The ‘Gateway to South India’, Chennai is the newest location in Western Australia’s network of international offices.
Announced by Deputy Premier Roger Cook at an Invest and Trade WA event in the South Indian port city, the new office will help strengthen business and people-to-people ties with the region.
With International Education Minister David Templeman, the Deputy Premier has led WA’s largest ever business delegation on an eight-day mission across four Indian cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Chennai.
The mission has attracted significant government, industry and media attention as the delegation pursued different streams of WA’s diversification strategy to create investment, trade and jobs.
This was the first trade delegation to visit India by any Australian State since the signing of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement to eliminate or reduce tariffs.
The capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai is a thriving centre for manufacturing, software development and finance.
The new office will provide a vital trade link between the State and South India, supporting WA businesses pursuing opportunities within the region.
Chennai will be a spoke office within the India-Gulf Hub of the WA International Investment and Trade Office Network, which also includes Mumbai and Dubai.
The setup and operations of the Chennai office will be overseen by the Investment and Trade Commissioner for India-Gulf, Ms Nashid Chowdhury.
Established more than 25 years ago, Mumbai was the first investment and trade office opened by the WA Government on the sub-continent.
WA has always maintained a strong relationship with India, and the WA Government is committed to fostering these close economic and cultural ties.
In 2021, India was WA’s seventh largest trading partner with total trade valued at AUD $4.6 billion, accounting for more than 17 per cent of total trade between Australia and India.
WA exported $3.2 billion of goods to India in 2021, above the annual average of $2.4 billion over the past 10 years.
Chennai is one of four new spoke offices to be established by the WA Government in 2022-23 to strengthen investment and grow opportunities within the State’s key markets. The network currently has offices located in London, Singapore, Jakarta, Shanghai, Mumbai, Dubai, Tokyo and Seoul.
As stated by State Development, Jobs and Trade Minister Roger Cook:
“The mission to take Western Australia’s largest ever business delegation to India has been an outstanding success.
“The reception and engagement we have received in every city has been phenomenal.
“We have been strengthening friendships and opening doors which will lead greater investment and collaboration between India and Western Australia.
“Our message that WA is open for business, students, workers, trade, investment and tourism was loud and clear.
“It is fitting and timely that we are opening a new office in Chennai to build on the success of the mission.
“A thriving port city and the capital of Tamil Nadu, India’s second largest economy, Chennai is the perfect fit for a new investment and trade office.
“Home to an economy known for innovative manufacturing, Chennai is already well regarded within the WA business community as an advanced engineering hub.
“The new Chennai office will help grow the mutually beneficial trading relationship between WA and India.
“The McGowan Government is committed to growing the strong relationship with India, which is underpinned by common values, strong people-to-people connections, and substantial trade and investment links.”
