Australian minister's Mumbai visit cancelled due to rains

MUMBAI: The heavy rains lashing Mumbai have led to cancellation of the of a senior Australian minister to the city, authorities said today.

Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo was scheduled to visit the BSE and the BSE Institute here tomorrow to promote Australia-India investment and education ties but it has been due to the "inclement weather conditions" in Mumbai, the Australian Consulate here said in a release.

Ciobo was to ring the opening bell of the BSE before addressing students from the BSE Institute and meet its leadership to highlight the growing interest of Australians to invest in India, the release said.

Ciobo's visit was scheduled to highlight existing partnerships between Australian and Indian education institutions and also interact with BSE Institute students pursuing higher studies in Australia, it said.

The minister is in India for the 'Australia Business Week in India' (ABWI), an intiatiove of the Australian government to expand the country's trade, investment and education ties with India.