The ongoing work to increase connections between the Australian and Indian Governments – from the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in mid-2020, the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) in late 2022; and progression towards a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) – present more opportunities for growing exchanges in trade, innovation and investment between Tasmania and India.

 

Through our international engagement driven by the Tasmanian Trade Strategy 2019-2025, our business and people to people links with India are growing in importance, most notably through international education and alumni relationships, tourism and our trade in resources and energy. The local Indian community is our fourth largest diaspora, bringing rich and diverse cultures and contributing further to Tasmania’s global reputation for the quiet pursuit of the extraordinary.

 

I offer my congratulations to the IABCA platform in celebrating its 10th year in 2023 and acknowledge your continuing efforts to foster business and community connections between India and Australia, and by extension with Tasmania.