Simon Crean, Australia’s Minister for Trade, and Kamal Nath, Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry, at the India-Australia Joint Business Council Meeting in Melbourne earlier this year

Simon Crean, Australia’s Minister for Trade, and Kamal Nath, Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry, at the India-Australia Joint Business Council Meeting in Melbourne earlier this year

When we initially heard of ‘Australia’, the epic feature film being produced by 20th Century Fox, our first reaction was: “Whoa, it’s about time someone grabbed the opportunity to showcase this great continent-county, located in southern hemisphere, between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific.” And when we learnt that the film was being helmed by the great Aussie director Baz Luhrmann (‘Moulin Rouge’, ‘Romeo And Juliet’), and starred an all-Aussie lead cast – superstar Nicole Kidman and Sydney boy Hugh Jackman, we told ourselves to gear up for some sheer ocular indulgence, later this year when the movie premieres in the US.

Therein lies the genesis of our Australia report. Like Luhrmann, who holds nothing back when he narrates a story, we’ve got a story to tell too. About ‘Australia’. Edifying; comprehensive; uncut. This Australia stars trade, tourism, education, even entertainment – each a luminary in its own right. It’s got an all-Indo-Australian cast and crew and the budget is the range of an astronomical $13.3 billion. Luhrmann, who frequently uses bright, distinct colours and fast-paced editing, also inspired us to add a generous dash of opulence to our page design. Hence the bold colours, which set the tone for, what we hope, will teleport you to Oz and bare its myriad attractions without having to fly an inch.

Like best buddies on the movie screen, India and Australia have enjoyed a long relationship that has deepened and diversified in various areas in recent years. The association is characterised by mutual understanding and cooperation based on several complementarities. Both nations are powerful, vibrant and multi-cultural democracies. As a commonly spoken language, English provides an important link for people from both sides to understand and appreciate each other. And of course, there’s the common adhesive, cricket. Sujatha Singh, High Commissioner of India in Australia, hits the nail on the head when she says: “India and Australia, as littoral states of the Indian Ocean, are not countries that are far apart but actually countries in each others extended neighbourhood.”

The statistics have an interesting script to narrate. Australia’s trade and economic relationship with India is growing rapidly. In 2007, India was Australia’s sixth largest market for goods exports, its seventh largest market for services and its seventh largest market for goods and services combined. India was also Australia’s fastest growing major export market – with both goods and services exports increasing by an annual average of over 32 per cent over the last five years. Two-way trade in goods and services in 2007 totalled $13.3 billion, making India Australia’s tenth largest trading partner.

Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia, recently mentioned: ‘The Australia-India relationship is one of the great opportunities of this century for both nations. We already enjoy strong economic, cultural and strategic ties. India’s rapidly emerging economic strength, recording growth rates averaging 8-9 per cent per annum, reinforces this opportunity. As this extraordinary growth continues, the relationship will become even more important.” His counterpart Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, was only too happy to return the compliment. “I welcome the fact that Indian businesses and industry are seeking partnerships with their Australian counterparts, and that Australian business is also discovering the possibilities that are opening up in India,” he said.

Indo-Australian relations today have expanded rapidly to encompass a wide range of complimenting ties – from education to biotechnology, food processing and ICT; from clean coal and mining technology to an expanding range of environmental industries. This two-way exchange has led to increased prosperity and wealth generation between the two nations These are strong indicators that in the coming years the partnership will grow further, thereby delivering a broad range of tangible benefits to Indians and Australians alike.

Education and tourism are the two other key drivers of the Indo-Australian alliance. In recent times, Australia has emerged as a realistic alternative to time-honoured educational hubs like the UK and the US. Today, Australian universities provide an unrivalled blend of global teaching standards, great value for money and quality campus life. What’s more, Australia provides a safe, friendly and multicultural society that makes acclimatisation unproblematic for Indian students. With the number of Indian students in universities and vocational colleges in Australia exceeding 63,000, Australia is today the second most sought after destination for higher studies for Indian students, after the US.

As far as tourism goes, India is Australia’s fastest growing market now, with Indian visitor arrivals in 2007 amounting to 95,200, up by 13.6 per cent over 2006. And it’s set to get even better. The Tourism Forecasting Council indicates 113,000 visitors from India by year ending 2008. Arrivals from India are expected to perform well, with an average annual growth rate of 17.4 per cent through to 2016. Says Rick Matowski, International Manager (Eastern Hemisphere), Tourism Australia: “India is becoming a substantial market for us. It is number 11 to Australia globally. But it’s growing fast, which is fantastic at a time when other markets are slowing down.”

Which is what takes us back to the beginning of our story. This Australia, in all probability, has all the makings of a big blockbuster, with all the thrills and frills. From an Indian’s standpoint – be it an investor or a student or a tourist, opportunities to be part of the plot seldom come easier than this. Australia is beckoning with open arms. And you can write the script.