F~ to INDIA from The future for lndo-Oz relations

Will the new government prove to be old wine in a new bottle or will it make an effort in genuinely improving lndo - Oz relations?

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Despite the change of government ir up nicely: Leaming.from cbaos: IVin i11 fndirt to 1JJi11 everywhere ] ndia is like a wild horse. Once you tame it, it will be your Black Caviar". Australia is fast losing irs attractiveness for Indian students as a destination for higher studies. W ith the high Aussie dollar and increasing restrictions on student visas and permanent residency, Indian smdenrs today tend to prefer ilie USA and UK over Australia. in Australia after six years, the impact and implications for relations with India are most likel y to be minimal.

*Fi.est of all, lndia is mired in its own economic, political and so cial prob lems, adversely affecting its growth rate and global leverage. There is a looming mssle between Rahul Gandhi and r arendra

Modi in the upcoming elections. Until India finds its own direction and moves

''With the high Aussie do llar and increa sing rest rictions on student v isas and permanent residency, Indian studen t s today te n d to prefer the USA and UK over Australia decisively, it can't expect the rest of d1e world to take i r seriousl y

Even though both Libera ls and Labor have endorsed selling uranium to Indi,i, it is highly unlike ly to warm Ausn:alia's relations with India. The key challenge in the relationship is 'trust deficit'. Ir is telling in the fact that no Indian Prime Minister has visited Australia in over 25 years, whereas Australian Prime Ministers have been to India se,7 eral times dming d1at pe riod.

In finding reasons for India's lack of interest in Australia, the S]dmy Momi11g Herald (29/8/201 2 ) felt tha t "to India, Australia doesn't matter that much [as] Australia is, at best, a third -tier parmer in Indian eyes". le is true that the only thi ng that interests India about Australia is its energy resources Pri~rate Indian firms like Adani and GVK Group have m ade .some major inroads in regards to this

T oday, India is A usn·alia's fourrb larges r trading partner with trade heavily skewed in fa vou r of Ausn·alia. Still, Australian companies have had very limited success in entering the burgeoning lndian marker. In m y keynote address on 'Doing business in India' o rganised by ilie Q ueensland Government's India Council in 2012, I

Bur India is becoming strategically impo rtant to Australia in one respect, human resources. The focus of Australia's migration program has significantly shifted over Lhe last decade towards an 'emphasis on attracting skilled migrants

''in o rder to meet Australia's labour needs' and skilled migrants, bod, permanent and temporary, are allocated the lion 's share (68 %) of tl1e migration intake

In 2011 -12, India became the largest source counn·y for permanent m igration, and second largest for temporary skilled migration in Austra Lia India is also the prime destination for g lobal services offshorfog Harnessing Indian human capital is therefore v ital for tl1e long- term economic and labour need s of Australia

There is tremendous scope for relations between India and Australia ro reach new heights - economically, politically and socially. To realise this p o tentia l, both sides need to make so me serious strategic moves. India o n its part needs to shed its 'reluctant superpower' image and should participate seriously in gl obal affairs by taking decisive steps in forging enduring partnershi ps witl1 USA, Japan and Australia.

The Australian goverrunent and political/ business leaders equally, need

''Let us hope Tony Abbott and his to look beyond short- term fixes in strengtl1ening tl1eir relatio nship with l.ndia aod show patience, perseverance and genuineness in their engagement. government w i ll be the guiding light that heralds a new era of Inda- Australian Let us hope To ny Abbott and his government w ill be t he guiding light tl1ac heralds a new era of lndo-Australian re lation s had noted, "Success in India requires a unique approach to find me jt1gar1d way, like 'water Aowing through t he paths of least resistance'. Slicing tluough the chaos in India to success demands a unique genius , one iliac can sometin1es confo und Western logic and no rms The title of an upcoming book sums relations. www.i n dia n link.com.au

After all, d1e lndian and Australian tectonic plates were fused together millions o f years ago and according to new research, Australian aborigines had contact with Ind ian migrants 4,000 years ago. So our relations go a long way back, and even Pauline Hanson will not be able to tell Indian migrants to "go back to where you came fro m !"