Australia India Institute

What Australia India Institute does

The Australia India Institute (AII) is a non-profit policy research institute founded in 2008 and hosted at the University of Melbourne, with approximately 35 staff. It is positioned as Australia's leading centre dedicated to the Australia-India bilateral relationship and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, operating across five named programmes: Security & Geopolitics (with a Defence sub-programme and a Seabed programme focused on submarine cable security), Sustainable Economies, Cultural Diplomacy, Education, and the Seabed programme. Its underlying technology footprint is minimal — AII does not sell commercial products; its deliverables are policy research, publications, and a portfolio of branded track-1.5 dialogues (Australia India Leadership Dialogue, Defence Conclave, Cables Dialogue, Kolkata Dialogue, Sydney Defence Tech Dialogue, Renewables Dialogue, plus newer 2025 events in Fiji and a trilateral Australia-India-Indonesia format).

The institute also operates the ARCH-India researcher cooperation platform (arch-india.org) and the Australia India Women Researchers' Exchange (AIWE) as collaboration infrastructure. Its revenue model is grant- and partnership-based rather than commercial: AII is funded through the Australian Government, the State Government of Victoria, the University of Melbourne, a DFAT grant under the Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership, and institutional partnerships with bodies such as Investment NSW, ANU National Security College, La Trobe University, and India's Observer Research Foundation. Its customer base is therefore not commercial buyers but a stakeholder set of government policymakers, academic institutions, think tanks, and the Indian diaspora in Australia, consuming AII's research, dialogues, and media commentary (with senior staff appearing on ABC, Bloomberg TV, CNN-News18, and the Australian Financial Review).

Name

Australia India Institute

Legal name

Australia India Institute

Website

https://aii.unimelb.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Australia India Institute is a non-profit policy research centre founded in 2008, hosted at the University of Melbourne, that produces research, publications, and track-1.5 dialogues to strengthen the Australia-India bilateral relationship across security, sustainable economies, cultural diplomacy, and education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration (BPAIAIAG)

Keywords

• Policy research
• Bilateral relations
• Track 1.5 dialogue
• Geopolitical analysis
• Research institute

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Australia India Institute is a non-profit research and policy centre dedicated to promoting support for and understanding of the Australia-India bilateral relationship and Indo-Pacific cooperation. It delivers policy research, hosts track 1.5 dialogues, and runs education and cultural exchange programs including the ARCH-India researcher cooperation platform.

Product overview

The Australia India Institute is Australia’s leading research and policy centre dedicated to the Australia-India bilateral relationship. Rather than a unified software product, it offers a portfolio of programs (Security & Geopolitics, Sustainable Economies, Cultural Diplomacy, Education, and Seabed Programs), event-based dialogues (including the Australia India Renewables Dialogue, Defence Conclave, Cables Dialogue, Kolkata Dialogue, and Sydney Defence Tech Dialogue), and the ARCH-India researcher cooperation platform. The institute also produces policy publications on strategic topics such as Indo-Pacific submarine cable security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Security & Geopolitics Program
• Sustainable Economies Program
• Cultural Diplomacy Program
• Education Program
• Seabed Program
• ARCH-India
• Australia India Women Researchers' Exchange (AIWE)
• Australia India Renewables Dialogue
• Australia India Defence Conclave
• Australia-India Cables Dialogue
• Kolkata Dialogue
• Sydney Defence Tech Dialogue
• Securing Indo-Pacific Submarine Cable Networks Report

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• ANU National Security CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2024Co-hosted roundtable on Indian Ocean Maritime Security in Canberra with ANU National Security College.
• Investment New South WalesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2024Partnership with Investment NSW for the Australia India Renewables Dialogue on sidelines of Australian Clean Energy Summit.
• University of MelbournecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe institute is hosted at and supported by the University of Melbourne, providing academic infrastructure and research capabilities.
• Australian GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Australian Government is a key partner in supporting the institute's work on bilateral relations.
• State Government of VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVictoria State Government partners with the institute to promote Australia-India relations.
• Observer Research Foundation (India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with India's leading think tank for the Kolkata Dialogue to promote Australia-India cooperation in building resilience and security of Indo-Pacific Island States.
• La Trobe UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch Fellow Dr Samuel Bashfield is based at La Trobe University, contributing to Indo-Pacific security research.
• Australian India Women's Coalition (AIWC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization, focused on women-related exchanges between Australia and India.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Perth USAsia Centre: Australian think tank focused on the Indo-Pacific with policy research and convening. Overlaps with AII on Indo-Pacific policy, geopolitical analysis, and Australia-Asia engagement.
• Brookings Institution: Large US-based public policy organization covering international affairs including India and the Indo-Pacific. Comparable as an established, multi-program policy research institution.
• Atlantic Council: US-based international affairs think tank with significant Indo-Pacific programming. Comparable as a global policy research and convening institution with government and corporate partnerships.
• Centre for Policy Research (India): Leading Indian public policy think tank covering governance, economic, and foreign policy issues. Comparable as a non-government policy research body engaging Indian and international audiences.

Emerging players

• India Foundation: India-based think tank focused on foreign policy and international relations, with growing engagement on Australia-India ties. Comparable as a foreign policy research and dialogue body.

Direct peers

• Lowy Institute: Australia's premier international affairs think tank. Overlaps directly with AII on Indo-Pacific foreign policy research, policy commentary, and government engagement.
• Australian Strategic Policy Institute: Australian defense and strategic policy think tank. Directly comparable on security and geopolitics research, including the Indo-Pacific, where AII's Security & Geopolitics program competes for mindshare and funding.
• Carnegie India: Carnegie Endowment's India center, focused on Indian foreign policy, security, and political economy. Comparable as an internationally backed policy research outlet working on India-related international affairs.
• Observer Research Foundation: India's leading foreign policy think tank and a confirmed AII partner via the Kolkata Dialogue. Directly comparable as a non-partisan policy research institute focused on international relations and Indo-Pacific issues.
• Ananta Centre: India-based policy dialogue platform with a strong Australia-India track. Comparable niche focus on bilateral dialogue, policy convening, and track 1.5 engagement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aiinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australia India Institute