Mission to India - Lal

businesses i n sectors including ad v anc ed m an ufacmrin g, energy ge n eration and distr.ibutiort, utilities, build ing automation, and mining and natural resources.

Acade1nia and researchers will togeth e r d evelop solutions that tackle i ssues core co indus try, such as improving e nergy effic ie nc y, raisi ng productivity and addressing climate change.

ABB India CEO Bazmi Husain c o mmenced on the benefits of this aU.ian ce in ics ab ility co draw on the g lobal expertise o f a compan y that invests more than US$1 b illion a year in R&D globaUy - much of it directed at ABB's seven Corporate R esearch Centres.

Banking products

V icroria n compan y GRG

Internacional Lim ited (which supplies and distributes G RG

Banking ATMs and m anagement sofovare an d additional banking products and services) signed a lvloU with the M adhya Pradesh

Consultancy Organisatio n (MPCON) t o supply i\TMs and cash dispensers for eligible recipients co access payments using transac tion cards that will also be issued by GRG.

One of the key o utcomes will be a distribution system for payments made unde r India's l atio nal Rural E mployment Guarantee Ace (MGNREGA), which will su bstantially improve the efficiencies o f governm ent welfare

14 MARCI-I 2012

The agreem ent will create 50 new jobs in V ic roria a nd another $500 million in Victorian exports over the next 10 rears.

Subject to final cont.races G R G expects to deliver 5,000 ATMs, 25,000 point-of-sale terminals a nd four million cards, to be deployed over three years un de r a 10-year agreement.

Defence and aerospace

A m a jor Indo-V.icrorian joint venture in Bangalore was also launched cl.iring che premier's trip.

Vyoneesh Rosebank Technologies (VRT), wiU manufacture, maintain and provide product supp ort for components and equipme nt used by India's d efenc e and aerospac e industry

The Victo rian parcoer, Roseban k E ngineer ing, is a leading su pplier of defence, commercial aerospace and land systems prod uc ts and services, with cu stomers incl uding the defence forces of A L1scralia, USA and Malays ia.

Mr Baillieu unveiled a p laq u e to mark the start of construction o n a new fac il ity for VRT in Bangalore, tliat will operate stateof- the-art design , manu facturing and engineering tech n o logy.

" Rosebank Engin eering will be responsible for training V RT staff, and provide its grea t expertise and skills to h elp e n su re VRT beco m es an Indian leader in defence and aerospace services," l'v[r Baillieu said.

Th.is project will d e live r approximate ly 10 new jobs in Victoria in the near fomre

Clean technology vehicles

A nother MoU was sign ed with LJdian automotive pio neer l\fabindra Reva is a pioneer of electric vehicle technologies and was one of d1e first companies to in troduce elec tric vehicles woddwide

M:abi nclra Reva Electric Vehicles to su ppon a feasib il ity smdy exploring the potential for resea rch, supply chain development, and manufacturing of clean technology vehi cles in Victoria.

Mr Baillieu said V ic toria was a driver o f the Australian automotive industry and o ffered companies such as M ahindra Reva a comprehensive suite of capabilities, from in itia l c o nce p t a n d design r ight duough to manufacrure and assembly.

Mr Baillien also welcomed n ew parmers hips between Mahindra Reva and t hree distinguished Victorian r esearcl1 institutions: d1e Victorian -based Auto m otive Cooperative Research Centre, Latrobe Universi ty, and Swinburne U nive rsity.

Mahi n dra Reva has entered inco an MoU with the i\utoCR C to estab lish an operational framework for an Applied Research Program. The two- year MoU will facilitate d1e s haring of relevant confid ential in formation and enable the two parties to establis h speciiic pro jec t agreements u nd er tbe Applied R esearch Program

Th e compan y has also en ter ed in to a thr ee year MoU wid1 La T robe to facilitate coUaborntive research and d evelopment for new energy management technologies. Th e research program will develop new concepts and techniques for high -efficiency building d esign, electric vehi cles, and vehicle- to-grid technologies.

E netgy man agement systems fo r commercial buildings would encourage ernp loyees to use electcic vehicles, which could in turn serve as a so urce of energy for the workplace or help to stabilise renewable energy sources

Mr Checan Maini, "the m an b ehind Reva", v.rill become Swinburne Univers ity's 6rst

E ntreprene ur in R esidence, and w ill be engaged in t h e e..xcelleot work being w1dertaken b y d1e

Swinburne E lectric Vehicl e Group

Victoria 's automotive excel lence showcased

The Future T echnology Trends in d1e Automotive Sector Conference held durin g d1e

Victorian Government's trad e m ission co l n dia s howcased t he state's technological prowess in the auto m otive sector. 17 leadi ng

Victorian au to m otive companies and resea rch organi satio n s w id1 world - leading capabilities we re a part of the delegation who met with leading Indian au to m otive opera ti ons to discuss new opportunities for industry and research partne r ships

Mr Richard Dalla-Rjva (Minister for Manu facm ring, Exports and T rade) said Victorian ideas, technologies and componeocs we re found in hundreds of automotive models worldwide.

"Ou.r home-grown innovations such as the uce and variable ratio rack an d pinion steeri ng have had a significant and lasting im p act on the industry a ro un d the world," h e said

" Our local automotive industry h as also been qu ick to participate in the global tre n d cowards low and no- emiss ions vehicles. It has developed unique skills to produce m ultiple model v ariants on a single production line and innovative products d1at are profitable at niche vol um es"

" Today Victoria is o n e of only 13 locations in the world with the capab ili ty to take a vehicle through the en tire productio n proc ess - from concept, des ign and engineering through to manufacmre and d elivery to the showroom floor.

"One of our recent successes in tbe global marker was the Ford Figo, India's own 201 1 International Car of d1e Year and the most awa rd ed car eve r - desig n ed and engineered in Victoria" Mr D aUa-Riva n oted

Urban design and clean technology

Premier Ted Baillieu bighlighted Victoria's skills and expertise in urban design and clean technology while speaking at the Building Sustainable and Liveab le Cities of the Fumre forum held in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry, the India Green Building Council and the V ic torian Government in New Delhi.

He stated that w ith its wealth of knowledge and experience in urban design and related technologies, V ic toria is wellp laced co assist India in meeting the cha.llenges of s ustainab le. urban development.

During the visit, Victoria's award -winning urban design business Li\B Architects announced that ir would be establis hing its fuse of6ce in India.

The ' Victorian Connection'

As part of a new Trade Engagement Program, the 'Victorian Connection' was launched as a new initiative to develop investment and trade oppor tunities in global markets. The program will help Victorian expatriates and peop le who have lived or sn1died in Vicmria and who now live and work overseas stay connected with each other and everything Victorian. Ir will support them in forming professional and personal networks d1at provide market intelligence and id entify and develop new investment, ttade and joint ve nture opportunities between Victoria in their respective regions.

Members will be encouraged to become ambassadors for Victoria, helping to raise the State's pro61e and awareness of what it can offer in global markets

Following the launch in India, die Middle East and North Africa, The Victorian Connection wiU be launched in other markers identified by the Victorian Government as priority areas.

The program will also be extended through The Connection Business Ins ight Series, an a111mal event in key .international markers, with one event per year held in up to ten countries and will position Victoria at d1e forefront of innovation and curring- edge knowledge d11 ough exclusive ftmctions for Victorian alumni with leading thinkers from industry and/o r academia as speakers.

Fi l ms

A Bollywood biopic on one of one of India's greatest sporting heroes will have key scenes shot in Melbourne, announced Premier of Vic tori a and Minister for the Arts Teel Baillieu, during the trade mission ro India. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (R11n Milkha Rim) will teU the story of the legendar y Indian runner Milkha Singh, known as the 'Flying Sikh', who won 77 of the international footraces our of the 80 that he entered Mil kha Singh first represented lndia at the 1956 Melbourne O lympics which introduced him to the world stage and launched hi s i nternational running career.

Bhaag Mi/kha Bhaag will be directed b y one of India's most celebrated filmmakers, Rakeysh Mehra, and will feature two of India's b iggest film st'lrs - the m ulti- talented Farhaan Akhtar and style icon Sonam Kapoor. The shoot in Melbourne will take between two and three weeks, and generate more than $ 1 million in local economic activity.

''As with other Indian films shot in Melbourne, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag will raise our profile in India and showcase Victoria as a great tourism destination," Mr Baillieu said. "Tourism Victoria will leverage the release of d1e movie through a marketing canipa.ign in India feanu:ing the key locations from the film."

Mr Baillieu said that as part of the Victorian Government's Trade Engage ment Prog ram - India, s creen in dustry ties were being strengdiened bet\veen Vicroria and India.

"We have committed $500,000 to deliver an lndian Film Festival in Melbourne in 2012, 2013 and 2014; we are establishing fellowships for yo mig Victorian directors and producers to travel to India, and we will appoint a Indian Film Ambassador," ]\fr Baillieu said.

"We have signed a VictoriaIndia Co-production initiative which will see IO Victorians travel to India's FICCl Frames in Mumbai and support up ro three V ic rorian screen companies in joint ventur es wid, Indian prod u ction entities," he added.

Mr Baillieu said Milkba Singh's story was an inspirational one, and its strong ties tO Melbourne were an excellent opportuni ty to expand Victoria's relationship wid1 India in the realm of the arts

A lso present at the announcement were die film's director Rakeys h Om Prakash Mehra, Vikram Malhotra, COO - Viacom18 Motion Pictures, and l\'1itu Bhowmick, Director of Mind Blowing Films, the Victorian line producer.

And a bit of cricket

Mr Baillieu joined in an informal game of cricket with children on his tour, w ith cricket legends like former Indian captain r<apil Dev, V ictorian cricket star Dean Jones and Cricke t Victoria CEO Tony Dodemaicle also participating.

Afterwards he revealed, "In May this yea r, up to 20 Indian swdents wiJJ take part in an upcoming pilot program in Melbourne run b y Cricket V ictoria's ongoi n g Sports Business Program, where l am certain they will receive a warm welcome and gain valuable skills and experience".

The progran1 i s an initiative where participants develop skills in a range of sports-related fields, including administration and ttaining, marketing and major events management.

Mr Baillieu also announced on the occasion d1ar the V ictorian Govenm1enr will be working bard to secure die 20 15 ICC World Cup final for the Melbourne Cricket Grmmd (MC G ) He said that Melbourne is t he sporting and cultural capita.I o f t\usttalia and has been voted both the World's Most L iveable City and d1e U l timate Sports City on numerous occasions.

The ICC World Cup is d1e fourth - largest international sporti ng event, with 14 nations participating and an estimated te levision audience of 953 million people.