R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, JAN 25
The Western Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Treasurer, and Minister for Transport and Tourism Rita Saffioti on Thursday said her government is exploring bilateral trade relations with the Tamil Nadu government. She said the Government of Western Australia was open to having trade relationships in various sectors, including energy, green technology, health, and tourism.
Rita Saffioti, has successfully concluded a delegation-led mission in Delhi and Chennai. With meetings held with key aviation stakeholders, senior Government representatives, and business, to strengthen relations between Western Australia and Tamil Nadu focusing on key sectors such as trade, tourism, education, innovation, and aviation. India is currently Western Australia’s 10th largest trading partner. The purpose was to highlight trade linkages with Tamil Nadu and to further investment, joint ventures, and collaboration opportunities.
- Holds successful Bilateral meetings with TN Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development & Minister for Information Technology & Digital Services, and the ITWA Networking Reception
- Rita Saffioti announces the launch of the Innovation Exchange Agreement for fostering innovation and collaboration in Tamil Nadu
- We are interested in having Indian nurses and paramedical staff to serve there apart from Indian investments in electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing, hospitality and other sectors: Rita Saffioti
- Saffioti had met officials of Indian airlines to explore the possibility of having a direct flight to Perth from Chennai.
- Currently, Western Australia and Tamil Nadu share comparable economies of more $400 billion with similar diversification agendas in sectors such as education and skills, defence, space, health and medical life sciences, tourism
Currently, Western Australia and Tamil Nadu share comparable economies of more $400 billion with similar diversification agendas in sectors such as education and skills, defence, space, health and medical life sciences, tourism and creative industries, mining and mining equipment, technology services (METS) and energy.
In particular, there is a strong focus in both states to transition to a decarbonised future and empower an inclusive workforce. Underpinning Western Australia’s diversification agenda is a strong culture of innovation deeply ingrained in the fabric and culture of the state. The Western Australian Government has funded 5 innovation hubs focused on cybersecurity; data science, medtech, creative tech and green tech.
Similarly, Tamil Nadu’s vision is to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2030, with a strong focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. Invest and Trade Western Australia was the one and only State Partner for the recent 2024 Global Investor Meet in the state of Tamil Nadu.
In Chennai, Minister Saffioti continued her mission with bilateral engagements through meetings with the TN Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udayanidhi Stalin and Minister for Information Technology & Digital Services, and the ITWA PTR Networking Reception. During the luncheon meet, Minister Saffioti announced the Innovation Exchange Agreement, a significant step towards fostering innovation and collaboration between Western Australia and India. Western Australia’s relationship with India has significantly strengthened over the past 18 months, with considerable momentum generated through key connections established in Tamil Nadu. In addition, Australia has emerged as one of the preferred destinations of Indian students for pursuing higher studies especially in vocational education. The Student Employability Challenge is a program designed to provide Western Australian university students and students from their TNE partner institutions in South Asia with an opportunity to enhance employability skills while engaging with critical issues related to climate change and sustainability There is a growing diaspora community from India and particularly the Southern Region.
The Western Australia Government coordinated an historic investment and trade mission to Tamil Nadu in 2022; bringing a business and government delegation from Western Australia made up of more than 110 representatives from six sectors. The official opening of the Invest and Trade Western Australia Office in Chennai demonstrates Western Australia’s commitment to strengthening and deepening their relationship with India, especially as the first Australian state to open a trade office in Chennai. In March 2023, the Western Australian Government signed a Letter of Intent with Tamil Nadu, focusing on collaboration across many areas of mutual interest. The ECU-PALS Joint Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies Symposium is set to take place on March 5/6, 2024, at IIT Madras campus, bringing together thought leaders, industry experts, and enthusiasts to delve into the forefront of cybersecurity advancements and emerging technologies.
Looking back on the mission in Chennai, Minister Saffioti highlighted, “Our bilateral engagements with the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development and Ministers for Information Technology & Digital services were beneficial in strengthening government ties. The ITWA Networking Reception, where we announced the Innovation Exchange Agreement, marks a significant step towards fostering innovation and collaboration between Western Australia and India.”
India is a key market for Western Australia with the country being its 10th largest trading partner with $4.1 billion of goods traded in 2022-23, and an important inbound tourism market. In the year ending September 2023, India ranked as Western Australia’s 7th largest international market, with 27,000 visitors contributing an estimated $91 million to the state’s economy. The mission capitalized on this momentum, further boosting Indian tourism and trade to Western Australia.
