Queensland Opens Trade Office in Mumbai

Mumbai, Dec 7 (PTI) Queensland Minister for Tourism Innovation and Sport Stirling Hinchliffe on Thursday inaugurated the trade and investment office in the financial capital, according to a statement.

The establishment of Trade and Investment Queensland's (TIQ) Mumbai office, a part of the ongoing India visit of Hinchliffe, further exemplifies TIQ's pivotal role in fostering closer trade ties between the two regions, it added.

Hinchliffe is currently on a five-day mission to India. His visit underscores Queensland's commitment to enhancing economic collaboration with India and marks the first ministerial visit since the launch of the Queensland-India Trade Strategy 2023-2027 in early 2023, it said.

Accompanied by a diverse delegation, the mission focuses on strengthening partnerships with Indian counterparts across various sectors, including trade, education, sports science, innovation and technology, aviation, and tourism, the statement said.

Acknowledging the crucial relationship between Queensland and India, the minister said, "The launch of the Australia – India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) has paved the way for economic collaboration between Queensland and India".

"We are delighted to announce the strategic co-location of our state specialists within the Austrade office at the Australian Consulate-General, symbolising a strong 'Team Australia' approach.

"With our second presence in India, we will build upon the robust foundation laid by our Bengaluru headquarters. This expansion into a broader network not only signifies our growth but also reinforces our commitment to providing comprehensive market development and local intelligence support for our valued universities and corporate clients from Queensland," the minister was quoted as saying in the statement.

This visit marks a significant step towards realising the Queensland-India Trade and Investment Strategy 2023–2027, underlining the immense importance of India to the state of Queensland, he noted.