Victoria and India share a special relationship, one that has been built through cooperation and shared values.
The relationship has evolved and strengthened since the release of Victoria’s India Strategy: Our Shared Future in 2018. Creating a vibrant and mutually beneficial relationship with India remains a Victorian priority, as our economies and societies continue to complement each other. India is one of Victoria’s biggest trade partners with two-way merchandise trade between India and Victoria reaching almost $3.7 billion in FY2023-24. Victoria is also home to the largest Indian diaspora in Australia, accounting for 38 per cent of the Australian total.
It is these strong people-to-people ties that form the bedrock of our relationship. We both share a love for good food and sport and have long cultivated complementary sectoral strengths and interests.
There have been a great many successes built from the 2018 Strategy, including increased student numbers, a host of creative events that grow in popularity, and enhanced collaboration in the innovation ecosystem, food and agribusiness, and tourism and visitor economy sectors.
But, the world has changed since 2018.
Our domestic priorities have shifted, and global events have shaped bilateral relationships. To further build on our connection and enhance cooperation, we are refreshing Victoria’s India Strategy. It is our vision to ensure Victoria and India continue to share a deep and genuine connection across our economies and societies and achieve joint prosperity.
Victoria’s India Strategy: Our Shared Future 2025-30 therefore adjusts our focus for the next five years as we look to boost cooperation with India across strategically important sectors and states.
We have set out three objectives that we will target over the next five years. Firstly, we aim to strengthen our connections for a meaningful and inclusive relationship with India. Secondly, we want to enhance our strategic economic cooperation for mutual prosperity. Thirdly, we are committed to deepening our education, innovation and technology ties for a vibrant knowledge economy.
Since 2018, we have identified where we have strengths in our network and have since refined our focus to those areas where we have established advantages – in high quality food and fibre, in the strength of our educational institutions and services, our digital and tech talent, and in the tourism offerings of our cities and regions.
But there is also more to be done to progress growing areas of interest as both Victoria and India look to continue to grow the connections between our creative and sport industries, and to partner together to solve sustainability challenges. We also need to develop highly skilled workers, networks and industries to grow a manufacturing sector that is flexible, digital, and builds on Victoria's strengths in research and innovation.
Our vision is to further connect Victoria and India - state-to-state and person to person.
Updated