India and Australia Finalize Commercial Uranium Export Deal

Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese finalized the Administrative Arrangement of the India-Australia Civil Nuclear Agreement during their third annual summit in Melbourne on July 9, 2026. This deal operationalizes a 2014 pact, enabling private Australian mining companies to enter direct commercial contracts with Indian private sector entities. The uranium is intended exclusively for peaceful, civilian energy purposes and is monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The agreement follows negotiations to establish a reporting formula that satisfies International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards while remaining consistent with India's reporting framework. The deal is supported by India's 2025 SHANTI Act, which opened the domestic nuclear sector to private players and reduced liability risks.

India aims to reach 1,000 gigawatts of nuclear energy capacity by 2047 and seeks to diversify its energy sources amid geopolitical stress in the Hormuz region following U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran. For Australia, the arrangement diversifies export markets to reduce economic dependence on China. While Prime Minister Modi described Australia's reserves as critical to India's ambitions, David Shoebridge of the Australian Greens expressed concern that the exports could potentially support India's nuclear weapons program.