Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the "trust and respect" between his nation and Australia as he spoke before thousands of supporters at a rally in Western Sydney.
Mr Modi received a rockstar welcome at the Sydney Olympic Park rally on Tuesday night, with 20,000 people in attendance.
It was not all smooth sailing, with riot police defusing a flashpoint between protesters and supporters of Mr Modi as people filed into the area.
Inside the venue, Anthony Albanese and Mr Modi unveiled a "Little India" plaque to be installed at Harris Park, a hub of Indian culture in the city's west.
The Australian prime minister revealed a new Centre for Australia-India Relations would be established at Parramatta.
Mr Modi said the strong relationship between the two nations was not just the result of diplomacy — or the shared love of "cricket and curry".
"The real reason for this, the real force, is you, each and every Indian who lives in Australia," he said.
Mr Albanese said Australia's million-strong Indian community had "brought our country the benefits and riches of such a beautiful and diverse culture".
"I'm proud that you have made Australia your home. That you see your life and your future here. You make our nation and our shared communities better. You make Australia stronger."
NSW Premier Chris Minns also spoke at the event.
Before that, Mr Modi met with several celebrities and influencers, such as pop star Guy Sebastian.
The singer shared a photo of the two on Instagram, where he called the meeting a "great honour".
"I was humbled to be able to discuss many things, including my mother’s Indian heritage, how proud I am of my own Indian heritage, as well as the arts and my music," Mr Sebastian wrote.
Celebrity chef and TV host Sarah Todd also took a picture with Mr Modi.
On Tuesday, hundreds of Modi supporters arrived in Sydney on a charter flight from Melbourne, dubbed "Modi Airways".
"Since he became Prime Minister of India, I've seen the international reputation of India increase," Melbourne builder Praveen Gulati said, who paid $249 for the one-way flight.
The fans then boarded buses bound for Sydney Olympic Park.
A skywriting message of "Welcome Modi" was splashed over the Harbour City on Tuesday afternoon.
Not all members of Australia's Indian diaspora are pleased with the prime minister's visit, as some consider Mr Modi a divisive figure.
A sold-out screening of a BBC documentary exploring the Indian prime minister's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, and the persecution of Muslims in the country, will be held at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday.
The film has been banned in India.
Debate over a proposed independent Sikh state — dubbed "Khalistan" — in India's north has also raised tensions within the Indian diaspora.
Around 60 protesters with yellow “Khalistan” flags gathered outside Modi’s arena event.
The group, made up predominantly of members of the Sikh community, have condemned the visit and claim Mr Modi is responsible for human rights violations against minority groups in India.
"There have been attacks on minorities and we oppose that the Sikhs have been persecuted in India for a very long time," Naseeb Kaye, from the Sovereign Sikh Society, said.
Police moved to calm a verbal clash between the group and Mr Modi's supporters.
While he did not agree with all of Mr Modi's policies, Jai Desai, a member of the public who will be at the leader's speech tonight, was looking forward to hearing what he had to say about India's relationship with Australia.
"Look at our background, cultural ties, sports ties, I see India and Australia as perfect partners," Mr Desai said.
Mr Modi and Mr Albanese will hold official talks on Wednesday, expected to cover a wide range of areas including defence, security cooperation and trade.
Last year, the two nations signed a historic interim trade deal, and are expected to press on with formal negotiations on a full pact shortly.
In his release welcoming Mr Modi to Australia, Mr Albanese repeatedly emphasised the importance of growing trade ties, and India's prime minister will likely make a familiar pitch for investment when he meets a host of senior business leaders this week in Sydney.
