SYDNEY:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, May 23, met several prominent Australian personalities, including Nobel Laureate Dr. Brian Paul Schmidt in separate meetings in Sydney. There was huge enthusiasm amongst the Indian Diaspora ahead of PM Modi's arrival at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney for the community event.

The PM is slated to hold discussions  with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and also address the country's more than 8.00 lakh strong, dynamic and diverse Indian Diaspora.

"Had an excellent conversation on science and innovation with Nobel Laureate Dr. Brian Paul Schmidt," wrote Modi in a series of tweets. His research on these topics is extensive and significantly influenced scholarly discourse. Professor Brian P. Schmidt of the Australian National University met PM Narendra Modi in Sydney, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) reported in a tweet. 

He praised India's achievements in science and technology. He claims that India's capacity for world-class science has increased by an order of magnitude. Guy Sebastian, a prominent Australian singer, is a fantastic voice with unmatched passion for music, the prime minister noted after meeting him. He also has a strong love for charitable work. I appreciated speaking with him today. The PMO stated that PM Modi and the top Australian singer discussed music, culture, and other topics during their meeting.

Modi also discussed his discussion with Professor Toby Walsh, director of the University of New South Wales' Artificial Intelligence Institute.

He said, "Had a fascinating conversation with Toby Walsh about various frontiers of AI and cutting-edge technology. One can clearly sense his enthusiasm for AI and the need to guarantee that it is used for human advancement, Modi wrote in a tweet to which he attached a photo of the meeting.

The prime minister also met Mark Balla, a business expert and skilled public speaker on humanitarian concerns. The prime minister praised Balla for his work on access to sanitation, a subject about which he is quite enthusiastic. He is well-known as a "Toilet Warrior." It was great talking to him earlier today. Additionally, he met Sarah Todd, an international chef, restaurateur, TV host, speaker, and entrepreneur; Danielle Mate Sullivan, an indigenous artist; Associate Professor Salvatore Babones, a sociologist, researcher, and author.

The Prime Minister praised them for their accomplishments and urged them to do more to improve ties between India and Australia.

The PMO reported that the community programme was receiving a tonne of support in Sydney. At the community programme in Sydney, people could be seen dancing to Garba and Dandiya music.

Modi arrived in Sydney as a guest of the Australian government on Monday night as part of his third and final leg of the three-nation tour.

After Rajiv Gandhi, Modi was the first Indian prime minister to travel to Australia in 2014. While there, he spoke to 20,000 spectators at the Sydney SuperDome at Olympic Park and promised that more Indian leaders would travel to Australia in the future.

PM Modi meets Australian business leaders in Sydney, India investment focus

PM Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament House with havan-pujan and Vedic chanting