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"CHAMBER'S BUSINESS DELEGATION TO AUSTRALIA" ( November 10 - 17, 2007)
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Members of the Delegation at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia at a Conference in Perth |
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After the successful mission to Australia, the Chamber’s Delegation is back to India. During the visit, the Delegation interacted with 70-80 companies in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.
At Perth, a Buyer-Seller Trade Session was organized by the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Western Australia and an Interactive Meeting by the Department of Industry & Resource.
At Melbourne, the Australia India Business Council (AIBC)-Vic, organized a series of events – a dinner hosted by Deacon’s Lawyers and attended by Ms. Anita Nayar, India’s Consul General in Melbourne, Mr. Darren Gribble, Chairman of Australia-India Council and former Australian High Commissioner to India and several distinguished members of the business community in Victoria; a Business Matching session at the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA), and a well attended Seminar at VECCI (Victoria Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry) House.
At Sydney, the Delegation called on Mr. Sujan R. Chinoy, the Indian Consul General at Sydney. A very productive meeting was organized by the Westpac Banking Corporation and a session by the Australia based international lawyers, Atkinson Vinden Heazlewoods Pty Ltd. While at Sydney, the Delegation also attended a NASSCOM Session, which projected the NASSCOM 2008 Leadership Forum at Mumbai in February 2008. The AIBC hosted a lunch for the delegates and on the occasion, Mr. Ian R. Bennett, Senior Manager – International Trade, Australia Business Limited (ABL), made a well-structured presentation on “Doing Business in Australia”.
The Delegation included the following members :
1. Mr. T.S. Vaikuntam, Chief Executive Officer, Anupam Infoserve Solution Private Limited, Coimbatore. 2. Mr. G. Nataraj, Director, Auto Shell Casts Pvt. Ltd, Coimbatore. 3. Mr. J. Dinakaran, Deputy General Manager, Auto Shell Casts Pvt. Ltd, Coimbatore. 4. Mr. Anup Krishan Sharma, Vice President - Commercial, Bharat Box Factory Limited, Ludhiana 5. Mr. R. Balasubramanian, Supervisor, Earth & Sky Consultancy Pvt. Ltd, Chennai. 6. Mr. Swami Nathan, Country Head - Australia, ICM Solutions, Melbourne. 7. Mr. K.B. Sridhar, Executive Director, Indiss Infotech Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Chennai. 8. Ms. Shobhana Doshi, Director, Lively Foods Pty Ltd, Sydney. 9. Mr. MKG Anandakumar, Managing Director, MKG Transtec Systems Pvt. Ltd, Pollachi. 10. Mr. K. Skandakumar, Executive Director, Multivista Global Limited, Chennai. 11. Mr. B. Sundararaman, CEO & Director, N-Tier Business Solutions (P) Ltd, Chennai. 12. Mr. P.B. Santhanakrishnan, Senior Partner, P.B. Vijayaraghavan & Company, Chennai. 13. Mr. R. Sivadas, Managing Director, Scope e-Knowledge Center Pvt. Ltd, Chennai. 14. Mr. Jasmit Singh Gujral, Managing Director, Shriram General Insurance Co. Ltd, Jaipur 15. Mr. R.K. Balasubramaniam, Managing Director, Starnets Computing Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Chennai. 16. Mr. Vinod Surana, CEO & Partner, Surana & Surana International Attorneys, Chennai. 17. Mr. M. Vallalar, Managing Director, Tamilnadu Trade Promotion Organisation, Chennai. 18. Mr. V.K. Sharma, Director, V.K.S. Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Chennai. 19. Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director, Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce, Chennai. 20. Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary, Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce, Chennai. ************************************
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WORKSHOP ON "OFF-SHORING AND OUTSOURCING OPPORTUNITIES FROM AUSTRALIA" ( October 19, 2007) |
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Dr. C. Chandramouli, I.A.S. (extreme right), Secretary, Information Technology, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, receiving a memento from Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber. Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary of the Chamber, is also seen.
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The Chamber organized a highly successful Workshop on “Off-shoring and Outsourcing Opportunities from Australia”, 19th October 2007 at Hotel GRT Convention Centre, Chennai, focusing on various opportunities like Software Development, BPO, KPO and Call Centers. Dr. C. Chandramouli, I.A.S., Secretary, Information Technology, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, inaugurated the Workshop and delivered the keynote address.
In his address Dr. Chandramouli observed that, by 2008, global firms would invest $1 billion in the Sriperumbudur zone either for setting up or expanding telecom manufacturing facilities. In 2009, major car manufacturers would invest $2 billion in and around Chennai. The firms, he said, had signed memorandum of understanding with the Government.
“There is tremendous opportunity for Australian firms to invest in Indian Infrastructure projects, IT ITES, an engineering services”, Dr. Chandramouli added.
Earlier, Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, in his Welcome Address, stated that around 4,000 Australian firms are looking at outsourcing their operations. To lure at least 1 per cent of them to India by 2008, the Chamber is leading a Delegation to Australia from 10-17, November 2007.
A number of high quality presentations were made at the Workshop by leading Australian and Indian business groups on different aspects of outsourcing business from Australia.
Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary of the Chamber, proposed a vote of thanks.
The Workshop was attended by 115 delegates and co-sponsored by IORAM and Sundaram Business Services.
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PRESENTATION ON "VICTORIAN BUSINESS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIAN COMPANIES" ( July 19, 2007)
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Seated (L to R) : Ms. Geeta Heffernan, International Development Manager; Ms. Patricia A. Griffiths, Head of International Trade, VECCI; Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber; and Mr. Antony Lobo, DGM - Exports, Ashok Leyland Ltd, Chennai
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To encourage Indian businesses to look more towards Victoria for business opportunities, the Chamber organized an interactive meeting with Ms. Patricia A Griffiths, Head of International Trade and Ms. Geeta Heffernan, International Business Development Manager of Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 19th July 2007 at Hotel Savera, Chennai.
The VECCI officials pointed out the rich opportunities for Indian business to invest in automotive, biotechnology, food processing and tourism in the Australian State of Victoria.
Ms. Patricia A. Griffiths said, the automotive sector, biotechnology, IT, Communications, food processing and tourism are areas that are particularly seeking Indian investment. The tourism industry is looking to India for investment ranging from 100,000 Australian dollars up to 30 million. She also remarked that closer ties between Victoria and India will ultimately fulfill its project of matching the business interests of Indian firms with suitable partners in Victoria.
“We are in India to assess alternatives to importing from China in automotives, finished textiles and tooling sectors,” said Ms. Geeta Heffernan. “We want to work closely with Indian companies, and we believe that international trade is a two-way street,” she added.
The booming Indian economy with its 9.2 per cent growth, stabilized inflation and $200 billion exchange reserves has a lot to offer to Australia, especially in the automotive sector, said Mr. Antony Lobo, Deputy General Manager (Exports), Ashok Leyland Ltd, while making a presentation on “Automobile Industry : How India can add value to Victoria”. “We have the largest three-wheeler industry, the second largest two-wheeler industry, the largest tractor market and the fifth largest commercial vehicles industry in the world”, he added.
Earlier, Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, in his welcome address, remarked that “international trade is as complex as a Sudoku puzzle with many interconnecting links and permutations. Australia’s technology and India’s cost effective manufacturing will make a formidable combination to reach out to the world, he added”.
Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary of the Chamber, proposed a vote of thanks
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SEMINAR ON "DOING BUSINESS WITH AUSTRALIA" ( June 13, 2007)
After the soft launch of Australian Government’s three year initiate, Utsav Australia, in India, Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) has been conducting a series of seminars during the month of June 2007 in different parts of the country to raise awareness of Australian industry capability and help Indian companies find the right partner.
In line with the Utsav, the Australian Consulate General and the Trade Commission for South India in Chennai jointly with the offices of Queensland and Victorian Governments in Bangalore and the Chamber organized a Seminar on “Doing Business with Australia” on 13th June 2007 at Chennai.
The Seminar highlighted Australian capabilities and expertise in ICT, Automotive, Health & Medical, Building & Construction, Infrastructure, Agri business, Food & Beverages’ Engineering services, Films, etc. and the value added Australian services would provide to business in Tamil Nadu. The Seminar also showcased specific business and investment opportunities in Queensland and Victoria.
Mr. Fred Bertram (Managing Director, ANZ-OTSS), Chairman of Sub-Committee for Australian Companies of the Chamber, in his welcome address, appreciated the Consul General for organizing the Seminar for development of business relations between Australia and the region. He also narrated the active part played by the Chamber for significant development of business between India and Australia and added that it helped the trade between the two countries grow by 40% in the past two years alone.
Speaking at the Seminar, Mr. Aminur Rahman, Australian Consul General and Trade Commissioner for South India, said that “Australia can provide value added competitive solutions and expertise both in traditional and emerging sectors for businesses in Tamil Nadu”.
At the Seminar, Mr. Sudeep Nambiar, Business Development Manager – Trade & Investment, Queensland Government Office in Bangalore, made a presentation on “Business Opportunities with Queensland” and Mr. Nik Guruprasad, Business Development Manager – Trade & Investment, Victoria Government Office in Bangalore, made a presentation on “Business Opportunities with Victoria”.
An Indian importer from Australia, Mr. Ashwin Rajagopal, Captain of Jus’Sports, made a case study presentation on his import success from Australia and Mr. Sandeep Sewal, Senior Vce President – Retail for Cookie Man, Australia Foods India Ltd, made a case study presentation on their company’s export success with Indian Market.
Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary of the Chamber, while proposing the vote of thanks said that the Chamber is planning to organize a Trade Delegation to Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney later this year, coinciding with high level conferences in Australia.
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WORKSHOP ON PACKAGING AND FORWARDING FOR SUCCESSFUL EXPORTS ( April 13, 2007)
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Mr. S. Ramasundaram, I.A.S., CMD, TIDCO Ltd, delivering the inaugural address at the Workshop. |
Dr. H.B.N. Murthy interacting with delegates with samples of different packaging materials. |
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"A good package acted like a ‘silent salesman’, marketing the product to consumers at a supermarket or at a departmental store”, Dr. H.B.N. Murthy, the Bangalore-based International Packaging Consultant observed while addressing a Workshop on “Packaging and Forwarding for Successful Exports”, organized by the Chamber on April 13, 2007 at Chennai,. He said, countries like Germany had taken the lead in re-cycle and re-use of plastics through concerted efforts.
Dr. Murthy explained in great detail to a large audience of 70 delegates comprising, small and medium entrepreneurs, the significance of packaging in protecting the product, in making attractive presentation and finally in making the consumer buy the product.
On the issue of using ‘eco-friendly materials’ for packaging, Dr. Murthy said if all the stakeholders – producers, consumers and government – joined hands, then plastics would not be such a threat to environment. It all starts with grading plastics according to international conventions and making them on the packages.
"If scientific waste handling measures are in place, then plastics do not end up hurting the environment. It is a short-sighted view to say that plastics are non-biodegradable and hence harm the ecology”, Dr. Murthy added.
In most developed countries, the packs carried markers on the grade of plastics used. There are seven grades of plastics, of which three are ‘food-grade’ plastics. Each grade had a recycle or reuse chain. Mr. Murthy said a few countries, such as Germany, had entrusted the job of recycling to the producers themselves.
While inaugurating the Workshop, Mr. S. Ramasundaram, I.A.S., Chairman and Managing Director, Tamilnadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (TIDCO Ltd), said that Chambers of Commerce and other trade bodies needs to do an effective campaign to create an awareness of high quality packaging as an integral part of the product.
The Workshop had also presentations by Mr. Bennett Fernadez, Senior Manager, Blue Dart, on the growing importance of air cargo and air transportation; Mr. Ennarasu Karunesan, Chief Executive Officer, Chennai Container Terminal Ltd (CCTL), on Container Operations in India and the role being played by CCTL in adding value to exports by effective containerization; Mr. Raveen Chaudhary, Sales Manager, ITC Packaging and Printing Division, on the emerging new technologies and the role of ITC in providing quality packaging material; and Mr. Mr. G.B. Reddy, Joint Director, Indian Institute of Packaging, on new packaging laws.
The interactive sessions saw Dr. Murthy exchanging thoughts with the participants and answering a wide range of questions on the kind of packaging required for a variety of products – engineering, electronics, food processing, chemicals, textiles, etc..
While Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber welcomed the audience, Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary of the Chamber, proposed a vote of thanks.
The Workshop was co-sponsored by Blue Dart Express Limited, Indian Bank, Balaji Mariline Pvt. Ltd and SKMARH Projects & Techs.
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WORKSHOP ON AUSTRALIAN VISA PROCEDURES AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ( March 16, 2007)
Australian Trade Commissioner cum Consul General for South India and Ms. Sonya Boylan, Second Secretary (Immigration), Australian High Commission, New Delhi, at the Workshop..
In the background of the widening business opportunities for Indian companies in Australia, the Chamber organised a Workshop on Australian Visa Procedures and Business Opportunities on 16th March 2007 at Hotel Accord Metropolitan, Chennai.
In his inaugural address, Mr. Aminur Rahman, Australian Trade Commissioner cum Consul General for South India, said that tremendous opportunities exist for collaboration between Indian and Australian firms in sectors such as education, services, healthcare, building, construction, design, aerospace and aviation".
Followed by the inaugural address, Mr. Rahman made a presentation on "Role of Austrade in the development of Indo-Australian Business Relations". He pointed out some of the advantages of doing business with Australia were excellent R & D, infrastructure, telecommunications and information technology systems, highly skilled multilingual workforce, efficient regulatory environment and a strategic time zone.
Ms. Sonya Boylan, Second Secretary (Immigration), Australian High Commission, New Delhi, made a presentation on "Australian Visa Formalities and Procedures" with a focus on Business Visa.
In his presentation on "An Australian Bank's experience in India on operations and technology", Mr. Fred Bertram, Managing Director, ANZ-OTTS, Bangalore, shared his experience and the success story of ANZ.
Mr. Ashok Kumar Anchalia, Sr. Advisor, Surana & Surana International Attorneys, Chennai, in his presentation on "Procedures for setting up business in Australia", explained in detail the procedures involved in setting up a company and the general tax issues.
The Indian success story of the Australian food brand "Cookieman" was shared by Mr. S.B.P. Pattabhi Rama Rao, President, Australian Foods India Pvt. Ltd, Chennai with a presentation on "Franchising Opportunities from Australia". He explained the opportunities, challenges and growth prospects of the franchising industry in food products.
Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, in his first presentation on "Business Opportunities and Strategies for Indian Companies in Australia" explained the various opportunities in different sectors including Engineering, automobile, IT, tooling, etc. and presented a three-way strategy to succeed in the international market.
In his second presentation on "How to attract BPO Business from Australia", Mr. Chandran gave an outlook of the Australian BPO industry and explained the various opportunities and challenges for the Indian business man in the BPO sector.
Earlier, Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, welcomed the audience and Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary of the Chamber, proposed a vote of thanks.
The Workshop was attended by nearly 50 delegates and co-sponsored by ANZ-OTTS and TT Services
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ADDRESS BY THE PREMIER OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA ( February 19, 2007)
Hon. Mr. Alan Carpenter, M.L.A., Premier of Western Australia
As a part of his first official visit to India, Hon. Mr. Alan Carpenter, M.L.A., Premier of Western Australia, visited Chennai and the Chamber in association with Western Australian Trade Office-India organised an interactive meeting with members of the Chamber on 19th February 2007 at Hotel Taj Coromandel, Chennai.
In his Key-note address Mr. Carpenter remarked that Western Australia's relationship with India is very important for them and India is one of Western Australia's top ten trading partners with two-way trade totaling more tan $4 billion.
While emphasising that India continues to be Western Australia's fourth largest exporter in the year 2006, Mr. Carpenter said Gold is Western Australia's biggest export product to India and they have plenty more to provide in the future, along with other minerals and energy sources. He pointed out resources sector as the first area where India and Western Australia can work together to develop opportunities for mutual economic growth. He identified some of fields as iron ore, nickel, alumina, gold, diamonds, mineral sands, energy and LPG. Infrastructure, tourism and education are some of the other sectors where India and Western Australia have great potential for mutual economic benefits, he added
Earlier, Mr. K.M. Mammen, President of the Chamber, in his welcome address, mentioned that the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce has a very close and productive relationship with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia resulting in a very active Memorandum of Understanding with CCIWA.The Mission led by Hon. Hendy Cown, Deputy Premier in 2000, the Mission by Hon. Clive Brown, Minister for State Development in 2002 and the high level team led by Hon. Dr. Gallop, Premier in 2005 have considerably strengthened Western Australian's relationship with India, he said.
Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, in his concluding remarks, suggested India could be a major hub for world jewellery production by making use of Western Australia's gold and India's crafts, skills and cost advantage in making jewellery.
Mr. Simon Johnson, Regional Director, Western Australian Trade Office - India, also participated in the programme.
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DELEGATION OF INVESTORS FROM AUSTRALIA ( February 12, 2007)
Seated (R to L) : Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of Chamber; Mr. K. Muthukumaran, General Manager, EXIM Bank, Chennai; and Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary of the Chamber.
At a meeting organised by the Chamber on 12th February 2007, at Hotel GRT Convention Centre, Chennai, a team of 13 investors and high networth individuals from Australia, led by Mr. Christopher Reid of Bell Potter Securities Limited interacted with the members of the Chamber.
Welcoming the delegation, Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, observed that the visit of the Delegation represented a major shift in Indo-Australian business relations, a shift from trade to investment, and from commodities to services. It also signals a change in the way Australia looks at India, away from traditional linkages like Cricket and Commonwealth to non-contemporary institutions with strong economic content like Sensex and Bollywood.
Bell Potter Securities Ltd is one of Australia's leading financial advisory firms with a strong research base with a large retail network in Australia.
Presentation by Mr. K. Muthukumaran, General Manager of EXIM Bank, Chennai, highlighted the opportunities by Case Studies of Small and Medium companies that the Bank has helped to project in the global market and these can achieve a greater measure of success by interacting with Australian SMEs with strong international presence.
Mr.P.S. Raghavan, Executive Council Member of the Chamber, proposed a vote of thanks.
The meeting was co-sponsored by Sundaram Finance Limited
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