NEW DELHI: About $10 billion in investment by Australian companies is waiting for approval by the Indian government. Hoping for faster approvals from India, Australian high commissioner Patrick Suckling said his country had high hopes from the forthcoming visit of PM Narendra Modi .

The Australian envoy said he expected the administrative arrangements to the India-Australia nuclear deal to be completed by the first half of 2015 which would pave the way for India to import uranium from Australia. "Sometime within the first half of next year I would imagine... The objective is to do as fast as possible and that is what we are doing. When that will be concluded, that will be the basis for commercial business between Australian entities and Indian entities wanting to import uranium to India. So, that is progressing very very well. Our prime minister is strongly committed to that agreement," Suckling said.

"From our perspective, we think that Modi will make a terrific contribution to the G-20. We think India will shine at G-20. We feel that Modi's domestic agenda is exactly the sort of agenda which G-20 is prioritizing... which is domestic economic reforms, ease of doing business and a big focus on infrastructure," he said.

Modi will also address the Australian parliament. "This is historic visit for us... it will be first address to the joint session of parliament by an Indian leader ever. That will come a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping's address to the Australian parliament. So that will in itself be fascinating," Suckling said.

The high commissioner said there would be important announcements on defence cooperation, including navy exercises would be made at the summit.