The Minister of Trade and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and public Distribution and Fabric, Shri PiyushGoyal left New Delhi for a 5-day trip to Australia today. His visit comes days after India and Australia signed the Economic Co-operation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA) on Saturday, 2nd April. During the visit, I will take ECTA to the people, said Shri Goyal, adding that communication was planned with Business leaders, Indian students, foreigners, etc.During the visit Shri Goyal will have extensive discussions with his Australian counterpart, Mr. Dan Tehan MP, Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment, in advancing ECTA. ECTA is India’s first trade agreement with a developed country after more than a decade and provides an institutional framework for improving trade between the two countries. Shri Goyal will also hold talks with Mr Tony Abbott, Special Representative of the Australian Prime Minister tonight.
Shri Goyal will also meet with Mr. Jason Wood, Member of Parliament, Assistant Minister of Culture, Community Safety and Cultural Affairs, Mr. Alex Hawke, Minister of Immigration and Cultural Affairs, Mr. Roger Cook, MLA, Deputy Prime Minister of Western Australia and Minister. Of Government Development, Employment and Trade, Tourism, Trade and Science and Ms. Madeline King, Minister of Trade.During his full program, Shri Goyal will visit the University of Melbourne and the Australia India Institute tomorrow. He will address the Public Meeting with Minister Dan Tehan and Mr Allan Myers, Chancellor, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne.
Shri Goyal will also visit the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground and speak to the Australia-India Chamber of Commerce and Austrade, as well as Minister Dan Tehan, without consulting the Indian media. He will later visit the Shiva Vishnu Temple in Melbourne and attend a Community event with the Indian Diaspora.
On Thursday, April 7, Shri Goyal and Minister Dan Tehan will address and interact with students at the University of New South Wales in Sydney and honor a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi on the University campus. Shri Goyal will later address the Reception Report on Emerging Business Leaders hosted by the India-Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA). Later in the evening, Shri Goyal, accompanied by Minister Dan Tehan and Minister Alex Hawke, Minister of Immigration and Cultural Affairs, will attend a Public Event at the Swaminarayan Temple in Sydney.
Ahead of the departure from Sydney on Friday, 8th April, Shri Goyal will once again meet Mr Alan Joyce, CEO & MD, Qantas Airways.
Shri Goyal will meet with Australian Agriculture producers and hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister Roger Cook and Ms. Madeline King, Minister of Shadow Trade in Perth. He will visit the Western Australia Cricket Ground (WACA) in Perth and attend the Tourism event in partnership with Tourism Western Australia, without hosting Press Interaction and Indian Media Delegation. On Friday evening, Shri Goyal will address the Community Center Indian Society of Western Australia (ISWA).
Australia is India’s 17th largest trading partner and India is Australia’s 9th largest trading partner. ECTA is expected to almost double the international trade from $ 27.5 bn (2021) to about $ 45 to $ 50 Billion over the next five years. ECTA is expected to create new jobs, improve living standards and improve the well-being of the people of both countries. Production of additional jobs is expected to be 10 lakhs over the next 5 years.
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