Premier Gladys Berejiklian to visit India from April 16-19, 2018

 

By Neena Badhwar

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is on her way to India for a four-day trade mission as she plans to visit Mumbai. “Unfortunately I won’t be meeting Prime Minister Modi as he is away overseas to attend a Commonwealth meeting, Ms Berejiklian said to the Indian media in Sydney,” Mr.Modi is a busy man and an important   world leader. I do intend to visit India again in the near future. This is only stage one of my visits to India.”

Premier said, “We in NSW have similar interests and aims as Mr. Modi has for India that is to develop smart cities and technology. India is at the forefront and we want to develop here the west of Sydney, with Badgery’s Creek Airport as I would like a silicon like city in the west.”

Premier sounded quite upbeat about her first visit to India and happy that local experts as well as the international IT experts can help develop that area. She mentioned that she was always looking into how NSW will be as an economy in the next 20- 30 years, or even fifty years.

“I am looking after to partnerships especially in IT.”

Premier plans to meet Indian business houses who can set up business here and help develop as she praised the education sector as Indian international students in NSW are on the rise.

Indian media was invited by the Premier before she travels to India for a press conference, they fielded questions on various issues. One was on travel concession to international students. Premier said she has talked to the universities about it yet media pressed on what was coming from the government. To another question about the Adani Saga, a question was whether there are any incentives to attract Indian companies, “NSW is a very diverse economy, there is great potential in manufacturing, education, health and sport,” was her answer.

She was also asked about international students and them finding jobs in regional areas, “As I visit regional areas, while we have extensive plans to do with aboriginal community, we are looking also at how the Indian students can stay in the country area, for example if educated in medical qualifications. Also we are talking to universities how we can collaborate for the students to stay and find jobs in those regional areas where ever they have studied.”

Another question was whether the NSW government can help host an Indian film festival like the one in Melbourne which is supported strongly by the Victorian government, Premier mentioned about Parramasala and how big it has become and that if a good proposal for festival came through then, yes, that could be a strong possibility.

“Film festivals can increase awareness of Indian film industry as well as can be good culturally and socially.”

“People from India are more open and outward looking, media and communication is very important in that role. as local media here can help the newly arrived migrant community from India.”

“We will also be encouraging business leaders which is a two-way opportunity, one it will help deepen our relationship and increase our trade relationship and second look at ways how we can diversify,” she wasn’t going to manage to see the Taj Mahal, when asked, only because the trip was pretty tight she said.