Western Australia's Deputy Premier, Treasurer, and Minister for Transport and Tourism, Rita Saffioti, has successfully concluded a delegation-led mission in Delhi and Chennai. With meetings held with key aviation stakeholders, senior Government representatives, and business, to strengthen relations between Western Australia and Tamil Nadu focusing on key sectors such as trade, tourism, education, innovation, and aviation. India is currently Western Australia’s 10th largest trading partner.
Similarly, Tamil Nadu’s vision is to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2030, with a strong focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. Invest and Trade Western Australia was the one and only State Partner for the recent 2024 Global Investor Meet in the state of Tamil Nadu.
In Chennai, Minister Saffioti continued her mission with bilateral engagements through meetings with the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development and Minister for Information Technology & Digital Services, and the ITWA Networking Reception.
In March 2023, the Western Australian Government signed a Letter of Intent with Tamil Nadu, focusing on collaboration across many areas of mutual interest. The ECU-PALS Joint Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies Symposium is set to take place on March 5/6, 2024, at IIT Madras campus, bringing together thought leaders, industry experts, and enthusiasts to delve into the forefront of cybersecurity advancements and emerging technologies.
Looking back on the mission in Chennai, Minister Saffioti highlighted, "Our bilateral engagements with the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development and Ministers for Information Technology & Digital services were beneficial in strengthening government ties. The ITWA Networking Reception, where we announced the Innovation Exchange Agreement, marks a significant step towards fostering innovation and collaboration between Western Australia and India."