India is growing fast; many things that it needs can be found in Australia: Australian envoy Philip Green

Emphasising the future of India-Australia relations, Australia’s High Commissioner to India Philip Green said that the countries’ relationship is “buoyant,” adding that for the first time in our history, both nations are strategic partners with “very strong strategic alignment.”

Australian envoy Philip Green was addressing a plenary session of the Australia-India Skill Partnership Summit on Monday in New Delhi.

“India and Australia’s relation is buoyant. Australia and India have been friends for a very long time,” he said.

He further stressed, “But I think there are three underlying drivers. For the first time in our history, we are strategic partners with very strong strategic alignment. We both care a lot about what’s going on in our region and want to find ways to make it better.”

Secondly, Green emphasised that India is growing at a fast pace, but many things that it needs can be found in Australia.

“We are complementary economies. India is growing fast, but many of the things that it needs, the energy, the minerals, the critical minerals, and the skills that India needs for the next phase of its growth, can be found in Australia,” Australian envoy Green said.

Noting the third factor, i.e. the “human bridge”, he said that nearly a million Indian people live in Australia, contributing nearly 4 per cent of Australia’s population.

“Then the third factor is what we call the human bridge. It’s the nearly a million people of Indian origin who now live in Australia. That’s nearly 4 per cent of our population. It’s the fastest-growing single segment of our population. They make a very good contribution to our society,” he added.

Green further expressed confidence that these three strategic drivers are working in their favour.

“So I’m very confident because these three strategic drivers, strategic alignment, economic complement, territory and the human bridge are working in our favour,” he said.

Moreover, a 33-member Australian Future Skills delegation will be visiting India to build a two-way market literacy and skills partnership momentum while developing business ties and partnerships between Australian and Indian institutions, universities and corporations.

During their stay in India, the delegates will visit New Delhi, Pune, and Chennai to interact with Indian institutions, universities, and corporate providers.

This delegation is a part of the Australian Government’s Australia-India Future Skills Initiative (FSI), a national priority program that supports Australian skills providers, Indian skilling institutions and corporates to identify collaboration models and partnerships for skills delivery in India to help meet labour force requirements here.

From April 8-11, 2024, Austrade in partnership with the Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), is hosting the Australia-India Industry Skills Partnership Summit in New Delhi.

Australian envoy Green also said that Australia seeks to play a “bigger part” in India’s journey to upskill its population.

“Australia aims to stimulate skills capability and India’s workforce growth with connections between key industry players, education institutions, and skills providers to strengthen the short educational relationship and future economic growth,” he added.