The Hindu Business Line : Much beyond cricket and curry

The 2006 Accor-Qantas Australia India Address by Australian Prime Minister John Howard marks a turning point as the two countries reach out to have more trade and investment links.

India has now overtaken the UK to become Australia's sixth largest export market. Bilateral trade with India currently stands at more than $7 billion.

Howard said, "There is now something very different and more to the relationship than just history, a common language and cricket. There is a real sense of excitement and anticipation and this was brought home to me very vividly during my visit to India in March."

Six bilateral agreements were signed during that visit, including a trade and economic framework and MoUs (memorandums of understanding) on customs, defence and biotechnology cooperation.

Addressing a select gathering of business and government executives, diplomats, academicians, media and leading expatriate Indians at a luncheon hosted by the Australia India Business Council, Howard termed the rise of India as "one of the great phenomenon of the early part of the 21st Century".

Democracy's pride

He said he had great admiration for the way Indian people had embraced democracy and the success of this largest democracy in the world is an astonishing achievement. With Federal elections in Australia due next year Howard, in all probability contesting for a fourth term as prime minister, made it a point to state, "Today's prosperity is the result of yesterday's reforms in both countries." He was drawing parallels with India's opening of its economy in the early 1990s.

In Australia, India's IT success is often mired by the outsourcing debate, but Howard commended the "early and extensive and astute investment made by India in education, particularly technical education" and said that is "something that can carry a lesson for 21st Century Australia as well as other countries around the world".

Under immense pressure at home due to rising fuel prices, Howard didn't hesitate to pass the onus in saying, "High petrol prices caused by high crude oil prices are there because of more than anything else, because of the rise, economically, of China, and also increasingly of India. And the growing demand of those two countries on the world supplies of fuel, have created, to a significant extent, the very high prices that we now groan under."

Referring to India's Non-Aligned status during the Cold War, Howard said, "Our relations with India on a diplomatic and foreign policy level are made easier by there no longer being an east-west divide in the old cold war terms."

Migration programme

About 12 per cent of Australia's migration programme is now made up of citizens from India. It is the third largest source of migration to Australia and the second largest source of overseas students.

A record audience of 540 at this first ever address by Howard to the AIBC, which was formed in 1986 following a meeting in Australia between the then Prime Ministers Bob Hawke and Rajiv Gandhi to help fulfil their shared vision of the enormous potential for bilateral trade and investment, demonstrated how important India has become for Australia.

Indian Consul General in Sydney Sujan R. Chinoy said, "The large turnout today is a testament to Prime Minister Howard's commitment to the development of India and Australia relations, which have witnessed rapid strides in recent years."

As trade, investment and movement of people grow in both directions, AIBC NSW Chapter president Mohan Monteiro said, "Most of our corporations will have significant investments and operations in both countries, as well as collaborative relationships that extend regionally and globally. There will be mutual recognition of qualifications and sharing of educators, researchers and students. Bilateral tourism will expand exponentially."

"This must be as good as it gets for anybody whose heart beats for India and Australia. It should keep getting better," said Neville Roach, Chairman Emeritus AIBC.

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