Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 6 (ANI): Australia is looking to deepen its space sector partnership with India, with an MoU between Australian companies and the Indian space industry expected to be signed during the Bengaluru Space Expo 2026 (BSX), Steven Connolly, Acting Consul General of Australia in Bengaluru, said on Sunday. 

Speaking to ANI, Connolly said Australia was "really looking forward" to participating in the Bengaluru Space Expo 2026 and bringing a delegation of Australian space companies to engage with Indian firms.

"Australia has a space industry, as does India, and particularly as does Bengaluru. There are some really excellent space companies in Australia. We're bringing across a delegation," Connolly said.

He highlighted the existing partnership between Australia's Space Machines Company and India's Ananth Technologies to design technology in Australia and launch it in India.

Connolly also highlighted Australia's support for India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.

"Australia is very proud to be working with India on Gaganyaan, for example. We're providing support to track the launch modules for some of those Gaganyaan launches," he said.

Calling Australia a "proud partner" of India's space programme, Connolly said the two countries had complementary capabilities and significant scope to expand cooperation.

"This is not about competition. This is about working together with India," he said.

The Australian official said there was a "very warm government-to-government" relationship in the space sector and that Australian companies, including smaller firms with niche capabilities, could find opportunities to work with Indian companies.

Asked about an MoU expected at the expo, Connolly said, "There is an MoU I believe that will be signed tomorrow. I can't give you the details of it today."

He said the agreement would involve "a number of Australian companies working with the Indian space industry" and would demonstrate steps being taken to deepen the partnership.

On Australia's growing openness to India's private space sector, Connolly said, "Australia is open for business" and expressed the country's keenness to attract Indian investment.

"India is developing its own launch capability; Australia is doing the same," he said, adding that Australia had niche capabilities in areas including satellite tracking and launch.

"So, I look forward to that growing. I look forward to that going from strength to strength as India's space industry grows and as Australia's space industry grows, we can certainly grow together," Connolly said.

On education ties, Connolly said around 160,000 Indian students are currently studying in Australia and described international education as a core part of the Australia-India bilateral relationship.

He also highlighted the growing presence of Australian universities in India, saying the University of New South Wales had started its first batch of around 80 students in Bengaluru, while Flinders University from South Australia is expected to welcome students next year.

"We are really, really proud to be educating the next generations of Indian students, whether that's studying in Australia at an Australian top-tier university, whether it's studying here in India closer to family," he said.

Connolly said Australian universities operating in India would provide the same quality of education and degrees as their counterparts in Australia, while also offering work-placement opportunities and focusing on making students employment-ready.

"We already have a very deep education partnership with India, and we welcome Indian students every year, as we always have done," he said. 

According to the official LinkedIn account of Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX), the ninth edition of BSX 2026 will be held from September 7 to 9 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru. The biennial international exhibition and conference is being organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in association with ISRO, and in partnership with ISRO, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

India's space sector has witnessed "tremendous growth" over the past decade, with advances in space programmes driven by the efforts of ISRO and the government's push to enhance private-sector participation in the sector.

The account said BSX 2026, billed as Asia's largest space exhibition and conference, will bring together global industry leaders, innovators, policymakers and space enthusiasts to foster collaboration, share insights and showcase cutting-edge advancements in space technology. The event will feature exhibitions, workshops and networking opportunities focused on technologies shaping the future of space exploration. (ANI)