The match will be the only opportunity for ACT fans to watch men's international matches at Manuka Oval after Cricket Australia largely snubbed the capital in this week's schedule release.

Exact details are still to be finalised, however The Canberra Times understands India has been locked in for the PM's XI fixture before a historic five-Test series against Australia. A formal announcement is expected in the coming weeks.

The match has formed a key lead in to the international summer throughout the past two years, acting as a genuine selection trial for Australian hopefuls and a crucial warm up game for touring teams.

The format for next summer's Prime Minister's XI clash remains up in the air, however it's understood Cricket ACT's preference is for a four-day red-ball match.

The conditions at Manuka Oval came under fire from Pakistan last year, with the pitch in Canberra significantly different to the fast, bouncy wicket used for the first Test in Perth.

Western Australia will again host the opening Test of the series next summer and India could face a similar challenge adapting to the conditions.

While the PM's XI game has transitioned from a carnival atmosphere to a genuine international contest on the pitch, the recent change to a multi-day match has led to a decline in attendances.

It is hoped the arrival of India will help reverse that trend, with the side boasting a legion of travelling and Australian-based fans. It will be the first time the nation features in the clash since 2004.

Packed crowds are expected at the five Tests around the country and Cricket ACT is eager to cash in on that interest in Canberra.

"We're a little bit disappointed [the Australian men's team won't play in Canberra] but we're pretty confident an amazing Prime Minister's XI game will be announced and we'll have full houses for that," Cricket ACT chairman Greg Boorer said.

"We will have an amazing international game this year, it just won't be the Australian team, it will be the Prime Minister's XI team.

"It's a real difficult summer, there's not tons of games and the games they do have are blockbusters. This is why we need a [Canberra] Big Bash team, so we have guaranteed top-quality content at Manuka Oval year in, year out, without being affected by the ebbs and flows of the schedule from summer to summer."

The upcoming visit from the Indian national team comes as Cricket ACT looks to strengthen ties with the subcontinent, on and off the field.

Chief executive Olivia Thornton has joined ACT government and University of Canberra officials on recent trips to the country to open up partnerships across a range of industries.

Players of south Asian descent are among the fastest growing cohort of participation in community cricket in the region and their playing numbers are expected to boom in the coming years.

The results of the relationships have already started to emerge, with the ACT Meteors currently playing in India on an off-season tour. The Comets will visit the country for a series of matches next month.

Boorer said it's a market his organisation is keen to tap into and is confident the players will learn plenty from the experience.

"We see in our teams and pathways how many south Asian kids there are," he said. "They love the game, their families love the game. They have so much energy and enthusiasm around cricket and we're richer for it.

"We have a really clear collaboration and growth strategy with the ACT government and University of Canberra to use cricket to raise awareness of academic options in Canberra. Already the first students that have been engaged through cricket activities in India have signed up to go to UC."