy. 

"I am not undemocratic. I have met 250 people in Delhi for three hours each of freewheeling discussions," he told newspaper Indian Express in 2019.

"I believe that the thinking of the government as well as the thinking of the people in media should be transparent … whether news gets published is not the only thing in a democracy."

Modi's entire life has centred around being India's leader and many, like Professor Hall, say he'll do anything to hold onto that.

“He's the ultimate power politician — he just wants to stay in power."

Modi will be 73 during the upcoming election.

If he wins, as everyone predicts, it will likely be his final term because of an age limit of 75 years for BJP electoral candidates.

The rest of Modi's story remains undetermined. But rules can change.

"He will not leave the post of prime minister while he's alive," his childhood friend Syamaldas says.

"He is such a powerful person."

The ABC's seven-part podcast series, Looking For Modi , is out today. Listen to the first episode on ABC Listen.

  • Reporting: Avani Dias
  • Photography and video: Som Patidar and Meghna Bali, with additional photography courtesy of AFP, AP, Reuters, Election Commission of India, Thomas Harrison (public domain), and Narendra Modi.
  • Digital production: Lucy Sweeney
  • Podcast production and research:  Madeleine Genner and Yasmin Parry
  • X (formerly Twitter)
  • Foreign Affairs
  • World Politics

India's Modi speaks to Putin, Zelenskiy ahead of top Ukraine minister's visit

Russian President Putin and Indian Prime Minister Modi meet in Samarkand

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Reporting by Krishn Kaushik and Shivam Patel in New Delhi; Editing by Jamie Freed, Clarence Fernandez, Gareth Jones and Mark Porter

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

General view of Paris

UK deputy PM set to address lawmakers on Chinese cyber security threat

British deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden is set to address the country's lawmakers about the cyber security threat posed by China on Monday as worries about possible interference grow before an election expected later this year.

Traders chat during early hours after opening of the Bahrain stock market, in Manama

IMAGES

  1. India eagerly awaits arrival of Australian PM: PM Modi

    australian prime minister visit india

  2. Newly-elected Australian PM Anthony Albanese hails relationship with

    australian prime minister visit india

  3. AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO INDIA: AN ASSESSMENT IN THE

    australian prime minister visit india

  4. Home [india.embassy.gov.au]

    australian prime minister visit india

  5. Australian PM To Visit India To Attend G20 Summit In September

    australian prime minister visit india

  6. In Pics: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in India

    australian prime minister visit india

VIDEO

  1. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in Delhi for the G20 Summit

  2. Team India was caught cheating in the semifinal? 😱Cricket Pitch controversy #cwc23 #trending #india

  3. Prime Minister heckled by climate protester

  4. prime minister visit IIM

  5. Prime Minister visit Thoothukudi Harbour VOC port honorable Prime Minister visit

  6. Prime Minister visit kolkata, 05-03-2024

COMMENTS

  1. 'Modi is the boss': Australian leader gives India's prime minister a

    A busy week for Modi Modi's Australia visit caps a busy week of diplomatic activity and travel. Over the weekend, he was in Papua New Guinea, where he met with Prime Minister James Marape and ...

  2. India, Australia aim to boost economic, defence ties at first summit of

    The three-day visit by Albanese, the first by an Australian prime minister since 2017, comes days ahead of a visit by Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, another member of the so-called Quad grouping that ...

  3. Australian PM Anthony Albanese on 4-day India visit from ...

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be on a four-day state visit to India from March 8 to March 11. It's the first visit by an Australian prime minister in six years and comes on the heels of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which entered into force in December.

  4. Australian PM kicks off India visit with cricket event

    Australian PM kicks off India visit with cricket event. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese wave as they arrive in the stadium to watch fourth cricket test match between India and Australia in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, March 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

  5. Joint Statement

    1. At the invitation of Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Australia the Honourable Anthony Albanese MP paid a State Visit to India from 8 to 11 March 2023. Prime Minister Albanese was accompanied by Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Honourable Don Farrell, Minister for Resources, the Honourable Madeleine King MP, a high-level official delegation ...

  6. Official visit to Australia by the Prime Minister of India

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will welcome the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, His Excellency Shri Narendra Modi, to Australia from 22-24 May as a guest of the Australian Government. Prime Minister Modi's visit to Australia builds on the Australia-India Annual Leaders' Summit in New Delhi in March and discussions at the G7 Summit and Quad Leaders' meeting in Hiroshima over the ...

  7. Australian PM's first India trip starts with Sabarmati Ashram in

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday visited the Sabarmati Ashram, a place closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, after arriving in Ahmedabad on his first India visit.

  8. Australia PM to visit India, bats for deeper ties

    00:00. 1x 1.5x 1.8x. A day after the Quad Foreign Ministers wrapped up a meeting that sent clear messages to Russia and China, New Delhi and Canberra announced Saturday that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be visiting India from March 8 to 11. This will be his first bilateral visit to the country after he took charge in May 2022.

  9. Building a stronger partnership with India

    Media release. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to India from 8 -11 March at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister's visit to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi will further deepen our strategic, economic and people to people ties with India, a close friend and partner to Australia.

  10. Australian PM Anthony Albanese's 4-day India visit begins today

    The first official visit of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will begin in India today (8 March). Albanese is in India for India-Australia Summit which will be concluded on 11 March.

  11. Narendra Modi mixes politics and sport at India-Australia fourth Test

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have been feted in front of a roaring crowd of some 50,000 people at the fourth Australia-India cricket test in Ahmedabad.

  12. Australian PM India visit LIVE: PM Anthony Albanese ...

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is on a four-day trip to India, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi on Friday. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that Australia wants to cooperate with India and build a relationship in culture, economic relations and in the area of security.

  13. Narendra Modi Australia visit: Thousands turn out for Indian Prime

    India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Sydney International Airport on May 22, 2023, to begin his three-day official visit to Australia. ... Albanese said ahead of Modi's visit relations ...

  14. Australian PM Anthony Albanese Begins 4-Day India Visit With Holi

    The scholarships are part of the larger Maitri programme, which aims to strengthen cultural, educational, and community ties between Australia and India." PM Modi, Australian Counterpart To Watch Test Match On Thursday: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese will attend the first day of the fourth Test ...

  15. India and Australia set to hold talks to boost defense and strategic

    Updated 11:43 PM PDT, November 19, 2023. NEW DELHI (AP) — India and Australia are set to hold talks focused on bolstering their strategic, defense and security ties on Monday in New Delhi. Australia's foreign minister Penny Wong and defense minister Richard Marles arrived to meet with their counterparts for the second India-Australia 2+2 ...

  16. Australian PM Albanese to visit Gujarat in March

    00:00. 1x 1.5x 1.8x. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat next month. Albanese, who is scheduled to land in Ahmedabad on March 8 afternoon, will have an interaction with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar, following which he will preside over an education event the same evening in ...

  17. Cricket, trade and more: Highlights from Australian PM's visit to India

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in India on 8 March on a four-day visit. This was his first official visit to India after taking over the office in May 2022.

  18. Australian PM Anthony Albanese to visit India next month, may watch

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to make his maiden trip to India early March with an aim to boost bilateral engagement in a range of areas, including trade, investment and ...

  19. Australian PM Anthony Albanese to visit India next month

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to make his maiden trip to India early next month with an aim to boost overall bilateral engagement in a range of areas, including trade, investment and critical minerals. People familiar with the plan for his visit said on Monday that Albanese is expected to begin the visit around March 8 and he and Prime Minister Narerndra Modi are likely to ...

  20. Australian PM Anthony Albanese to visit India from March 8-11

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will pay a four-day visit to India from March 8 with an aim to boost overall bilateral engagement in a range of areas including trade, investment and ...

  21. Indian Foreign Minister Visits Australia Amid Deepening Relations

    The two countries are finalizing a trade agreement to be signed during the Australian prime minister's visit to India. The two countries had earlier signed an interim trade deal in April 2022.

  22. Australian PM Albanese to attend G20 summit in Delhi

    Australia on August 12 announced that its Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the G20 summit in Delhi on September 9 and 10. The Australian Prime Minister's visit to India will be part ...

  23. Australia Gets Its Most Senior Chinese Leadership Visit Since 2017

    Wang is the most senior Chinese official to visit Australia since then-Premier Li Keqiang met with then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2017. Plans for current Chinese Premier Li Qiang to visit ...

  24. Narendra Modi is asking India to extend his term as one of the most

    Narendra Modi is seeking a third term in power as India's prime minister. ( Reuters: Altaf Hussain ) Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world, but much of his life is shrouded ...

  25. India's Modi speaks to Putin, Zelenskiy ahead of top Ukraine minister's

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate phone calls on Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy and discussed strengthening ties with both, ahead ...