In Mumbai, Australia’s former Foreign Minister and MP Tim Watts dropped by to meet Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the Mantralaya on Tuesday. The chat focused on boosting business links between Australia and Maharashtra in exciting areas like agriculture, medical technology, and education.
Watts led a small delegation for some productive talks on ramping up economic ties between the two sides. Joining the meeting were Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, Additional Chief Secretary Asim Gupta, Principal Secretary Navin Sona, and other top officials.
Shinde highlighted how Maharashtra plays a starring role in India’s economic and industrial boom, thanks to its strong push on infrastructure. He pointed out big wins like the Metro Rail, Coastal Road, and Atal Setu projects, which have supercharged connectivity and growth in the state.
He also updated the group on cool upcoming projects, such as Medisity and Educity in Navi Mumbai. These aim to turn the area into a top spot for healthcare and education innovation.
To make things fun and welcoming, Shinde urged his Australian guests to dig into Mumbai’s famous street food, vada pav. Tim Watts and Paul Murphy, Australia’s Consul General for Western India, who came along, clearly enjoyed the spicy treat. Watts even shared a fun memory from his last Mumbai trip about 20 years ago, when he came to catch a cricket match—adding a personal vibe to the diplomacy.
Looking back, India-Australia relations go way back. They kicked off right after European settlers arrived in Australia in 1788, with trade handled through Kolkata by the British East India Company. The countries set up diplomatic links before India’s independence, opening the India Trade Office in Sydney in 1941.
Fast forward, and they’ve leveled up from a Strategic Partnership in 2009 to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020. What binds them? Shared values in pluralistic democracies, Westminster-style governance, Commonwealth roots, growing trade, and more high-level meetups. Everyday connections shine too—like Indian students heading to Australia for college, tourism buzz, and cricket rivalries—that keep strengthening India-Australia bilateral relations.
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