After Denmark, UK, France, US, the Netherlands, Germany and Canada -- which have either a trade or cultural centre in the city -- it is now Australia who are coming to Ahmedabad. Two days before their first World Cup cricket match versus Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad, the Australian Trade Commission will open its office in the city, on Saturday.
Ricky Ponting, captain of the Australian cricket squad will also be meeting the commissioner after the inauguration ceremony of the trade office in Ahmedabad. Australian High Commissioner to India, Peter Varghese, AO, is coming from Delhi for the inauguration.
According to the schedule, the Australian cricket team will be practicing at Motera stadium between 10 am and 1 pm. After that, they will be returning to Hotel Marriott to attend the opening ceremony of the Australian Trade Commission’s office.
In the evening, the high commissioner has also arranged a party for the team at the hotel. The Australia Trade Commission already has offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Cochin, Jaipur and Chandigarh.
Now, Ahmedabad will become its 11th centre in the country. When DNA tried to contact the officials, no one was available for comment.
Peter Linford, senior trade & investment commissioner - South Asia, Minister Commercial, Australian High Commission -- has said on the Australia Trade Commission website that Australia is India's ninth largest source of imports."Over the past five years India has been the fastest growing market for Australian exports.
Two-way trade in goods and services was over AUD$18.3 billion in 2008, with Australia's exports to India surpassing AUD$ 16 billion," he said. In 2009, 1,24,800 tourists from India visited Australia and there are presently more than 1,20,000 Indian students enrolled in Australian educational institutions.
Targeting investments from Gujarat, Australia has announced on its website that Australia can be the ideal investment destination for Indian organisations seeking international expansion to secure access to natural resources like coal, gas and mineral deposits and create assets such as technologies, brand names and distribution networks.
In 2009-10, the Australian Trade Commission facilitated more than AUS$ 700 million investments from Indian into Australia in the tourism, hospitality, mining, aviation, ICT and education sectors.
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