ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/19/2005 15 July 2005
Australia, New Zealand business association in India
The Australian High Commissioner to India, Mr John McCarthy, and the New Zealand Trade Commissioner, Mr Peter Vaughan, today launched the Australia & New Zealand Business Association in India (ANZBAI) in Mumbai.
A non-profit association, the main aim of ANZBAI will be to increase trade and investment relations between Australian and New Zealand businesses and India. It will also act as a forum for Australian and New Zealand business interests in India to exchange experiences, provide a network of contacts and act as a conduit for informing the Indian Government of the interests of the members of the association.
"We have seen an enhancement in Australia-India relations recently with increases in both government and people-to-people contacts as well as significant growth in economic relations. India is already Australia’s sixth largest export market, two-way trade is set to grow further and there is increasing two-way investment interest", said Mr McCarthy.
According to Mr McCarthy, "relations between all three countries are on the upswing and we believe that this initiative will assist our business people in capitalizing on the opportunities in the highly prospective Indian market."
"This joint association of natural allies, Australia and New Zealand, in India should add value beyond the strengths of each country. It will also provide a key focus point for Indian business looking for collaboration with Australian and New Zealand businesses," added the High Commissioner.
ANZBAI will include senior representatives from the Australian Trade Commission and Trade New Zealand, providing linkages between the Association and Governments.
For further information, please contact Mr Don Cairns at the Australian Counsulate General, Mumbai, on 022 5669 2000.