ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/20/2003 08 October 2003
Fashion event celebrates Australia-India wool partnership
The Australian High Commission and the Woolmark Company celebrated the success of the wool partnership between Australia and India at a fashion evening, Wool 2004, in New Delhi on 8 October.
"The event captures a sense of the exciting success story of the wool trade - and the wider bilateral relationship - between Australia and India," said the Australian High Commissioner to India, Ms Penny Wensley AO, at the opening of the fashion show at her Residence.
"It is a business founded on the quality of Australian wool and on a natural logic of mutual benefit. We can be confident of continued growth in the years ahead."
Wool is Australia's third largest agricultural export, and the demand for Australian wool has been steadily growing in the Indian market, where wool imports have seen very large growth over the past ten years.
India is consistently among the top five markets in the world for Australian wool. Australian merino wool is a key input for India's woollen textiles and garment production.
Congratulating Indian manufacturers for their role in this Australia-India success story, Ms Wensley said, "Australia provides India with approximately 60 per cent of its imported wool and almost all of this wool is used for the manufacture of quality clothing".
The India-Australia wool partnership is creating a valuable 'wool route' enabling both countries to reach third-country markets, Ms Wensley said.
The High Commissioner also said that following the meeting of the Australia-India Joint Business Group on Natural Fibres and Textiles this year, the Australian and Indian governments were planning the establishment of a "wool innovation centre" in India.
The 8 October event had a distinct Australian flavour, with Australian cuisine from the Hotel Maurya Sheraton prepared under its Australian executive chef Bill Marchetti, a variety of fine Australian wines provided by the High Commission, beer provided by Fosters and fruit juices by Berri.
For further details, please contact Mr Shekhar Nambiar, Public Affairs Manager, on telephone 26888223, ext. 460.