Australia and India continue to strengthen cooperation on cyber, critical technologies and supply chains as part of our shared vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, where the rules-based international order is upheld.
In July 2026, Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Modi announced the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS), elevating bilateral cooperation across five pillars: supply chain resilience and diversification, cybersecurity, critical technology, digital resilience, and defence research.
Through PACTS, Australia and India are working together to harness the technologies that will shape future economic growth while addressing increasingly complex cyber and technology challenges. Cooperation focuses on strengthening national capabilities, supporting research, industry and business linkages, and promoting security, safety, resilience and inclusivity across the region.
The Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP) is a key component of this broader cooperation. Established in 2020, the AICCTP supports collaboration between Australian and Indian government, research, business and civil society organisations through research grants, policy exchanges, information sharing and awareness-raising activities.
The AICCTP Grants Program supports collaborative research projects that advance shared understanding of ethical frameworks, best practice and technical standards for cyber and critical technologies. Through these projects, the program contributes to the responsible development and use of emerging technologies in Australia, India and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
About the AICCTP Grants Program
The AICCTP grants program supports Australia-India collaborative research projects to advance our shared understanding of ethical frameworks, best practice, and technical standards for cyber and critical technology to boost the responsible development and use of emerging technologies between our countries and in our region.
Since its establishment in 2020, AICCTP had opened five grant rounds and funded 28 collaborative research projects on cyber and critical technology, which will help shape a global technology environment that meets our shared vision of peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, where the rules-based international order is upheld.
Examples of previous collaborative projects funded by the program include developing governance frameworks and best practices for emerging quantum technologies; operationalising ethical frameworks in the critical technology supply chains of global companies; and addressing privacy and security challenges in next generation telecommunications networks.
AICCTP Grant Recipients and Projects
Grant Round 5 (2025)
| Grant Recipient Partners | Grant Project |
|---|---|
| Australia-India Institute, University of Melbourne La Trobe University and International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B) | Furthering Submarine Cable Supply Chains: An Australia-India Framework for Manufacturing, Installation, and Repair Security |
| Swinburne University of Technology, Deakin University, Indian Institute of Technology Palakka, River Venture Studio (Singapore), Kumaraguru College of Technology | Australia-India Partnership: Addressing Barriers to Safe, Standards-Based Al Adoption |
| CSIRO, Indian Institute of Technology Jammu, Infopercept Consulting Pty. Ltd. | Generative Al Risk Modelling for Cybercrime in the Indo-Pacific: Toward Unified Governance |
| Flinders University, Swan Foresight Pty Ltd, Cybentus, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design & Manufacturing, Kurnool, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, RMIT | Australia-lndo-Pacific Cyber Resilience and Incident Response for Critical Energy Infrastructure |
| Deakin University Indian Institute of Technology Madras | A Data-Driven Framework for Post-Quantum Cryptography Migration in the Indo-Pacific Region |
| RMIT University, EkStep | Developing an International Standard for Gender Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure: Ensuring secure, safe-by-design access to services, products, and opportunities for women and girls |
| La Trobe University, Deakin University and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur | Securing Critical Supply Chains of Energy Infrastructure using Al and Blockchains |
| Deakin University, Vellore Institute of Technology and Symbiosis International University | Quantum-Safe Digital Public Infrastructure |
| University of Sydney IT for Change | Designing Techno-Legal Standards for Open and Competitive Al Economies: Evidence-based learning for practitioners, researchers, and regulators from Australia and India |
Grant Round 4 (2024)
| Grant Recipient Partners | Grant Project |
|---|---|
| Australia India Institute, University of Melbourne International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore | Securing the Internet's Backbone: Developing an Australia-India Framework for Strengthening Submarine Cable Connectivity, Resilience and Supply Chains |
| Australian National University Inklude Labs | Joint Impact Assessment of Critical Emerging Technologies in Support of Peace and Stability |
| CSIRO Quantum Ecosystems Technology Council of India (QETCI) The ISB Institute of Data Science | Foundational Principles for Responsible Development and Use of Quantum Technologies in the Indo-Pacific Region |
| Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) UQ Cyber, University of Queensland | A Paradigmatic Shift in Public Service Delivery: Accessible, Inclusive, and Secure DPI |
| Monash University Dharmashastra National Law University Jabalpur | Developing an Ethical Framework for using Blockchain-based Digital Credential Systems: Tackling the issue of Fake Degrees |
| National Institute of Strategic Resilience Quantum Hub | Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure (DPIs) to advance innovation in the Indo Pacific |
Grant Round 3 (2023)
| Grant Recipient Partners | Grant Project |
|---|---|
University of Wollongong Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) | Standardisation and development of practical privacy enhancing cryptographic techniques for cloud computing |
The University of Sydney Observer Research Foundation (ORF) | Critical Quantum Technology: Creating Scientific Fluency, Ethical Awareness and Policy Options for a Quantum Future |
The University of Western Australia IT for Change | Effective Ethical Frameworks for the State as an Enabler of Innovation |
Swinburne University Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad (IIT Palakkad) Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) | Responsible Al for Net Zero – An Australian and India Collaborative Approach |
The Australian National University InKlude Labs | New ethical frameworks for synthetic biology in the Indo-Pacific |
National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law, India University of Melbourne Ikigai Law | 101:BUILD: Building IncLusivity by Design in AI/ML Powered Healthtech: an Indo-Australian Partnership for International Policy Making |
Grant Round 2 (2022)
| Grant Recipient Partners | Grant Project |
|---|---|
The Australian National University (ANU) – The Tech Policy Design Centre and College of Law National Law University Delhi | Shaping blockchain technical standards consistent with Australia and India's shared vision of an open, free, rules-based Indo-Pacific |
Victoria University Gujarat National Law University | Cross Border Data Flows Between Australia and India: Understanding the legal, policy and ethical standards for data, cyber security, AI, quantum and new technologies |
Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) The Centre for the Internet and Society India | A techdiplomacy and negotiation guide on technical standards for Artificial Intelligence in the Indo-Pacific |
Consumer Unity and Trust Society of India Australian Risk Policy Institute International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) | Ethical 6G - Identifying Elements of Ethical Framework for 6G and Creating Opportunities for India and Australia |
Grant Round 1 (2021)
All Grant Round 1 projects are completed.
| Grant Recipient Partners | Grant Project |
|---|---|
The University of Sydney School of Computer Science University of New South Wales Orbit Australia Reliance Jio Indian Institute of Technology Madras Calligo Technologies | Next Generation Telecommunications Networks: Privacy and Security Challenges, Regulatory Interventions and Policy Framework Project |
The University of Sydney Centre for International Security Studies Observer Research Foundation (ORF) | Quantum Meta-ethics: A Project to Develop Normative Frameworks, Best Practices and Effective Accords for Emerging Quantum Technologies |
La Trobe University Indian Institute of Gandhingar Indian Institute of Kanpur | Operationalising Ethical Frameworks in the critical technologies industries operating in India and Australia |