The Hindu Business Line : `Redouble efforts for step-up in Indo-Australian ties'

INDIA needs to create a more `business friendly environment' with the Government carrying forward the reform agenda, said the Australian High Commissioner, Ms Penelope Anne Wensley.

Addressing the 15th annual day of the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce, Ms Wensley said that while bilateral trade between India and Australia was growing, the potential was much higher. Both countries have to step up efforts to fully tap that potential.

"It is essential that the new Indian Government continues with the reform agenda and the business community actively supports that agenda," she said.

Specifying some of the problem areas, she said India's requirements on the quarantine regulations were not transparent. This affected trade in meat and dairy products, live animals and genetic material, she said.

Both countries were not sufficiently focussing on tourism. More than a million Australians travelled abroad at any given time but few came to India, and those who did kept to the Taj Mahal and Jaisalmer circuit, leaving out spots in the South such as Kanchipuram and Mamallapuram, she said.It was up to India to promote these destinations.

Similarly, only 45,000 of the six million Indians travelling abroad go to Australia; this too needs to increase. "Unless we absolutely redoubled our efforts we will miss the boat," she said.

Australian airlines, Qantas, has re-introduced flights to India, what are Indian carriers doing, she asked.

After all, Australia was just 11 hours— "just three bollywood movies away," she said.

India was the seventh in Australia's top ten export markets.

Exports to the leading market, Japan, were around A$ 9.91 billion and to India A$ 4.86 billion, close on the heels of exports to UK which was about A$ 5.13. Bilateral investments was around A$ one billion.

The advantages of investing in Australia were many, she said — it posed the lowest risk of political instability, had a multilingual workforce, highest availability of information technology skills in the Asia Pacific region, it was a resilient economy treading the growth path for more than 13 years and office accommodation was among the most competitive.

It has made the transition from resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy.

Indian entrepreneurs should be in Australia publicising similar details about India.