American singer Mary Millben has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-country tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, describing the reception he received as evidence of India’s growing diplomatic and economic influence.
Millben said on Sunday that the engagements demonstrated how governments across the Indo-Pacific increasingly viewed India as a preferred destination for business and investment. Writing on X, she highlighted the ceremonial welcomes extended to Modi and the agreements reached during the six-day tour, which ended on Saturday.
Her comments followed a diplomatic campaign designed to advance New Delhi’s Act East Policy, strengthen maritime partnerships and expand commercial links across a region facing intensifying strategic competition. The journey combined defence agreements, business meetings, diaspora events and negotiations on trade, energy and technology.
Modi began the tour in Indonesia, where talks with President Prabowo Subianto produced a major expansion of defence cooperation. Jakarta agreed to acquire BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and Astra air-to-air missiles, advancing New Delhi’s efforts to become a larger defence exporter.
The package is valued at about $630 million and includes training, maintenance, infrastructure and technical support. Indonesia would become the third overseas customer for the BrahMos system, after the Philippines and Vietnam.
Both governments also agreed to widen collaboration in maritime security, health, education, agriculture and energy. Bilateral trade stood at more than $28 billion during 2024-25, making Indonesia one of India’s largest commercial partners within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Modi then travelled to Melbourne for the third India-Australia Annual Leaders’ Summit with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The two leaders sought to broaden a partnership that has expanded through defence exercises, critical-mineral cooperation and the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement implemented in December 2022.
Talks covered the resumption of Australian uranium supplies under peaceful-use safeguards, stronger naval cooperation and further negotiations towards a comprehensive economic partnership. Both sides also identified artificial intelligence, cyber security, clean energy, education and resilient supply chains as priority areas.
Addressing business executives, Modi described India as a long-term investment opportunity and encouraged Australian companies to participate in infrastructure, manufacturing, renewable energy and technology projects. AustralianSuper announced plans to invest A$500 million in infrastructure and other growth sectors.
Modi and Albanese also appeared at a large community gathering in Melbourne, underscoring the political and cultural role of the diaspora. Australia is home to one of the world’s fastest-growing communities of people with roots in India, strengthening links in education, skilled migration, tourism and entrepreneurship.
The Australian leg also drew protests from rights organisations and Sikh groups, which urged Canberra to raise concerns about civil liberties, minority protections and press freedom. The demonstrations highlighted the competing narratives that often accompany Modi’s overseas appearances, where strong diaspora support has existed alongside criticism of his government’s domestic record.
The final stop in New Zealand produced an upgrade of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership following talks with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland. It was Modi’s first official visit to the country as prime minister and the first such journey by a serving prime minister from New Delhi in four decades.
The two governments launched a roadmap extending to 2030 and set a target of doubling trade in goods and services to about ₹35,000 crore. They also signed arrangements covering defence cooperation, maritime safety, education, sports and mobility.
Economic ties between the countries have gained momentum following the conclusion of a free-trade agreement that is intended to reduce tariffs and improve market access. Agriculture remains a sensitive area because New Zealand wants greater access for dairy and farm products, while New Delhi has traditionally protected rural producers from import competition.
Millben’s intervention gave the tour an additional layer of public diplomacy. She has repeatedly praised Modi’s leadership and has appeared at events connected with India-US relations. She performed India’s national anthem during Modi’s state visit to Washington in 2023 and later touched his feet in a gesture that attracted wide attention.
Her latest remarks, however, represent a personal political assessment rather than an official US position. The tour’s longer-term impact will depend on the implementation of defence contracts, investment commitments and trade targets announced across the three capitals.
