Australia is strengthening the expertise guiding its engagement with India, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong appointing Professor Veena Sahajwalla, Robin Khuda and Faz Pollard to the advisory board of the Centre for Australia-India Relations. Four existing members – Amrit Gill, Catriona Jackson, Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM and Amit Singh – have also been reappointed to the board.
The appointments bring together experience from scientific research, sustainable manufacturing, digital infrastructure and business, adding perspectives that reflect the increasingly broad nature of the relationship between Australia and India. The advisory board provides strategic guidance to the Centre, whose work spans areas including commerce, education, science, technology, arts, health and sport.
Professor Sahajwalla, based at UNSW Sydney, is internationally recognised for her work in materials science and resource recovery. She leads the University’s Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology, where researchers have developed technologies designed to convert discarded materials into useful resources and support more sustainable forms of manufacturing.
Her appointment also builds on an established connection with India. Sahajwalla has been involved in Australia-India cooperation involving research, innovation and sustainable industry, including work exploring how technologies developed in Australia can contribute to cleaner manufacturing. Her recent engagements have included discussions around recycling, resource security and opportunities for both countries to benefit from science-led industrial collaboration.
Robin Khuda brings a different area of expertise through his leadership in the technology and data-centre sector. As founder and chief executive of AirTrunk, he has been involved in the development of major digital infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific. His business has also announced significant expansion plans in India, reflecting the country’s rapidly increasing demand for computing capacity linked to cloud services and artificial intelligence.
AirTrunk’s proposed Indian expansion is particularly significant to the broader economic relationship. The company has outlined plans involving more than 3 trillion Indian rupees in investment through 2030 and approximately five gigawatts of planned data-centre capacity. A major component of the proposed expansion is a large-scale facility in Maharashtra, highlighting the growing intersection between Australian investment, Indian infrastructure development and the global digital economy.
Faz Pollard, director of Adarsh Australia, has also been appointed to the board. His inclusion adds business and community experience to a group that is intended to help identify practical opportunities for closer engagement. Together, the three new appointments provide expertise across sectors that are increasingly important to Australia’s economic relationship with India.
The Centre for Australia-India Relations was established by the Australian Government in 2023 as a platform for developing stronger links between the two countries. It works across government, business, academia and civil society, with the broader objective of encouraging deeper and more sustained connections between Australian and Indian institutions and communities.
The timing of the appointments is significant as Australia and India continue to expand their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Recent engagement has included cooperation in areas such as clean energy, education, tourism, critical minerals, technology and research. The Australian Government has also identified India as an important partner for expanding economic opportunities and strengthening connections across the Indo-Pacific.
For the Indian Australian community, the appointments provide another indication of the increasingly diverse expertise contributing to the bilateral relationship. The board’s responsibilities extend beyond diplomacy, with its work expected to support practical connections involving companies, universities, researchers, cultural organisations and community networks.
With scientific innovation, digital infrastructure and business leadership now represented alongside the experience of continuing board members, the expanded advisory group will help shape the Centre’s priorities at an important stage in Australia-India relations. Its effectiveness will ultimately be measured by how successfully those connections translate into sustained partnerships, investment, research collaboration and people-to-people engagement.
