Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi met Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green and London School of Economics Professor Susan Marks in New Delhi on 23 September, according to the All India Congress Committee.
The meeting brought together Gandhi, Australia’s senior diplomatic representative in India and an international law academic at a time when India-Australia relations are expanding across trade, technology, agriculture, healthcare and regional cooperation.
The All India Congress Committee confirmed the meeting through its official media records. Professor Susan Marks is Professor of International Law at the London School of Economics, where she joined the faculty in 2010 after previously teaching at King’s College London and the University of Cambridge. She is also a Fellow of the British Academy.
The meeting with Green comes amid increasing engagement between India and Australia on bilateral and regional issues. The two countries have been working through both their direct relationship and the Quad, which brings together India, Australia, Japan and the United States.
Green recently spoke about the changing scope of the Quad and Australia’s engagement with India, describing the grouping as becoming broader and more coordinated. He pointed to areas including maritime domain awareness and subsea cables as examples of practical cooperation involving the four countries.
The Australian High Commissioner also referred to a Quad tabletop exercise in Tokyo focused on the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network. According to Green, the exercise reflected an effort by the four countries to concentrate on practical areas where regional cooperation can deliver tangible outcomes.
Agriculture and agricultural technology have emerged as another area of potential cooperation. Green has said Australia is looking at ways to connect its agricultural technology and expertise with Indian capabilities and local requirements, including through the broader economic relationship and ongoing discussions surrounding trade.
The agricultural focus reflects the broader evolution of India-Australia economic ties, which increasingly extend beyond traditional areas of engagement. Critical minerals, advanced technology, supply chains, agriculture and other emerging sectors are now part of discussions between the two countries.
Healthcare technology was another area highlighted by Green in his recent engagement with India. He has spoken particularly about cochlear implants, technology developed in Australia that is now used internationally, including variants available in India.
Green has argued that wider access to cochlear implant technology could make a significant difference for people with profound hearing loss. During a recent visit to an organisation working in hearing care, he also highlighted the importance of early identification, access to implants and long-term rehabilitation.
The Australian High Commissioner has also highlighted India’s scientific and technological capabilities, saying there are opportunities for Australian innovation and Indian expertise to work together in areas where technology can address practical needs.
The meeting between Gandhi, Green and Marks therefore took place against a wider backdrop of expanding India-Australia engagement. While the AICC announcement did not publicly provide details of the subjects discussed during the meeting itself, the broader relationship between India and Australia currently encompasses diplomacy, trade, technology, agriculture, healthcare and Indo-Pacific cooperation.
The presence of Professor Marks also added an academic dimension to the meeting. Her work in international law and human rights provides an additional connection to wider discussions around international affairs and the legal frameworks that shape relations between countries.
For India and Australia, the continued engagement of political leaders, diplomats, academics and institutions reflects the breadth of the relationship. Cooperation through the Quad operates alongside bilateral initiatives, giving the two countries multiple channels through which to discuss regional and global issues.
As both countries continue expanding their partnership, areas such as agricultural technology, healthcare innovation, critical technologies, supply-chain resilience and regional security are expected to remain important elements of the India-Australia relationship.
The New Delhi meeting between Rahul Gandhi, Philip Green and Susan Marks adds to that broader diplomatic and academic engagement, bringing together perspectives from Indian politics, Australian diplomacy and international law at a time of increasingly wide-ranging India-Australia cooperation.
