India and Australia Near New Maritime Cooperation Roadmap – Pact Likely This Year

India and Australia are advancing toward a formal new bilateral maritime cooperation roadmap, building on the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap discussed at the inaugural Australia–India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue (AIDMD) held in October 2025. The two nations are expected to finalise and publish the roadmap within 2026, making it the most substantive maritime cooperation agreement between the two Indo-Pacific democracies to date.

The push comes at a strategically significant moment. The United States’ withdrawal from the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) has created a gap in Indian Ocean maritime security architecture that India and Australia are expected to fill jointly. Australia’s 2026 National Defence Strategy is expected to embed Indian Ocean security as a core pillar, with India as the primary partner.
On the trade side, India now has full tariff-free access to the A$2-trillion Australian market following the complete implementation of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) as of January 1, 2026. Two-way trade between the two countries has crossed A$50 billion for the first time, nearly doubling over the past five years. Negotiations are ongoing to upgrade the relationship to a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) covering services, investment, and digital trade.

For the shipping and logistics sector, deeper India-Australia maritime ties have direct implications for Indian Ocean trade lane security, critical minerals supply chains (where Australian resource wealth and Indian manufacturing capabilities are natural complements), and future port connectivity under India’s Sagarmala 2.0 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. The year 2026 has also been designated as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, adding further momentum to India’s regional maritime diplomacy.