India is in a unique position to provide leadership in the Global South and there can be no solution to climate challenges without the country being central to it, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said here on Friday.

Addressing a gathering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Albanese said education is about growing an economy as it is the key to productivity, new ideas and more efficiency.

"India is in a unique position to provide leadership in the Global South. There can be no solution to climate challenges without India being central to that. Australia will become a renewable energy superpower, given its location. India will be too, and therefore, there are great opportunities to collaborate and work together.

"Australia is blessed with natural resources, critical earth minerals that can help in the production of renewables. Hence, this partnership will help India meet the growing energy demands," he said.

"Education is about growing an economy; it is also about creating opportunities. Education is the key to productivity, new ideas and more efficiency. It not only benefits individuals but also societies," he added.

Albanese asserted that India's development has been "extraordinary".

"The perception of India in the world (today) is very different from what it was in 1991, when I had visited the country for the first time, and this is a great tribute to the people essentially," he said.

Noting that India is a natural leader in the Indian Ocean region and the world's fastest growing major economy, Albanese said, "India and Australia are natural partners. Together, we can do more and we will do more for a shared future based on common interests and visions for embracing a better tomorrow." "India and Australia need to be strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific in a much deeper sense and not just in defence and security," he added.

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