A space start up exchange, research identifying drought-resilient chickpeas and a disability‐inclusive virtual healthcare pilot are among the recipients of this year’s Australia-India Council (AIC) grants.

The announcement comes as we celebrate 75 years of India’s independence, as well as thirty years of the AIC.

Over that time, the AIC has helped advance Australia’s foreign policy and trade interests – strengthening the people to people and institutional bonds between Australia and India.

The grants program is key to fostering understanding and encouraging collaboration between our two countries.

There are nine successful projects that will receive a share of $935,000 of funding, including:

• The University of South Australia’s space start-up exchange and trade visit, which will connect deep technology space companies and their respective research, industry and investment networks and fast-track market entry and investment.
• The University of Western Australia’s mapping of fish biomass on the continental shelves of India and Australia, which will generate data on blue carbon storage capacity.
• The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University’s investigation into mango cultivars and their pollinators which will inform industry recommendations to both India and Australia to respond to the impacts of climate change.
• Flinders University’s collaboration with Murdoch University and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics which will identify high-performing chickpea variants with low water and nitrogen requirements for increased drought tolerance and reduced fertiliser use.
• The Nossal Institute’s “Virtu-Care” which will produce a tele-health care model that specifically meets the health and rehabilitation needs of people with disability.

The full list of successful grant recipients is available on the AIC website.

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Authorised by Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia.