What a Modi win means for Australia

economic growth and prosperity, h is "Vibrant Gujarat" slogan touch ed a c hord. The Mod i model was described as being all about economic freedom, innovation and giving a sense of purpose ro people.

The decisive win of the Narendra Modi-led B~ in the 2014 ge neral elections in dicates the leve l of desperation w itb which Indians wanted change. Modi's victory see.ms ro have energised a nation.

India was stagnating tmd er t he Congress Party. Lack of clear leadership, entrenched political interest, high levels of corruption and a seemingly impotenrgoverruneot, aU contributed to rhe failure in connecting wi th the people, especiaUy the business community. While much was m ade of lndia 's econ omic poten ti al , it failed ro live up to rhe expectation s, moving at a snail's pace compared to strong growth in similar countries like China r r was Modi who articulated a visio n that reso n ated \\~th all Indians: an I ndia of growth, jobs, low in.flacion and no corrnption. W hether h e can achi eve these goals remains co be seen.

As Chief Minister of Gujara t, Modi did play a major role in transformi ng th e econ o m y o f the state Branding Gujarat as a stare with d ynamic development,

As P rin1e Minister, Modi has indicated his desire to have a 'minimali st' government w itb a rela.."Xed rigidi ty of central sch emes, while working w ith private businesses to aUow faster growth to rake place. It is known that he has been closely looking at the Chinese growth m odel of creati ng special zon es for growth

J.ndia is Australia's fourth largest export market wi th expo r ts roralling $13.1 billion. Australian inves011enc in Lidia covers a range o f sectors, in cl uding rnanufacnu:ing , relecommunicacions, hotels , minerals p rocessing, food p rocessing, oil and gas, a nd the a utomotive sector as the new government breaks down bar riers which we re li.t1i.iting growth especiaUy in areas of natural resources, retail and education India witb i ts vast areas can learn from Australia how to optimise its distribution ill various secrors

Australia over the past few year s, under both the curren t Coalition government and t he former Labor government, has stressed o n the importance of engaging with Asia, and India always featured high on its list. While ministerial delegation s b oth at Federa l and state leve ls were active in their desire to promote themselves to India, there was limited reciproci ty fro m India. \ Vhi le there were sporadic visits by senior mini ster s, the growth in trade was largely driven by private busin esses Companies like Adani group found opporrunities in Australia while Indian IT companies such as Tecl1 Mahindra, HCL, \'ifIT)RO etc. conso lidated their positions here as we U.

Expect the Indian Prime l\,finiscer to visit Australia in November ro cake parr in the G -20 in Brisban e. The v isir will be the lirsr one by an Indian Prime Minister co Australia in ove i- 25 years and rhe red carpe t w ill be r oUed o ut.

Prom a dipl o matic point of view, Modi h as made it cl ear that lndia will work towards irs rela tionship with its frie n ds and allies from a position of su·ength rad1er than appeasem ent. Just as Australia h as kept its relationships wirb die US an d Cli.ina at a fine balance, here's h opi n g tbat i t will learn co bring in d1at very same balance in its relatio nships with China and lndia.

We are in for interesting yet positive times in the resurgence of acti,7ity - both political and economic - between India and Australia.

Important update about Dental Care for children aged 2-17 years

From January 1'\ 2014, the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (COBS) provides eligible ch i l dren with up to $1000 i n benefits for basic dental services, over a consecutive two year period. A child is e ligible for the COBS if he or she is aged between 2 to 17 years fo r at least one day in the calendar year, and must be eligible for Medicare payments or is rece iving a relevant Austra lian Government payment such as the Family Tax Benefit Part A. Services that are p r ov i ded under the COBS include:

Examination X - Rays

Cleaning

Fissure Sealants

Fillings Extractions

Ben efits that are not available include orthodontic treatm e nts and cosmetic dental work. Fo r more detailed information, please v i sit: www humanservices gov au/customer/services/medicare/chi l d-denta l-benefits-schedule

Dr Nimesh Patel, BOS MPH

Ph 9484 7737

9 Hillcrest Road, Pennant Hills Tirneless Srniles Dental

E: denti stry@timelesssm ii es.com .au www.

Not valid with any other offer, terms, conditions and eligibility apply.

Spiritual

Sydney Jain Mandal

Sun morn i ngs 9.30am-11.30am

Sydney Jain Manda l now conducts its activities from new premises

7/15-17Tucks Road,Seven Hills

Come along and do your own pooja, meditation and be part of th i s centre

Details: Abha Jain on 0432 248 791 or visit www.sydneyjainmandal.com

Yoga classes

From May 3 onwa rds

Series o f yoga classes for children , seniors and all others. Nominal charges apply for children; seniors classes are free Across various locations in Sydney at Wentworthville, Quakers Hill, Pennant Hills, Auburn , Epping, Homebush and Ryde. Organised by the Spirit of India's commun ity development initiatives Limited seats, admission on a fi rst come, first served basis Enrol by visiting www.spiritofindia.org or email spiritofindia2002@yahoo.com

Seniors email: