Remarks, Bengaluru Tech Summit
17 November 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Namaskara.
G’day everyone – I’m delighted to join you for the Bengaluru Tech Summit.
And I want to thank my good friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi – as well as Vice President Naidu – and Karnataka Chief Bommai – for once again hosting what is the region’s largest technology event.
Our countries share a deep friendship – mateship as we say in Australia, or as you say, maitri.
Australia and India are diverse, multicultural, liberal democracies who seek a world that is prosperous, safe and secure, and where human dignity is best expressed through choice and freedom.
We seek to lift up, not suppress.
To build a better world, rather than to hold back change.
Our vision of the world understands the potential of technology to respond to the challenges of our time – and to lift all – to raise those living standards.
We have witnessed this so powerfully over the past 18 months, with medical breakthroughs now allowing us all to plan for a world after this pandemic.
That same capacity to innovate will be at the fore of all of our efforts addressing climate change and in transitioning to a new energy economy.
We know that technology-leading nations will have greater economic, political and military power – and considerable influence on global norms and values – into the years ahead.
India is a major technology power.
And technology is at the forefront of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which Prime Minister Modi and I signed last year.
We’re already making great progress.
We’re sharing expertise on cyber and critical technologies like quantum computing and AI.
We’re working to make our supply chains more secure and resilient.
We’re collaborating on the mining and processing of critical minerals – like cobalt and lithium and rare earth elements – that are vital to clean energy technologies, and have military applications.
We’re also cooperating on space science, technology, and research – and Australia is proud to be supporting India’s inspirational Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
We’re deepening our education and research links also – vital to technological cooperation.
And we’re working towards a low-emissions technology partnership, which will see us combine efforts on hydrogen and ultra-low-cost solar.
Reducing emissions while driving economic growth in both our economies.
Our countries are also working with the United States and Japan through the Quad Leaders Dialogue.
This is about four like-minded democracies coming together, from our region, to show we can make a positive difference in addressing our region’s biggest challenges.
It’s a very practical and positive partnership – fostering an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem – that’s a big focus of ours.
Together, we’re working to bolster supply chain security, advance the deployment of secure 5G and beyond-5G networks, to combat cyber threats, and secure our critical infrastructure, and much more.
You know, and I know, that technology isn’t developed in a vacuum.
It reflects the values of the societies that create it and use it – in particular how we use it.
So Australia is working with like-minded countries, liberal democracies in particular, to ensure global technology rules and norms reflect those values – liberal democratic values.
I’m pleased a new Australia-India Centre of Excellence for Critical and Emerging Technology Policy will contribute to that effort.
The Centre will bring together Australian and Indian technologists, policy practitioners, academics, researchers and thought leaders.
Helping our nations shape technology governance so it aligns with our values and supports an open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific region.
The Centre will also promote investment opportunities and innovation between Australia and India in technology, and amplify our policy influence globally.
I’m pleased to let you know that Australia is also seeking to establish a new Consulate General in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru is the world’s fastest growing technology hub – of course we want to be part of it.
It is home to a third of India’s unicorn companies.
Australia’s new mission in Bengaluru would expand our diplomatic presence in India to five posts.
Australia will deepen our ties to India’s innovators, to your technologists and entrepreneurs – as well as India’s governments at all levels.
It is appropriate that today as you gather for this Tech Summit in India, that we’re kicking off the first-ever Sydney Dialogue in Australia.
This is a global summit on emerging, critical and cyber technologies – and I’m delighted to be announcing Australia’s first-ever Blueprint for Critical Technologies at that event.
This signals Australia’s firm commitment to shaping the development and adoption of critical technologies internationally, including by working with trusted partners like India.
And I’m honoured that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Sydney Dialogue tomorrow.
The ties that bind our nations are indeed strong and abiding.
We look forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary of India’s independence next year.
And we will continue to work together, in a spirit of mutual trust and understanding, for the security and prosperity of our peoples and the Indo-Pacific region – guided and enabled by technology.
I wish you a most productive and enjoyable summit.
And thank you for having me participate.
Thank you – and vandhanegalu.
