Collaboration between Australia and India in life sciences and biotechnology is beginning to yield early results following the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, with Queensland positioning itself as a key partner for Indian companies and institutions across clinical research, translational science and healthcare innovation.
This momentum was highlighted during an exclusive media roundtable held on the sidelines of BioAsia 2026 in Hyderabad on Tuesday, where members of a Queensland delegation spoke about expanding cooperation in biosciences, clinical trials, academia and advanced healthcare technologies.
Speaking on the clinical research landscape, Ravindra Gandham, principal consultant with Nucleus Network, said Australia offered strong capabilities in early-phase clinical trials, while India brought ambition and a growing biotechnology sector. He outlined Nucleus Network’s focus on Phase 1 clinical trials, with operations based in Brisbane and international offices in the US and the UK following its acquisition of Hammersmith Medicines Research.
Highlighting regulatory and workforce advantages, Thu (Sue) Nguyen, founder and CEO of Clueo Clinicals, said Queensland provided one of the fastest approval pathways globally for early-phase clinical trials. She said approvals under Australia’s Clinical Trial Notification Scheme, overseen by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, could be secured within four to eight weeks, significantly faster than in many other jurisdictions.
