New India-based role established as SA vies for bigger piece of trade share

20 Nov 2023
South Australia is vying for a bigger share of India’s trade market as the South Australian Government establishes a designated ‘country director’ to seize on free trade agreement opportunities.

Based in Mumbai, the India Director will be recruited and tasked with establishing connections across the Indian market opening doors for South Australian businesses seeking to export to India and seek investment into the State.

The announcement comes as a bipartisan trade mission departs for India. Trade and Investment Minister Nick Champion will be the first South Australian Minister to visit India since 2017 – and will be accompanied by opposition spokesperson for Trade and Investment Tim Whetstone.

India is the State’s fifth largest merchandise export market, with South Australia exporting almost $1.1 billion of goods in the 12 months to September this year, an increase of 10.5 per cent on the previous year.

The South Australian Government’s renewed focus on India comes in the wake of the Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), which entered into force on 29 December last year.

The agreement eliminated tariffs on over 85 per cent of Australian goods by value exported to India, and that number will rise to 90 per cent by 1 January 2026.

The bi-partisan mission follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell’s visit earlier this year, as they seek improve two-way trade between nations acknowledging opportunities created by the AI-ECTA.

As a rapidly growing market of over 1.4 billion people, India presents a large opportunity for South Australian businesses looking to export and diversify.

According to the Economic Times, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to grow India’s $3.5 trillion economy underpinned by digital technologies and innovation, energy transition and manufacturing.

During the mission, the delegation will visit the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ Bengaluru and India’s commercial capital Mumbai, focusing on sectors where collaboration and an ongoing relationship between Indian and South Australian business can flourish.

The mission will seek to establish Adelaide as a partner of choice in areas such as premium food and wine, e-commerce, renewable energy, critical technologies, and international education. More information on the Country Director role can be found here