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Interactive Meeting with the Western Australian Legislative Council Delegation (December 07, 2010)
Hon. Mr. Barry House MLC (extreme left) , President, Legislative Council, Parliament of Western Australia receiving a memento from Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber. Mr. P. Gopalakrishna (second from left) , Secretary and Mr. N.V. Srinivasan, Executive Council Member of the Chamber, are also seen.
Hon. Mr. Barry House MLC, President, Legislative Council, Parliament of Western Australia, along with a six member Delegation from the Legislative Council visited New Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore. The Delegation is on a familiarization and trade promotion tour to India. At Chennai, Mr. House addressed members of the Chamber and the corporate community in the region on December 07, 2010.
In his address, Mr. House said that Western Australia is the gateway to Australia and it has a lot to offer in terms of technology and resources. He observed that Western Australia could offer technology assistance in the field of energy, information technology, tourism, health and education, among others. “Given the scale of projects in the investment pipeline, Western Australia will almost certainly produce over 50 per cent of Australia’s export by 2020. Of Australia’s exports to India, 42 per cent was from Western Australia alone, for which the value more than doubled from last year,” he said.
While mentioning that India imports nearly 70 per cent of its petroleum requirements, he said that the growing energy needs for both industrial development and domestic supplies presents huge opportunities for Western Australia as a reliable energy supplier. He also mentioned that Indian student enrolments in Western Australia has increased rapidly, by 70 per cent in 2009 compared to 2008 and it showcased the excellent and safe living conditions provided by Western Australia to its visitors.
Mr. Peter Forby, Regional Director of Western Australia Trade Office-India at Mumbai, introduced members of the Delegation and observed that they were keen on doing business with southern cities to strengthen the Western Australia brand and build the relationship.
In his Welcome Address, Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, pointed that Western Australia is the first Australian State to set up a trade office in India in 1996 and in view of the growing trade relation between the two regions, a number of high level Business Missions have visited India and Chennai in recent years. He said that Western Australia’s share in Indo-Australian trade is significantly more than that of any other Australian State. He also observed that Western Australia’s huge landmass can be productively utilized for bio-fuel cultivation and the Chamber has already taken initiative for high-level discussions.
Mr. N.V. Srinivasan, Executive Council Member of the Chamber, proposed the vote of thanks.
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Business Mission to Australia (October 9-16, 2010)
Business Mission at Sydney with the Indian High Commissioner in Australia, H.E. Ms. Sujatha Singh (seated second from left) ; and Mr. Amit Dasgupta (seated first from left), Consul General in Sydney.
Business Mission at Melbourne with the officials of Australia India Business Council (Victoria)
Business Mission at Adelaide with the officials of Australia India Business Council (South Australia)
Business Mission at Perth at a Briefing Session organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Western Australia
The Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce has completed its 9th Business Mission to Australia from 9-16 October, 2010. The seventeen member Business Mission consisting largely of medium enterprises traveled all the way from Perth in the western coast to Sydney in the eastern side covering four cities Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. In a week of tightly packed events and programmes, the delegates interacted with over one hundred Australian companies, spread across a broad spectrum of industries like oil & gas, coal & minerals, building & construction, engineering, processed food, leather & textiles, banking & financial services, information technology, BPO, telecommunications, logistics and trading activities.
A number of organizations came together to host events for the visiting Mission. The Influential and fast rising apex body of Indian business community in Australia, Australia India Business Council (AIBC), the high profile Chamber of Commerce and Industry Western Australia (CCIWA), The Chamber of Minerals & Energy Western Australia, DLA Phillips Fox, South Australia based Business SA, Department of State and Regional Development of New South Wales, Australia’s leading bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the well known audit & accounting firm, Pitcher Partners, were the major organizations that extended their hospitality to the Mission.
The delegates also had rich and productive interactions with Her Excellency Ms. Sujatha Singh, Indian High Commissioner in Australia, Mr. Amit Dasgupta, Consul General in Sydney and Ms. Anita Nayar, Consul General in Melbourne.
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Luncheon Meeting with Hon'ble Mr. Mike Rann, MP, Premier of South Australia (September 6, 2010)
(R to L): Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber; Hon'ble Mr. Mike Rann MP, Premier of South Australia; Mr. G.R.K. Reddy, President and Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary of the Chamber.
“While mining would play a dominant role in South Australia’s future relationship with India, we would like the Indian involvement to step beyond mineral imports to feature joint ventures in developing the mining infrastructure” said Hon’ble Mr. Mike Rann MP, Premier of South Australia at a luncheon meeting organized by the Chamber on September 6, 2010 at Chennai. A business delegation with representatives from the renewable energy, education, water management, international trade and Tourism were also accompanied the Premier.
He mentioned that South Australia’s choice of Chennai as the hub of its plans for India was a carefully considered decision. “Almost six years ago, we decided to set base in Chennai and now I believe we made the right choice”, he said.
On the potential for collaboration in renewable energy, Mr. Rann pointed out that while South Australia accounted for 50 per cent of the country’s renewable energy (wind portfolio), Tamil Nadu contributed 55 per cent of the State’s renewable energy generation.
H.E. Mr. Peter Varghese, the Australian High Commissioner in India, who was also the Chief Guest on the occasion, said that the opportunities for Government-to-Government ties would vastly increase with the firming up of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, which could be expected by year end or early next year. He pointed out that an FTA was projected to add about 30 billion Australian dollars in trade volume terms over the next couple of decades.
Earlier, Mr. GR.K. Reddy, President of the Chamber, in his welcome address, observed that the success of South Australian industry in recent years comes largely from a mix of innovation and strategic thinking. As a good example, he pointed out that wine is just a beverage and life style drink for us, but for South Australians wine is a great deal more than that. They think of setting up wineries, grape cultivation, wine tourism, wine tasting, setting up wine institute and spreading the wine culture. From one single product, they thus create a range of business models.
Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, in his concluding remarks, emphasized Premier Rann’s deep commitment to take the State to the world and the strategic vision of his own. He mentioned that this is the sixth time Mr. Rann is visiting Chennai and addressing the members of the Chamber. He also observed that South Australia’s engagement with India has been steadily increasing since the Government opened its own trade office in 2005, after which the State’s trade with India has substantially increased.
Apart from the Premier, the delegation consisted of the following members:
● Ms. Sasha Carruozzo – Premier’s wife ● Ms. Ethne Lange - Premier’s Adviser ● Ms. Michelle Bertossa - Premier’s Adviser ● Mr. A.K Tareen – Senior Trade Commissioner – India ● Mr. Brian Hayes QC - Premier’s Special Envoy to India ● Mr. Lance Worrall – Chief Executive, Department of Trade & Economic Development ● Mr. Mark Leslie – Trade Manager, Department of Trade & Economic Development ● Mr. Bill Spurr – Chair – Education Adelaide ● Ms. Danielle Jervis – Marketing Project Manager, Education Adelaide ● Ms. Natasha Malani – President, Australia India Business Council (SA Chapter) ● Mr. Joe Flynn, CEO, Water Industry Alliance ● Mr. Bob Foord, Chairman, South Australian Tourism Commission ● Prof Michael Worton, Vice Provost, University College London
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Workshop on Packaging and Forwarding for Successful Marketing and Exports (June 11, 2010)
(R to L): Dr. HBN Murthy, the International Packaging Consultant; Capt. Subhash Kumar, Chairman, Chennai Port Trust; Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director; and Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary of the Chamber.
The Chamber organised a well attended Workshop on the theme “Packaging and Forwarding for Successful Marketing and Exports” on June 11, 2010 at Hotel Residency Towers, Chennai, with over 70 delegates from Southern India.
Capt. Subhash Kumar, Chairman, Chennai Port Trust, in his inaugural address said that proper packing of goods plays a vital role in the successful marketing and exporting of goods. It also helps in bringing down damage and rejection of goods. He observed that containers are an effective way of packaging and forwarding of goods and it substantially reduces the damage to commercial items, incurred during transportation.
While mentioning that efforts have been taken to increase the cargo handling capacity due to the increasing volume of trade, he said that a new container terminal is being planned at the port which will have a berth of two kilometers and the depth of water would be up to 22ft. He said that the container terminal would be taken up at a cost of over Rs. 3000 crore and would be as large as a port.
Speaking about the automobile handling at the port, he said that last year, over two lakh cars were handled at the port and there were plans to provide more space for cars at the port. As a part of the plan, there is the possibility of providing a multi-layer car park near the berth, so that they could be moved to ships quicker, he said.
Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, in his welcome address observed that around 28 per cent of India’s merchandise is rejected either at the “customs point” or beyond because of inadequate packaging or errors in labeling. He said that entrepreneurs should be aware of the latest packaging techniques to have an upper hand in the competitive world.
The leading speaker of the Workshop, Dr. HBN Murthy, the International Packaging Consultant, focused his technical and interactive sessions on issues relating to optimizing packaging and freight movements, avoid wastage by cost containment and how to design a cost-effective packaging for different kind of industries and products.
The Workshop also had valuable presentations from:
The Workshop was co-sponsored by DHL, DP World, Heat & Control, Hindustan University and MARG Group.
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Annual Day of the Chamber (March 16, 2010)
H.E. Mr. Peter Varghese (middle), the Australian High Commissioner in India, releasing the commemorative publication, marking the 20th anniversary of the Chamber, by presenting the first copy to Mr. Rajeev Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Others (L to R): Mr. K.M. Mammen, President; Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary; and Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber.
The 20th Anniversary of the Chamber was celebrated at the Park Sheraton Hotel and Towers at Chennai on 16th March 2010.
His Excellency Mr. Peter Varghese, the Australian High Commissioner in India, was the Chief Guest. In his address, Mr. Varghese observed that as the Indian economy accelerate to 10 per cent rate of growth per year; Australia would like to take advantage of the structural complementarities between the two economies. He pointed out that there is a feasibility study now in progress for implementing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and once the recommendation is made the prospects for bi-lateral trade should be significantly higher than now.
The present bi-lateral trade stands at A$ 22 billion, an increase of 55 per cent over the last year, but the capital flows was just A$ 1.5 billion, which was much below the potential, he said. Australia will build up on the strategic relationship with India in the coming decades which will complement the trade links, Mr. Varghese added.
Focusing on the need to rebuild people-to-people contacts, he said the Immigration Department would adopt a new programme to source skilled migration from Asia and forging a strong bond with the Indian communities would form the real texture and depth of Indo-Australian ties in the coming decades.
A commemorative publication marking the 20th Anniversary of the Chamber was also released by the High Commissioner at the occasion and the first copy was presented to Mr. Rajeev Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Mr. Varghese appreciated the remarkable progress made by the Chamber in the last 20 years and said that the Chamber has played a major role in the development of trade and industry between the two countries.
Earlier Mr. K.M. Mammen, President of the Chamber, in his Welcome Address, said that the full potential for Indo-Australian trade could be unleashed only by a massive flow of technology and investment between the two countries, perhaps more from Australia to India than the other way round” “What will make a qualitative change to the economic relationship is long-term investments and technology that go with it”, he said.
Mr. Mammen also extended a special tribute to Mr. M.K. Kumar, the Founder President of Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce. It was largely due to Mr. Kumar’s efforts that a Charter was signed by Prime Ministers, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi and Mr. Bob Hawk in 1986, in Canberra, paving the way for the establishment of the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce and also the Joint Business Council between India and Australia.
Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, in his presentation on “New Frontiers in Indo-Australian Trade Relations” said that the big opportunity for Indian companies is the huge landscape of Australian SMEs. Australia has a vibrant SME culture with over 1.3 million small businesses. A major aspect of Australian SMEs is that 80% are managed by young entrepreneurs.
He pointed out that a major weakness of Indian exports is we are not able to create even a single brand that will sustain in the international markets. India needs to create brands across a broad spectrum of products and industries, he added. He hoped that Indian entrepreneurs in Australia are expanding at a fast pace and Indo-Australian trade is certainly emerging as one of the most prominent partnerships in international trade.
While addressing as Guest of Honour, Mr. Rajeev Ranjan IAS, said that Tamil Nadu has emerged as the key destination for foreign investment with the Government having ushered in a conductive climate for MNCs and global enterprises. “We have developed an investor-friendly climate through a series of fiscal measures, financial support and giving clearances on time to aid foreign investors in setting up their business operations in Tamil Nadu”, he added.
Mr. Rod Solomons, Chairman, Sub-Committee of the Chamber for Australian Companies in India, in his concluding remarks, observed that the Indo-Australian trade has reached a critical mass and is steadily deepening and broadening across several sectors.
The co-sponsors of the event were MARG Group, Coastal Energy and Hindustan University.
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Parliamentary Delegation from Western Australia (February 12, 2010)
Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber (extreme left), presenting a memento to Hon. Grant Woodhams, MLA. Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary of the Chamber, is also seen.
A Western Australian Parliamentary Delegation led by Hon. Grant Woodhams, MLA, and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia, visited Chennai and interacted with the Executive Council Members and special invitees of the Chamber on 12th February 2010.
Welcoming the delegates, Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, said that the Chamber has extremely close relationship with the Western Australian Government and the industry. Two former Premiers, Hon. Mr. Hugh Gallop and Hon. Mr. Alan Carpenter have visited Chennai and addressed members of the Chamber. There have been many other delegations led by senior ministers like Mr. Hendy Cowan, Mr. Clive Brown and Mr. Eric Ripper. The Chamber’s annual business delegation has visited Perth six times in the past 9 years. The Chamber also has a very active, ongoing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the prestigious Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA). Mr. Chandran thanked Mr. Paresh Shah, Acting Regional Director and Mr. K.V.V. Rajan, General Manager of the Western Australian Trade Office – India, for their close interactions with the Chamber.
In his address, Hon. Grant Woodhams observed that the Delegation’s visit was “to understand and learn the dynamics of India’s life, culture and economy. We are aware of India’s growing profile in the world and Indians are making a significant contribution to the Australian society and economy with their intellectual acumen diversity of skills and work ethics”. The discussions that followed covered a wide range of topics like the scope for skilled migration to Australia, collaboration in bio-fuel production, role of solar energy and scope for Australian technology in the development of Indian agriculture.
Besides, Hon. Grant Woodhams, MLA, the Mission included Mr. Peter Watson, MLA; Mrs. Liza Harvey, MLA; Mr. Albert Jacob, MLA; Mr. Peter J McHugh of the Legislative Assembly; and Mrs. Woodhams, Wife of the Speaker; Mr. Paresh Shah, Acting Regional Director and Mr. K.V.V. Rajan, Marketing Advisor, Western Australian Trade Office - India, also accompanied the Delegation.
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"Australian Financial Service Industry - Surviving the Downturn" (February 10, 2010)
Mr. Rob Whitfield, Group Executive, Westpac Institutional Bank, addressing members of the Chamber. Seated (L to R): Mr. P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary; Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director; and Mr. Prakash Challa, Executive Council Member of the Chamber. Despite global recession, the banking industry in Australia has withstood the financial crisis by complying with the new regulatory norms and attracting customers with a number of deposit options, said Mr. Rob Whitfield, Group Executive, Westpac Institutional Bank, Australia, at an interactive meeting organized by the Chamber on the theme “Australian Financial Service Industry – Surviving the Downturn” on February 10, 2010 at Chennai. Mr. Whitfield gave a perspective of the financial services industry with a focus on three broad dimensions – customers, the financial services industry and the regulatory changes. While talking about the customer relationship, he mentioned that in an environment of credit constraints, banks have no option but to value their relationship and will make decisions based on the depth of relationship with customers. Rob expressed the view that domestic regulators would bring in profound changes to facilitate liquidity funding with the right composition of capital mix. He pointed out that Westpac’s total liquid assets stood at A$ 100 billion as on Jan 2010, a big jump from A$ 17 billion in 2007. While responding to a query, Mr. Whitfield said that India is one of the key markets for long-term relationships in outsourcing, off-shoring business, wealth management space and technology solutions. Earlier, Mr. C. Sarat Chandran, Director of the Chamber, in his Welcome Address, remarked that Mr. Rob Whitfield is one of the great bankers of Australia and his visit comes in the background of Westpac’s expanding footprints in India. He said that all major Australian Banks, apart from Westpac – ANZ, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank and Macquarie Bank – have substantial operations in India and adding tremendous value to the country. Mr. Prakash Challa, Executive Council Member of the Chamber, in his Concluding Remarks, highlighted the growing profile of India’s infrastructure industry and invited Westpac to look at the possible opportunities for investment in the sector. ↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔↔
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