Chris Minns picks India for first overseas trip to deepen NSW ties

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns will visit New Delhi and Mumbai with an official delegation from August 31. The trip underlines India's growing importance to NSW across trade, education, tourism and investment.

In Short

• The delegation will hold government and business meetings in Delhi and Mumbai
• Discussions will cover education, research, agri-food, clean energy and critical minerals
• About 174,000 Indian visitors spent roughly AUD 600 million in NSW

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns will visit India later this month with an official delegation to strengthen his state’s economic, education and cultural ties with one of its key international partners, according to an official statement. India is one of NSW’s most important trading partners, with goods trade between the two valued at AUD 6.87 billion (USD 4.86 billion) in 2024-25.

Minns will travel to New Delhi and Mumbai from August 31 to September 3. His four-day visit will centre on government and business engagements aimed at boosting trade, attracting investment and creating new opportunities for businesses. The delegation will explore opportunities in education, research and innovation, agri-food, clean energy, critical minerals, technology, tourism and advanced industries.

The visit was announced by Minns at an event in Sydney marking India’s 80th Independence Day. “I’m proud that my first overseas visit as Premier will be to India. It reflects the importance of the relationship and the enormous contribution the Indian community makes to NSW,” he said.

NSW, Australia’s most populous state, is home to Sydney, the country’s largest city and a major financial, business and education hub. The relationship between India and NSW also extends to tourism and education. Between April 2024 and March 2026, about 174,000 Indian visitors travelled to NSW, spending around AUD 600 million (USD 424 million), while more than 28,000 Indian students study in the state, the statement said.

The visit will also build on NSW’s sister-state relationship with Maharashtra, home to Mumbai and one of India’s largest economic centres. NSW and Maharashtra established the formal relationship in 2012, covering collaboration in vocational skills training, agriculture, water management and waste treatment technology, according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, who will accompany Minns, said India was “one of the most important” economies to the people of NSW and pointed to education, trade and innovation as areas where ties could be strengthened.

After the India visit, Minns will travel to Kathmandu on September 4 and 5 to strengthen ties with Nepal, while Mookhey will head to Bengaluru for engagements focused on trade, investment and technology. The India trip is aimed at deepening NSW’s links with a major partner across business, education, tourism and cultural engagement.

With PTI Inputs

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