Melbourne, Australia – The Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria (AIIA VIC) is scheduled to host a discussion exploring the Australia-India relationship on Tuesday, 31 March 2026. The event will feature insights from Professor Amitabh Mattoo and The Hon. Lisa Singh, aiming to critically assess the bilateral ties between the two Indo-Pacific nations.

The hybrid event, which includes an in-person component at Level 13, 356 Collins Street, Melbourne, is slated from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. It seeks to provide an analysis of the strategic importance of the Australia-India partnership, identifying its strengths and potential vulnerabilities within a evolving global landscape.

During the event, The Hon. Lisa Singh will also be presented with the Fellow’s Award. She was recognised as a Fellow of the AIIA in 2025 for her dedicated efforts in enhancing Australia’s engagement and understanding of India.

Focus of the Discussion

Both Australia and India are globally and regionally influential nations, sharing democratic principles, significant social and cultural connections, and established bilateral trade and investment relationships. The discussion will address how this vital relationship adapts to a changing world order, evaluating where it serves as an asset and where vulnerabilities may exist.

Distinguished Speakers and Moderator

Professor Amitabh Mattoo currently serves as the Dean of the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and as Chair of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Centre for Security Studies. He is also an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne, and Deputy Chair of the Academic Advisory Board of the German Institute for Global and Area Studies. His previous roles include membership on the Indian National Security Council’s Advisory Board and Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu. Professor Mattoo was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours, for his contributions to public life. He holds a D.Phil in International Relations from St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. He was the founding Director/CEO of the Australia India Institute and remained on its Advisory Board until 2024, now holding a Distinguished Fellow position.

The Hon. Lisa Singh FAIIA is the CEO of the Australia India Institute at the University of Melbourne. In this role, she oversees initiatives to advance Australia-India relations and Indo-Pacific engagement across key areas such as education, sustainability, gender equality, foreign affairs, and culture. A former Australian Senator, she was the first woman of South Asian heritage to be elected to the Australian Parliament. She also served as a Tasmanian Member of Parliament and a Minister in the Tasmanian Government. Her prior engagements include Deputy Chair of the Australian Government’s Australia-India Council and an advisory board position at Asialink, University of Melbourne. The Hon. Lisa Singh is also a Board director of Beyond Blue and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs. In 2014, she received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman from the President of India for her efforts in fostering friendly Australia-India relations, representing the highest civilian honour for a person of Indian origin.

The discussion will be moderated by Dr Michael Moignard, who has a 35-year career as an Australian public servant, specialising in trade and resources policy and promotion. Dr Moignard spent nearly seven years in India as Senior Trade Commissioner for South Asia with the Australian High Commission and served with the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) in various international postings. He became a Fellow of the Australia India Institute in 2013 and was a director of EastWest Academy Pty Ltd from 2014 until 2022. He completed a PhD in art history at La Trobe University in 2021. Dr Moignard is currently a director of Ryder Cheshire Australia and President of its Victorian chapter, an Adjunct Research Fellow at La Trobe University, and a Council Member of The Australian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria.