‘Julie Bishop’s Visit To India Shows Australia’s Commitment To Indian Market’
At a time when Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop is on a two day tour of India, to meet Narendra Modi cabinet and discuss about strategic ties, education, knowledge and trade sectors seem to be really important areas where these two nations can ponder upon.
BW Businessworld talks to Leonie Muldoon, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, South Asia, about Australia’s interests in investments in India, Bishops’ India visit and immigration concerns of the Indian Diaspora in Australia. Edited excerpts:
What kind of engagements India and Australia are looking at with Julie Bishop’s India visit?
I would just say that the foreign minister’s visit at this time, which will be followed by the trade investment and the tourism minister along with five of his ministerial colleagues, shows Australia’s commitment to Indian market, to engage, build stronger linkages and our desire to be a partner with India, as we globally look to face different challenges.
How much investment is Australia planning in India in terms of education?
Almost all of our universities are actively engaged in the Indian market, they are working to talk to high schools, and they are also working on university partnerships on joint degrees, joint PHD’s. There is deep engagement in the market at the moment and Australia is making the most of it.
What are the other aspects which they are planning to invest in the like of AI, VR?
Nothing specific comes into mind. We are really investing into pharmaceutical sector. In Australia we have an Australia-India strategic fund, which is funded by the Australian government. Every year that invites Australian and Indian partners to submit grants. It has been running for quiet sometime now. It has been producing some life changing investments and technologies, particularly in healthcare space.
India is currently going through employability and lay off issues, what is Australia dealing with it?
Australia is a very welcoming country; we are a country of immigrants. We currently have Indian Migrants as our largest growing group of Migrants. We see that there is some complimentality there. We also see that there is an opportunity to up skill and support Indian graduates with education options so that they can come back and make a really positive contribution nationally here, in range of growth areas where India is trying to move forward.
Does Australia share the concern in terms of immigration of Indians?
Not sure I understand what India’s concern in regards to immigration is. But what I can say is that Australia has a really generous situation with regards to immigration.
Even after the Aus. PM visiting India, there was a clamp down on visa, what is the Australian government’s stance on it?
I would say there is no clamp down; perhaps I would say there is some association between the visa changes in the US to Australia, which is an incorrect association. We are not hearing from industry in India that there is any change for their operations at all. The IT sector remains in demand and therefore the key multinationals are also operating in Australia and looking to employ Indians.
Every country from time to time re looks at its visa policy. On this I would also like to emphasize that the visa situation for students is completely unchanged and remains favorable and gives very post-graduation work rights. This enables students to get hands on practical experience in Australia. We are a very open country and it would be very wrong to position Australia in some kind of global trend which is anti-immigration.
