Australian state Victoria seeks to 'engage India'

MUMBAI: To tap the potential of the country’s growing urban middle class and rising disposable incomes, a trade delegation from Victoria has arrived here as part of the Australian state’s ‘Engaging India’ strategy.

The team of 46 Victorian companies, predominantly from the food and beverage industry, is led by Indian entrepreneur DD Saxena. The trade delegation plans to involve Indian retailers, importers and distributors to tap business opportunities here.

In November 2009, the state had sent a dairy mission to discuss ways to channel Victoria’s dairy products into the Indian retail market. Speaking to ET, Brett Stevens, manager, food products, government of Victoria, said: “Our technologies, such as high-pressure pasteurisation, increasing the shelf life of dairy products and good connectivity to ports and airports ensure faster delivery.”

Geoffrey Conaghan, Victoria’s commissioner to India, said his government aims to double the annual exports from Victoria to India, that currently stand at A$65 million. Dairy exports alone are valued at A$9 million. Mr Conaghan said Victoria also seeks to establish ties with India in education and has signed an MoU with Karnataka in vocational education and hopes to ink a similar deal with Maharashtra.