The Australia India Institute has secured funding under the Australia–India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP) to lead a new initiative focused on strengthening submarine cable supply chains across the Indo-Pacific.
The project, titled Furthering Submarine Cable Supply Chains, will support a Track 1.5 dialogue aimed at advancing cooperation between Australia and India to improve the resilience and security of critical digital infrastructure in the region.
Submarine cable networks carry around 99 percent of global internet traffic and underpin the digital economy across the Indo-Pacific. However, the sector faces growing supply chain vulnerabilities, including a limited number of manufacturers and repair providers, alongside rising geopolitical tensions that increasingly place undersea infrastructure under strategic scrutiny.
The initiative will be led by Research Fellow Dr Samuel Bashfield from the Australia India Institute in collaboration with the La Trobe Centre for Global Security at La Trobe University and the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore.
The research will focus on three key questions: identifying the specific supply chain vulnerabilities affecting submarine cable networks in the Indo-Pacific; exploring how Australia and India can cooperate to diversify manufacturing, deployment and maintenance capabilities; and developing policy frameworks and industry partnerships that strengthen regional resilience.
The project builds on the Australia–India Cable Dialogue 2025, also supported by the AICCTP, and will produce research publications, convene a new Track 1.5 dialogue in India and develop policy recommendations intended to inform government decision-making and industry practice.
Australia India Institute CEO Lisa Singh said protecting submarine cable infrastructure is increasingly critical to regional connectivity.
“As tensions rise and geopolitics becomes more unpredictable, submarine cable networks are becoming increasingly contested,” Singh said. “This research will help inform policy development and support a resilient Indo-Pacific digital ecosystem.”
Project lead Dr Bashfield said submarine cables form the backbone of modern digital infrastructure and are essential to economic and social stability.
“Australia and India are uniquely placed in the Indian Ocean to promote a resilient subsea mesh that underpins peace and prosperity,” he said.
The project reflects growing international attention on subsea cable infrastructure as a strategic asset, with governments and industry increasingly focused on protecting supply chains, diversifying capabilities and ensuring the resilience of the global internet’s physical foundations.
