NSW Premier visiting India to open trade opportunities

New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell has left on his third official visit to India to promote trade and investment opportunities for the Australian state.

During the week-long visit, O'Farrell will meet senior government representatives and business leaders in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai with a focus on the infrastructure, education, financial services and tourism sectors.

"I’m looking forward to returning to India to build on the strong relationship between NSW and India, which is a priority market for our State," O'Farrell, who left from Sydney airport yesterday, said.

"I will reinforce my message that NSW is open and ready for business with India.

"NSW and India are both pursuing ambitious infrastructure programs, with the Indian Government aiming to invest a staggering USD 1 trillion into infrastructure in the five years to 2017.

"I am confident NSW has the strong infrastructure services capabilities that could support the delivery of many of these planned projects.

"My visit also reaffirms our strong friendship with India, which was highlighted last month when NSW hosted the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Overseas Indians Day) – the first time this event has been held in Australia.

"In 2012–13, India was Australia's largest source of permanent and skilled migrants and the Indian community is the fourth-largest migrant community in our country.

"India is NSW's second largest source of international students, with almost 11,300 Indian student enrolments in NSW in 2012."

O'Farrell will address several high-level industry and investor groups focusing on opportunities in financial services, infrastructure, clean technology and tourism.

"I will also meet the Chief Minister of Maharashtra State, Prithviraj Chavan, to discuss the next stages of the NSW-Maharashtra sister-state memorandum of understanding," he said.

"Our MoU with Maharashtra - India's leading industrial State and home of Bollywood - is an important step forward in the relationship between our two economies," he added.