Australia and India are set to be more prescriptive and streamlined in their joint cyber initiatives through a new partnership launched last week. On 9 July, the two countries unveiled the Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS), which will streamline cyber dialogues and working groups to remove duplication. Replacing the 2020 framework, PACTS aims to counter cybercrime, deter malicious cyber activities and ultimately bolster cyber trade and capacity building. It will also establish practical workshops and a cyber skill incubator hub. The partnership is intended to be more prescriptive than its predecessor, with clearer announcements. PACTS is India’s latest security tech partnership, following the TRUST initiative with the United States and the Technology Security Initiative with Britain. It promises top-level synergy with Australia to deliver outcomes. Firstly, PACTS aims to consolidate and rationalise the bilateral mechanism in cybersecurity, removing duplication across working groups and dialogues. Since 2014, there have been five rounds of cyber policy dialogues led by India’s External Affairs Ministry (MEA) and Australia’s Department of Foreign Trade (DFAT), as well as the 2022 India-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Cyber Framework Dialogue. The countries have also held two joint working groups since 2020, one on information and communications technology and the other on cybersecurity cooperation. Under PACTS, cyber dialogues and working groups will still be led by MEA and DFAT but overseen by the deputy national security adviser of the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in India and the deputy secretary of the International and Security Group within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) in Australia. They will provide strategic oversight and hold annual review meetings to track progress. India’s NSCS is well positioned to oversee this partnership, following the 2024 Allocation of Business Rules amendment which made it responsible for overall coordination and strategic direction