Melbourne [Australia], July 9 (ANI): Chief Executive Officer of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ), Nuno Matos, on Thursday called India 'one of the most powerful nations in the world,' highlighting its economic reforms, technological transformation and sustained high growth.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the Australia CEO Forum on Clean Energy and Nuclear Partnerships in Melbourne, Matos said India has emerged as a major global economic force and continues to attract strong international interest.

'In India, it's a very strong nation at this point in time. India has done a lot of reforms. It's performing very well, and it's transforming its business for the future based on technology, on renewables, on other sectors like EVs So India clearly is attracting a lot of attention from the rest of the world,' he said.

Highlighting India's economic performance, Matos said the country has maintained one of the fastest growth rates among major economies.

'India has been growing at almost 8 per cent in the last five years. It's the leading nation in terms of growth among the G20 nations. So it's a clear and unstoppable reality, and I think India is now, if you want, one of the most powerful nations in the world,' he added.

Earlier, unlocking a monumental chapter in bilateral relations, India and Australia on Thursday vaulted their partnership into a highly strategic orbit with the signing of a landmark nuclear energy agreement under which Canberra will supply uranium to fuel New Delhi's civil atomic programme.

Delivering a joint press conference alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Melbourne, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the atomic breakthrough a transformative catalyst for India's ecological targets.

'Australia will supply uranium to India. We have signed an important agreement in the field of nuclear energy. It will give new momentum to our clean energy goals,' PM Modi announced.

The Prime Minister framed the deepening consensus within a shared geopolitical vision, noting that India and Australia, as 'two vibrant democracies, multicultural societies and important ocean powers', share a common worldview that continues to strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

He further noted that the third Annual Summit had added new dimensions to bilateral ties.

Formally confirming the historic uranium arrangement, Prime Minister Albanese stated that the two countries had signed an arrangement to enable uranium exports to India for peaceful purposes under the 2015 Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

Bolstering high-tech supply chains, PM Modi said India and Australia would work together on a Critical Minerals Corridor to strengthen resilient supply chains and support the clean energy transition.

These high-level frameworks materialise at a defining moment as both countries seek to strengthen cooperation in clean energy, critical minerals, defence, technology and Indo-Pacific security, with the two leaders reaffirming their commitment to a stable, secure and prosperous region. (ANI)