India is in the favor of season and Australians want to do the business with India, H.E Mr. A. Gitesh Sharma, High Commission of India, Canberra, Australia

No.PR-60 May 7, 2020 New Delhi India is in the favor of season and Australians want to do the business with India, H.E Mr. A. Gitesh Sharma, High Commission of India, Canberra, Australia India has always been at the forefront in establishing and maintaining its relations with other countries of the world. India – Australia relations have always been friendly on culture, trade and commerce over the years. PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized an interactive Webinar on Interactive Video Conference on “India – Australia Business Promotion, Challenges, and Opportunities – Post-COVID 19” with H.E. Mr. A. Gitesh Sarma., High Commissioner of India, Canberra, Australia on 6th May 2020. The session witnessed a participation of more than 70 industry players and senior members of PHDCCI from across the globe. H.E. Mr. A. Gitesh Sarma., High Commissioner of India, Canberra, Australia thanked PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry for being supportive and arranging the required interactive session in such times of crisis. He shared that there are two ways to deal with the pandemic, one is the scientific way and the other is business way, in which we need to just sustain ourselves. Australia is a different country in terms of population, technology, education, and others. Talking about the steps taken to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, H.E. Mr. A. Gitesh Sarma said that the Australian government has taken important decisions to combat the spread of the pandemic and they will continue to do in the best possible manner. He shared views on various trade opportunities and scope for different industries planning to venture in the Australian market. H.E. Mr. A. Gitesh Sarma. said that in recent years, there is an increase in business relations between Australia and India. India is an important market for Australia and it looks at India as a potential partner of trade, business, and others. He affirmed that India is the flavor of the season for Australians and want to do serious business with India. Australians would like to export agriculture, manufacturing products, technology, education services to India and would like to connect with the stakeholders in India post COVID19. Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal, Senior Vice President, PHDCCI while welcoming H.E. Mr. A. Gitesh Sarma appreciated the government for its proactive and extensive preventive measures to protect the citizens and the country’s economy from the adverse impact of the unprecedented catastrophe of Covid-19 pandemic. He made a comparison of the status impact of Covid19 in both the countries stating that while India has entered into the 3rd phase of nationwide lockdown its recovery rate has further moved to 27.52% while in Australia, the growth in new coronavirus cases is slowing, likely due to the decrease in travel-related cases. Mr. Aggarwal further said that the pandemic and consequent lockdown have hit various sectors, including MSME, hospitality, civil aviation, agriculture, and allied sector. To ease the pain and misery, the Finance Minister announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore stimulus package last month that included free food grains and cooking gas to poor for three months and cash doles to women and poor senior citizens as it looked to ease the economic impact of the nationwide lockdown. With the focus of the Government of India on Trade, Tourism, and Technology (3 Ts) post Covid19, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry will extend all the possible assistance to the business houses from both the countries to grab the opportunities promptly. He apprised His Excellency that the members of PHDCCI have been generously contributing to the PM CARES Fund of more than USD 68 million at present which has been rightly acknowledged by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. He further added that PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry remains committed in assisting the industry to overcome the difficulty it faces by possible representation to the Government and the Associations across the globe. Mr. Ajay Poddar, Chair, International Affairs Committee for ASEAN, East Asia, and Oceania, PHDCCI welcomed His Excellency and shared that the India-Australia bilateral relationship has undergone an evolution in recent years, developing along a positive track, into a friendly partnership. He also gave insights about India- Australia’s relationship in terms of economics, exports and imports, trade, education, and many more. The prospects for bilateral relationships are recognized in both countries as strategically useful, economically productive, and aligned with each other’s new agenda. The several commonalities and closely aligned values in principles of democracy, liberty, the rule of law, human rights, freedom of speech, free press, and multiculturalism serve as a foundation for a closer co-operation, multifaceted interaction, and enhancement of bilateral relationship said Mr. Ajay Poddar. Mr. Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary-General, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, gave a formal vote of thanks and mentioned that we at PHDCCI aim to foster international relations in social, cultural and economic fields where enterprises, government, and international organizations interact to promote and strengthen cooperation. In the coming years, the overall relationship between India and Australia will continue to grow and it has the potential to assume greater prominence. The session was moderated by Mr. Naveen Seth, Principal Director, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industries. The webinar was attended by Mr. Atul Anand, Co-Chair, International Affairs Committee for ASEAN, East Asia, and Oceania, Mr. Neelabh Dalmia, Co-Chair, International Affairs Committee for ASEAN, East Asia and Oceania, Mr. Surinder Kalra, Co-Chair, Gulf Committee, Mr. Vivek Agrawala, Chair, Africa Committee and other senior PHD members and industry stalwarts. Ends. Media Division PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry