SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Institutions: Ministry of Commerce & Industry | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
NASSCOM and the Technology Council of Australia (TCA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand India-Australia collaboration in technology industries, digital trade, and innovation ecosystems. This partnership, formalised at TCA’s National Tech Summit in Sydney on September 16, 2025, aims to bolster B2B engagement, knowledge exchange, market access, and policy dialogue for the tech sectors in both countries. It aligns with the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA-FTA) and anticipates synergies with the upcoming Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). Key priorities include enabling smoother trade flows in technology, easing regulatory hurdles for tech businesses, and driving innovation-led growth by linking startups, deep tech firms, and research bodies.
This MoU is significant because it represents industry-level cooperation that complements formal trade diplomacy, helping to lower non-tariff barriers and improving ease of doing business between India and Australia in technology services and goods. For India, this could mean better access to Australian tech markets, more opportunities for Indian tech firms to scale globally, and a chance to collaboratively set standards in emerging areas (e.g. AI, digital services regulation).
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can Indian regulators and trade bodies ensure that this tech-industry MoU translates into concrete regulatory reforms and infrastructure support that benefit both large firms and smaller startups?
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