The 2025 annual address and gala dinner of the Australia India Business Council (AIBC), at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney, drew a full house – political leaders, diplomats, industry figures, and members of the Indian-Australian community. The evening reflected a growing consensus: the Australia–India economic partnership has not only matured but is accelerating.
Hosted by AIBC’s NSW Chapter, the black-tie gala was both celebratory and forward-looking. AIBC NSW Chair Irfan Malik had a clear message for all that the relationship between Australia and India is only going to grow, and the pursuit now should be to turn frameworks into outcomes.
Trade Growth, Investment Confidence
The event highlighted major progress in bilateral trade. Since the signing of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) in 2022, tariffs have been eliminated or reduced on over 85% of Australian exports to India. More importantly, work is underway on a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) to expand this further.
NSW Premier Chris Minns, in his keynote address, called India an economic wonder of the world; the Indian economy on an annualised basis is growing at 6 percent.
“Annualised trade has grown at 25 percent in the last decade, and with 85 percent of Australian exports tariff free, the Australian firms have a great opportunity,” he said.
He further praised the Indian diaspora living in Australia and complimented them for rising to the top levels of law, politics, commerce, business and the legal system.
“NSW sold $40 billion worth of black coal, and the future of this industry is important. The royalties from that sale help pay for the government services for the people of NSW, this is a huge part of our economy. Currently being largely sold to Japan and South Korea, the indications are that these countries will be buying less of this in the future,” Premier Minns said.
“We need to fill this $40 billion export hole in our economy, and we need young entrepreneurs to work closely in these new economies like India which are opening up. These youngsters of Indian diaspora who can speak the language and understand the culture will be hugely important to the NSW economy and I can pledge to you that my colleagues and I will everything we can to drive this trade.”
He further pointed out that India and NSW are beacons of free trade as compared to other parts of the world which are putting up trade barriers. He also took the opportunity to hit out against the anti-migration rallies which have focused on the Indian community.
“Indian Australians are extremely hard working, incredibly educated and the bigots, narrow minded people who speak against them need to be met with facts,” Premier Minns said.
Consul General Janakiraman also shared his thoughts on trade opportunities and referred to an ANZ Bank document which said that to crack the Indian market, one needs patience, perseverance and persistence.
“If you have these three qualities, you can do a lot of business with India,” he said, forecasting opportunities in technology, including bio tech, sports tech, agri tech and defence tech.
Though there was a celebratory tone to the evening, there was also a sense of urgency. Attendees agreed that while government agreements set the stage, businesses and communities must deliver results.
As one attendee aptly put it, “The ink on trade deals is just the beginning. The real work is in boardrooms, classrooms, labs, and living rooms across both countries.”
With both India and Australia navigating a shifting geopolitical and economic landscape, partnerships grounded in innovation, trust and shared prosperity will be critical.
As guests mingled, exchanged business cards and cultural anecdotes, it was clear that the Australia–India story is one not just of diplomacy—but of people, progress, and a future being built together. 2025 AIBC annual address
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