Australia-India PACTS Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains
Australia and India have established the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS), which succeeds and replaces the 2020 Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation. This enduring partnership is underpinned by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and aims to support shared interests in national and regional security, empower digital choices, make critical supply chains more resilient, and strengthen global cyber resilience. The partnership demonstrates both countries' commitment to being responsible technology leaders with safety, security, resilience, inclusivity, and shared democratic values built into every stage of their efforts.
Five Pillars of Cooperation
The partnership organizes collaboration under five interrelated pillars, with specific projects to support collaboration between private sector, universities, research institutions, and government agencies.
Pillar 1: Supply Chain Resilience and Diversification focuses on developing secure, resilient supply chains through a bilateral mechanism for trusted vendor frameworks, cooperation on secure undersea cable connectivity across the Indo-Pacific (including through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience), collaboration between research institutes on semiconductor supply chain protection, development of secure critical minerals supply chains, and promotion of commercial collaboration and trade diversification.
Pillar 2: Critical Technology aims to strengthen security, resilience and integrity of priority technologies including artificial intelligence, space technologies, telecommunications, biotechnology and advanced materials. Specific initiatives include advancing international standards for trustworthy AI, sharing approaches on securing access to compute and AI infrastructure, refocusing research and innovation partnerships on advanced materials, telecommunications and biotechnology, and exploring collaboration on joint space sector initiatives.
Pillar 3: Cybersecurity focuses on bolstering cyber safety and security through establishing a consolidated bilateral mechanism in cyber and ICT fields, strengthening cooperation in UN-mandated cyber processes, enhancing dialogue on data governance architecture, increasing trade and investment opportunities in cybersecurity ventures, facilitating joint workshops for government agencies, and creating a cyber tech skill incubator hub.
Pillar 4: Digital Resilience seeks to deliver trusted technology solutions for digitalizing economies across the Indo-Pacific through partnership exchanges on India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) principles, scaling affordable DPI solutions in areas such as renewable energy, critical infrastructure, health, education and research, and promoting Indian and Australian expertise on digital resilience through pilot projects and capacity building initiatives.
Pillar 5: Defence Research Collaboration will leverage defence research partnerships to advance understanding of multi-domain defence challenges, building on past joint research and increasing exchanges between defence science organizations under the existing Implementing Arrangement concerning cooperation in Defence Science and Technology. This includes strengthening dialogue through Defence Ministers' Dialogue and related forums, building institutional connections between Australia's Defence Science and Technology Group and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation, facilitating ties between defence innovation ecosystems, and focusing on maritime science and technology capabilities.
Governance Structure
The Partnership will be chaired at senior level by the Australian Deputy Secretary International and Security Group, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Indian Deputy National Security Advisor. Annual Senior Officials Meetings will coordinate under each pillar, review priorities, assess progress, and identify new projects. The implementation structure designates specific leads for each pillar: National Security Council Secretariat (India) and Office of the Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology (Australia) for supply chain resilience and critical technology; Cyber Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs (India) and Office of the Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology (Australia) for cybersecurity; Oceania Division, Ministry of External Affairs (India) and Office of the Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology (Australia) for digital resilience; and Ministry of Defence (India) and Department of Defence (Australia) for defence research collaboration.