Australia to host ‘Festival of India’ in September

Australia to host ‘Festival of India’ in September

This year, in September 2016, Australia will be decked up to host a 'Festival of India' to improve the level of engagement with India that has emerged as the prime source of migrants.

Since the meeting of prime ministers of India and Australia in 2014, there is a remarkable boost in bilateral relations and the trade between the two nations has been going quite well in the past few years. As a result, in 2015, the famous Sydney Opera House was ornamented with lights to show gratitude and the closeness between the two nations.

There are about 53,000 students from India and last year in 2015, around 2.33 lakh visas were issued to Indian visitors to Australia. The threefold rise in Indian born Australians in the last 10 years makes Australia home of some half a million Indian migrants, said Harinder Sidhu, Australia's new high commissioner to India.

About fifteen companies of Australia are engaged in providing equipment, technology as well as services to mining companies. The trade basket between India and Australia is getting rich with each day. So far, the trade between the nations focused on commodities such as coal and on education as well as training services. But, now there is an increasing share of medical and healthcare technology, research collaboration in healthcare and eye care services and accountancy and other services that is adding up to the list.

People celebrating a festival in India. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

There is more. The two countries are planning to delve deep in case of security relations by discussing Indian Ocean Rim and maritime field. Recently, Australia and India's Navy conducted their first joint exercise recently. Not just that, even in the field of sports, nutrition and health- many Australian universities are visiting India for training purposes.

With estimates suggesting approximately 4.5 million jobs that can be created in sports in India, this is going to be one big area of cooperation, said the Australian high commissioner.

Australia has announced that by June 2016, they will introduce a long term three-year multiple entry visas for India on a trial basis. This was done to attract the short term and frequent Indian travelers for repeat visits to Australia and this move came just at the beginning of travel and holiday season in India. Apart from countries such as Chile, Thailand and Vietnam; India is the only country where the trial is being done.

(Inputs from Economic Times)

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