The Prime Minister's Office announced the India-Australia Roadmap for Sports Collaboration, building on the 2023 MoU on Cooperation in Sports to strengthen bilateral relations through sports. This future-focused roadmap identifies practical priorities aligned with shared capabilities and resources, recognizing the decade of opportunity ahead including the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and India's ambition to host future Olympic Games.
The roadmap establishes five key focus areas for collaboration. Capacity Building initiatives include sharing best practices for High-Performance Sports Centres in India, prioritizing Para sport collaboration including classification and coaching expertise, facilitating two-way coach exchanges using a Train the Trainer approach, establishing a physical education exchange program, promoting yoga collaboration through World Yogasana, developing Indian coaches through the India Australia High Performance Coach Development program, and exploring student scholarships for Indian sportspersons in Australian high-performance programs.
Collaborative Sports Science and Technology Research will encourage joint university research projects on athlete performance analytics, injury prevention, sports nutrition, wearable technology, recovery techniques, and Para sport. It also promotes co-development of sports curriculums and enhances anti-doping cooperation through Sport Integrity Australia and National Anti-Doping Agency India supporting WADA-led capacity building programs.
Major Sporting Events collaboration includes exchanging best practices for hosting large events, hosting exhibition matches and youth events for sports like Kabaddi, Kho Kho, Australian Football League, and basketball, establishing reciprocal arrangements for shared facilities during major games, and committing to host annual Big Bash League matches in India starting with the inaugural match in Chennai in December 2026.
Sports Industry and Investment Platform initiatives build on the Australia-funded Sports Industry Summit in Mumbai in December 2026 to promote collaboration in sports equipment manufacturing, media broadcasting, event management, and sports start-ups. The platform will facilitate business information sessions and expand India's export of sports goods to Australia while increasing Australian exports of high-performance sports expertise.
Women in Sports Partnership will launch joint initiatives promoting women's leadership, health, high performance, and participation through bilateral tournaments and drawing on Australian Sports Commission's flagship programs, recognizing sport as a pathway for women's economic empowerment and social inclusion.
Implementation will be pragmatic and outcomes-focused, with activities prioritized according to available resources and major event timelines. Cooperation will be delivered through established partnerships with flexible, demand-led arrangements, where resource responsibility is negotiated case-by-case to ensure practical, sustainable, and mutually beneficial outcomes.