From Natasha Chaku

Melbourne

Australian Trade and Investment minister Andrew Robb will visit India with the largest-ever business mission in a bid to build on the growing economic momentum between the two countries.

The eight-day long mission called Australia Business Week in India (ABWI) will include over 450 Australian business leaders who represent a wide range of sectors, including resources and energy, infrastructure, transport, agribusiness and food, financial services, health, sport, cultural services, tourism, education and training.

Participants will be involved in various activities, including significant investment forums and other industry- specific events from January 9-16 across a number of Indian cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Jaipur and Chandigarh.

During his visit Robb will also take part in Vibrant Gujarat 2015 ? a major economic and development summit, alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Robb will also open the Confederation of India Industries (CII) India-Australia Business Summit in New Dehli.

The visit by the Trade and Investment Minister follows the successful visit by Prime Minister Abbott to India last September and Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Australia, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 28 years.

Robb said with a population of 1.2 billion people and an emerging middle class, India was a country of enormous opportunity and Australia has much to offer in supporting its development.

“As Prime Minister Modi said during his visit in November, India sees Australia as a major partner in every area of its national priorities.

“We are here to show that the Australian government and Australian businesses and institutions are ready and willing to work with India to help its transformation into one of the world’s great economic powers,” Robb said.

Robb will also continue high-level discussions aimed at finalising a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement between Australia and India. Prime Ministers Abbott and Modi would like to see an agreement concluded by the end of 2015.

India is Australia’s fifth largest export market and two-way trade between India and Australia is approximately 15 billion Australian dollars.

“This is a substantial trading relationship but clearly there is scope for significant growth, not only in the more traditional areas of trade such as resources, energy and agriculture, but also across a broad range of services as well as investment,” Robb said.

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