INZBC EVENTS 2018
Growing India - New Zealand Business Relations Since 1988 WWW.INZBC.ORG
ABOUT INZBC The India New Zealand Business Council [INZBC] is the premier trade organisation in New Zealand, which has been working for over 25 years to build trade relations between India & New Zealand. Since 1988, the India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC) has promoted and encouraged trade in goods and services, investment, scientific, technical and economic cooperation between India and New Zealand. INZBC is a member-based independent organisation, not-for-profit incorporated society, which exists for three purposes: • To lobby and inform government on trade-related matters • To disseminate information and know-how on doing business between the two countries • To facilitate business development on behalf of members through leveraging networks INZBC is run by industry leaders of New Zealand, who have years of experience in this sphere, thereby becoming the key stake-holders for International Trade Development of India & NZ. INZBC has been recognised as the main industry body by both the governments of India & NZ. Almost all of the visiting delegations of Govt. of India have been hosted by INZBC, and we have organised networking events for them. With over 160 members spanning across various industries, like agriculture, horticulture, dairy, infrastructure, finance, education, tax planning, etc.; the members form the main-stay of corporate leaders of New Zealand. INZBC holds regular industry events, calling upon specialists and ministers, representatives of NZTE, MFAT,etc. for meaningful dialogues within the business community. INZBC strives to help the industry to engage, interact and grow together.
WHAT WE DO INZBC gives members a host of benefits, from more information to networking opportunities, more business ties , to getting a say with the policy makers. All this and more benefits keep adding to the INZBC members. The INZBC activities are targeted at achieving our key objectives: •
To improve market access to NZ exports and help increase the country’s GDP.
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Open up New Zealand market for Indian products and services.
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To fecilitate kiwi businesses to do investments in India and promote, ‘Make in India’.
For further information please see following links: http://www.inzbc.org/ | http://www.inzbusinesssummit.com/
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF INZBC SAMEER HANDA
BHAV DHILLON
ESTHER GUY-MEAKIN
JO PENNYCUICK
JONATHAN MANUEL
PRINCE KUMAR
JACOB MANI MANNOTHRA
MOIRA HAGENSON
Managing Director, Z India Ltd & Indian Newslink
General Manager, International, Wellington Institute of Technology & Whitireia New Zealand
EARL RATTRAY
HITESH SHARMA
JAY CHANGLANI
GARRY GUPTA
Chair, INZBC Director, Glowbal NZ Ltd.
Manager – International Trade, beef + lamb New Zealand
International Enrolments, Air New Zealand
Director, Dairy Link Ltd.
Wellington Chapter Head Director, Orb 360
Treasurer, INZBC Director, Cemix Products Limited & Indian Weekender
Owner & Founder, Redesign Group
Managing Director, EDEX Academy NZ
Christchurch Chapter Head Events & Sponsorship Manager, Lincoln University
Secretary, INZBC Director, Media Solutions Kiwi Ltd.
Keep in touch with INZBC via our website: www.inzbc.org or subscribe to our newsletter, through our website.
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OUR MEMBERS Our corporate members include the leaders in almost all industry sectors of New Zealand. Here are the current members list given in Alphabetical order. For a full list, visit our website: www.inzbc.org/member-directory • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
AB International Ltd ACAP International Ltd Accounts Icon Limited Adventure Pacific Ltd Air New Zealand Air New Zealand Aviation Institute AIS St Helens Aium Limited Alastair Bell Associates ANZ Bank New Zealand Ltd ANZ Group Limited ARA Institute, [old: Christchurch Polytechnic Inst. Of Technology [CPIT] ASB Bank Ltd Ashcott Consulting Aspire2 International Aubade NZ Ltd Auckland Council - International Relations Auckland International Airport Ltd. Auckland Univ. of Technology [AUT] AVANTI Private Limited Aveda Nutriventures Aviation New Zealand Bank of Baroda Bank of India Bank of New Zealand Bayleys, Manukau Beef Lamb New Zealand Ltd Blossom Traders Ltd Blue Horizon Consultancy Services Ltd Blue Star Holdings Canterbury Aero Club Cemix Ltd Cereus Holdings Ltd CGB Consulting Limited Champion Freight NZ Ltd Chapman Tripp Chrysanthemum Empires Ltd Color Communications Inc Australasia Cornell Institute of Business & Technology Dairy Link Ltd
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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Deccan Intrepid Ltd. DFK Oswin Griffiths DHL Global Forwarding NZ Limited Diorella Impex Ltd EDEX Academy (NZ) Ltd. Education New Zealand Trust EdVantage International Consulting Ltd Ernst & Young Ltd Eureka Financial Services Exotic Holidays Ltd Export Import NZ Ltd Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd Fundagroup GEMS International Global Enterprises and Investments Ltd Global Reach Associates Ltd Guas Pak Group of Companies HealthTRX Limited Hind Properties Ltd House of Travel [Mt. Eden] Immigration Advice NZ Ltd Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd Indivar Software Solutions Limited International College of Auckland International Business Alliances International College of New Zealand Intueri Education Group Limited (Intueri Services Limited) IRG Equity Investment Advisors Ltd IT Services Limited Jayen Export Consultants Limited Kiwi Immigration and Education Consultants Ltd Kiwiana Careers KPMG Leaders in Real Estate Legal Associates limited Level Eighteen ltd Lincoln University Liqour Barons Limited Lovelysmiles
• Mainland Air • Manukau Institute of Technology Engineering Faculty • Media Design School • Middle Earth Flying School TA New Zealand Aviation • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade [MFAT] • Modtec Group Ltd • National Steel • Naturally NZ Holidays • Nauhria Reinforcing Ltd • Neer Mehta • New India Assurance • New Zealand School of Education [NZSE] • New Zealand Tertiary College [NZTC] • Newton College of Business and Technology [NCBT] • Newzealandwine.in (A BiZTRADE (NZ) venture) • NiiA Beauty and Wellness Online Courses • NZ Financial Solutions Ltd • NZ Safety Brokers • NZ Trade & Enterprise [NZTE] • Otago Polytechnic • Pagemark Limited • Pal Productions Ltd • Patel Pike & Associates Ltd. • Pathways to NZ • Patton Ltd • Pipfruit New Zealand Inc • PKG Enterprises Limited • Pricewaterhouse Coopers New Zealand • Quality New Zealand Ltd • Rainey Collins Wright Ltd • Reliance Biz Services limited • Riddet Institute at Massey University • RPF Engineering and Food products trading group [ Dr. Milk Ltd.] • Rupex Growtech Ltd • Sandhu Developments Ltd • Shelter Realty Limited • Silk Impex NZ Ltd • Simple Freight Ltd • SJ Hospitality Limited
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Snorepro Global Limited Sounds of Forest Ltd / Zindia Forestry Southern Pastures Sovereign IT Solutions Limited Studywel Immigration Solutions Ltd. Sumprisa Ltd Tahi Pacific NZ Limited Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre Tata Consultancy Services Ltd The Fundmaster Limited The Research Trust, Victoria University of Wellington [New Zealand India Research Institute] Toa Nutrition Total Holiday Options TRADE INDIA NZ LIMITED Transport Services and Logistics Ltd Turner Hopkins Unitec International Universal College of Learning [UCOL] Universal Homeopathic NZ Ltd University of Waikato: Institute of Business Research VISSMA FOODS CONSULTANT LTD Vista Entertainment Solutions Ltd Waikato Inst. of Technology [WINTEC] Wallflower Advanced Digital Signage Limited WAML Group Wellington Inst. of Technology [WELTEC] Western Union Business Solution Westpac New Zealand Ltd Whitereia New Zealand William Buck Christmas Gouwland Ltd. Yealands Wine group Zamati Technolgy Zephyr Pure Air Ventilation Limited
Note: List of members as on 31 Dec 2018. Some new members details may have been added later in our register.
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INZBC SIGNS MOU FOR PROMOTION OF INDIAN F&B INDUSTRY 26 Jan 2018 | Noida, India
The India NZ Business Council [INZBC], has signed an MOU with the Trade Promotion Council of India [TPCI], on 19th Jan 2018, on the occasion of the New Zealand delegation attending the Indus Food Expo, in Greater Noida [near Delhi], India. The MOU has been signed to promote products and services from the Food & Beverage industry in both New Zealand and India. This two-way agreement was signed by Suresh Makhijani, Joint General Director at TPCI and Jay Changlani, Wellington Chapter Head of INZBC. TPCI was very encouraged on the signing of this MOU. Suresh commented, “We warmly welcome a delegation from NZ. This MOU will enable closer working relationship between India and NZ. This is the first time we are hosting the Indus food event and we very delighted with the response.” The Secretary General, MK Parimoo, TPCI said, “We believe this MOU and NZ delegation will create a two way business street between NZ and India.” INZBC lead a delegation of 10 businesses who are either operating in the F&B sector or are planning to do so very soon. The delegation was head by Jay Changlani and also supported by INZBC board member, Sameer Handa. 6 | INZBC Events 2018
Jay commented, “It was an honour and privilege to Head INZBC Delegation to India at Indus Food, Noida organised by TPCI. The event was a great success, as Indian buyers developed import and export market for themselves by connecting with 200 direct food supplier such as Patanjali, Everest, various Rice brands, fresh fruits, snacks etc.” “From export point of view, More than 50 other countries that were buying showed lot of interest in organic NZ products such as dairy and Manuka Honey. This MOU will enable more closer working relationship between India and NZ businesses.” Commenting on the key reason for taking this delegation, Mr. Changlani said, “Fostering relationships and creating a platform for opportunities for business in India and NZ are key for our successes in the last couple of years. The INZBC team and TPCI are very excited with this opportunity to showcase that trade can even be conducted between India and NZ without a formal FTA agreement.”
The Indus Food Expo, is a hub for the F&B Industry to maximize their business opportunities. Supported by Department of Commerce, Government of India, Indus Food is a Mega Food & Beverage industry trade show for the world, where delegates can meet 500 most prominent sellers from the food & beverage sector of India. Companies from the world over gathered to meet the selected Indian suppliers to negotiate their forthcoming procurement deals and private labels.
Sameer Handa, INZBC board member said, “Indus food is a great networking platform which will facilitate lot of business between India and NZ”. “With India being the 6th largest Grocery market in the world, there is huge potential for the NZ companies also to capitalize in this market. INZBC looks at both channels of trade; ie: both exports & also imports from India to the NZ market. This step was in that direction to boost import of Indian goods & services as well, to the kiwi market”, said Mr. Handa.
& support. “This mission was made possible due to the encouragement & support of the High Commission and his office. We appreciate the guidance given by Mr. Kohli to promote trade with India.” India is the top global producer of many food items, including Meat, Milk, Mango, Banana, etc. The Food Processing Industry alone constitutes 14% of the GDP of India. However NZ does not import much from India. By year ending August 2014, NZ Imports from India were up $47 million (11 percent) to $463 million, but still contributing only 0.9 percent of the year’s imports. Showing a big potential in increase of trade volumes. The expo was organised by the Trade Promotion Council of India. TPCI is an apex trade and investment promotion organisation, recognised and supported by the Department of Commerce, Govt. of India. They work towards facilitating the growth of Indian industry with global investment & trade opportunities. The council provides strategies for expanding business internationally, by organising specialised business events and simultaneously working with the Government by providing policy suggestions which are essentially based on inputs collated from research and industry stakeholders.
Acknowledging the support of the Indian High Commissioner, Bhav Dhillion, treasurer, INZBC, thanked the High Commissioner for his guidance
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INDIA UNPLUGGED - ON AVIATION 22 Feb 2018 | ARA Institute, Christchurch
The India NZ Business Council [INZBC], held the ‘India Unplugged’ talk series, at ARA Institute, Christchurch on 22 Feb 2018. The series calls upon speakers who have experience in the Indian market, or operate in that space to share their views, experiences and concerns with other kiwi businesses.
Jo Pennycuick, Global Managing Director, Redesign Group was the key note speaker, sharing her experiences of working in the Indian market. Jo spoke about the fact that even though India is a vast market, making relationships is the key. “Know your market. if you are entering India then carry out your research and target the region that you feel your business will be most fruitful.” She further added that New Zealand being 17 hours away on a flight, with a 7 hours in time difference between India & NZ, its not easy to manage from here. Redesign group has offices in 29 countries and have delivered about 3,400 successful design projects globally. They are the main team behind the redesign of some major infrastructure projects in India, like Chandigarh International Airport, Delhi T3, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Mumbai airports. Speaking on the best way to manage this time gap and difference in culture, she said, “To make your business sustainable and if you are fully committed to the country then it is best to have a team located in the city you are doing most of your business. Face to 8 | INZBC Events 2018
face meetings is always beneficial so having a local representative is best to maintain relationships and custom. We have been successfully able to create relations on the ground, from business colleagues to in territory contractors and consultants”. She also added that communication was key to success, for coordinating with teams, across the globe. Jo added, “Indians love New Zealand, both in the beauty of the country but also in business dealings. We are often told that we do what we say and deliver quality in a good time frame. We teach our local teams the Kiwi way of business and train our designers to the New Zealand building code.” “India holds plenty of opportunity. It is a large country to persue. Focus on a region, commit to your clients by having a good base and most importantly love India”, that was the mantra given by Jo, to the attending delegates. The second speaker was from the aviation sector, Gareth Williamson. Gareth is the Airline Development Manager at Christchurch International Airport and leads airline passenger and airfreight development at the airport.
“Low cost carriers are seeing the most growth, specially in India & China. Though there is a lot of potential to grow, high border entry costs are of concern”, said Gareth.
Gareth believes that the future is bright. He adds, “with the current trade agreements underway, it will significantly strengthen trade between NZ & India. Also, while air traffic is currently best served indirectly (via South East Asia), direct services are on the horizon.” India is viewed favourably by NZ Government and Tourism NZ who invest in the market. Also, the
Gareth has had an extensive career in aviation and tourism, having started his career in Christchurch before spending time in Australia and 5 years in Auckland in various airline management roles, before returning to Christchurch in early 2016. Gareth lives & breathes aviation, and has a particular interest in the role airlines play in geopolitics, as well as technical aircraft performance. He said, there has been a massive growth within domestic & regional traffic thanks to rapid expansion of LCCs like Indigo, Spicejet & Vistara. There has been a combined order book of nearly 1000 aircrafts. However, to grow more, he said, “Indian government must allow India’s network carriers to operate free of constraining regulations around growth and ownership – and to ease border costs for travelers.” As compared to China, the India market has more potential for growth, as it has not matured yet. However, the absence of any direct flights, does hit the market. That’s where the route economics come to play.
Aircraft technology is allowing longer, ‘thinner’ routes to be developed. INZBC Christchurch Chapter head, Hitesh Sharma, said it was great to have this meeting of local businesses, who came in good number to be part of this event. “there is a lot of potential in Canterbury area and it is good that INZBC recognizes that and is working to strengthen the networks in the South Island too”. This event was supported and hosted by ARA Institute of Canterbury. As part of the continuous focus on the regions, INZBC plans to hold more events in different parts of the country this year.
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INDIA UNPLUGGED – WITH STUART NASH, MINISTER FOR REVENUE AND SMALL BUSINESS 18 Apr 2018 | EY Auckland
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They employ almost a third of our workers and contribute over a quarter to our GDP. No matter what the ambition of our small businesses are, as a Government we want to give every small business in New Zealand the tools and the confidence to meet their potential, and realise their goals as a business”. With these words, Stuart Nash, minister for Revenue and Small Business, expressed the government’s resolve to support the SMEs. The minister was speaking at an INZBC event [India NZ Business Council], named India Unplugged. The theme of the discussion was the contribution of SMEs in international trade and how to empower them. The event held on 18 April, was hosted by EY Auckland. The event saw a great turnout of industry leaders and SME directors who had a good discussion on a lot of business issues. Reiterating the involvement of the Indian community in the SME sector, he revealed some great numbers. Acknowledging that the Indian small businesses play an important role in our New Zealand economy, he said, “You might be interested to know that Indian business owners represent around 3 percent (10,137 people) of all business owners in New Zealand and over 66 percent (6,684) of these are in Auckland.” “Almost a third (29 percent) of all Indian business owners in New Zealand are chief executives, general managers, and legislators and I appreciate the role that the INZBC plays in encouraging connections between India and New Zealand on doing business and around facilitating business development.”
Interestingly, The event came just a day before the government announced the R&D incentive proposal. Paul Dunne, Partner-Tax, EY Auckland, was also presenting on the tax systems and changes in the international trade. Paul commented, “It was very clear listening to Hon Stuart Nash at the INZBC event held on Wednesday at EY, that the new Government is keen to assist SMEs and is very interested in hearing from businesses on the proposed tax reform for New Zealand. New Zealand Government has appointed Sir Michael Cullen to lead a Tax Working Group and this provides an ideal forum for SMEs to air their concerns regarding the current tax system and what they will like changed the most.” “Additionally, the Government has just released its Discussion Document on the R&D incentive proposal and again it is important for SMEs to influence the design of the new R&D incentive scheme so that they can realise the full potential of the scheme. Some of the details of the proposed R&D tax incentive are outlined in the discussion paper, however, all of the details are still up for discussion.” Paul added that furthermore, the Government has embarked on a major Business Transformation project modernising Inland Revenue’s technological platform and this will assist SMEs in managing their tax obligations. “One such innovation includes the introduction of new ‘Accounting Income Method’ which the Minister emphasised in his talk and SMEs should explore using this tool for managing their provisional tax obligations”, he said.
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EY has been supportive of the initiatives taken by INZBC to help develop the right environment for International trade.
are expected to drive global economic growth and trade activity into the future. This shift in economic power is a trend SMEs should look to capture. By lifting their ambitions and accessing the support, resources, and capabilities needed to implement the growth plans and manage the risks, substantial business, economic and societal benefits can flow”. Sameer Handa, an executive board member at INZBC acknowledged EY for hosting the event and supporting the council in its activities. “It is due to the support of the corporate houses like EY and Westpac, that we as a Council can better serve our members and industry in general. We acknowledge their support in helping us take our objectives forward”.
Sanjay Kumar, Executive Director, Tax at EY commented that both locally and internationally, the tax systems are undergoing massive changes as Governments across the globe are coming to grips with new challenges facing economies due to changing business models, technological disruptions and ever-increasing complexities concerning global trade. “The tax environment facing SMEs is fraught with challenges particularly for those who are looking to expand into offshore markets and/or trade with overseas customers. Receiving guidance and advice early on for optimal operating structures is essential”, said Sanjay. Andrew Bashford, Head of Corporate & Institutional Relationships at Westpac was representing the bank, who is one of the strategic partners of INZBC. He presented a very well researched presentation on ‘SMEs and the India NZ Trade Potential’. Considering India will also drive the shift in global economic power and could overtake the US to be the world’s second-largest economy in PPP terms by 2050, he said it’s better that the companies are better prepared for the coming change in the world order.
The event was positive in acknowledging the power of SMEs for the growth of the economy. It can be summed up in the words of the minister, “We know that with the right mix of ambition, innovation, and support, that Kiwi businesses can be the best in the world across all spheres of business from the primary sector to the most advanced computer design and augmented reality through to rockets.”. From farm to rockets SMEs are everywhere and they need the support to be able to contribute to the International Trade sector as well. This event was INZBC’s effort in that direction.
Andrew commented, “SMEs dominate the business landscape in New Zealand and have a significant opportunity to expand their businesses by growing internationally. India and other emerging markets INZBC Events 2018 | 11
SPEAKER SERIES: WITH HON. DAVID PARKER, NZ MINISTER FOR TRADE AND EXPORT GROWTH. 25 May 2018 | Heritage Hotel, Auckland
With the Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and India remaining a non-starter even after a decade, all eyes are now on leveraging the Regional Comprehensive Economic Agreement (RCEP), which includes ten countries of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) grouping, as a practical alternative.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s recent meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi augured well for building the relationship between the two countries, and this was a good time to “think hard and creatively” to grow trade he added. He saw potential in New Zealand offering know how in agricultural production and logistics, boosting technological development and modernisation of systems, among other things. NZ Plant & Food Research’s stone fruit projects in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and of kiwifruit company Zespri, were examples he quoted.
Batting for the RCEP as the way forward and a win-win for all parties concerned was NZ Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker, chief guest at the event, jointly hosted by INZBC & the ASEAN NZ Business Council. The event was held on 25 May 2018, at The Heritage Hotel, Auckland. Mr Parker used the term ‘pluri-lateral agreement’ to describe a trade deal that countries with a common interest would forge to benefit all parties involved, such as RCEP. As well as the ten ASEAN countries, RCEP includes New Zealand and India besides a few others. “RCEP has the potential to be a high-quality partnership agreement, mutually beneficial to India and New Zealand,” Mr Parker said. He said Kiwis needed to be convinced that trade agreements work. NZ’s FTA with China is a case in point: trade volumes had touched $10billion both ways. “RCEP is important for the future of New Zealand,” he said. “There is significant potential for New Zealand’s economic growth.” At $2.6billion, India is New Zealand’s tenth largest trading partner. As well as trade in goods, services was also growing and has increased by two-anda-half times than what the volumes were six years ago, Mr Parker said. 12 | INZBC Events 2018
“These projects are mutually beneficial for New Zealand and India not just in growing business but also reducing losses between the farmgate and the consumer,” Mr Parker said. He said he acknowledged India’s concerns for access to New Zealand’s services sector but stopped short of suggesting any measures to address these concerns. With just 140 New Zealand companies doing business with India and just 20 of them having a presence on the ground in India, the potential for growth is significant. Mr Parker said high tariffs on the Indian side had stifled growth and that the onus was on India for the FTA with respect to goods. The India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC) signed a landmark agreement with the ASEAN New Zealand Business Council at an event in Auckland on Friday. Speaking of ASEAN, he said the bloc was New Zealand’s fifth largest trading partner. He extolled the achievements of the Australia ASEAN New Zealand FTA (AANZFTA), the first comprehensive FTA signed by ASEAN, and is a major milestone for New Zealand’s trade negotiations. Since 2010, two-way trade had increased and duties had plummeted, he added.
When successfully completed, these trade agreements would result in all parties following a single set of rules creating a whopping $23trillion market. Mr Parker said Prime Minister Ardern and New Zealand agreed with Mr Narendra Modi’s speech in Davos in January where he took a stand against rising protectionism among trading nations around the world. “We agree with Prime Minister Modi,” he said.
With a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between New Zealand and India remaining elusive even a decade after it was first mooted, the two countries are now laying store by this alternative RCEP mechanism to try to achieve what a bilateral FTA might have. INZBC Chairman Robert Barker and ASEAN-NZBC Chairman Kenneth Leong signed the agreement in the presence of NZ Minister for Trade and Export Growth, David Parker, who was the chief guest for the event, and members of the INZBC board. Joanna Kempkers, New Zealand High Commissioner in India was also present. “The signing of this MoU is a significant milestone for the ASEAN NZ Business Council, as it highlights the growing importance of multilateral ties between ASEAN, India and New Zealand. We are also pleased to recognise the role that members of both business councils play in helping New Zealand strengthen the relationship with ASEAN and India. We look forward to further collaboration with INZBC by way of joint events and projects”, said Kenneth Leong, Chair of ASEAN-NZBC.
INZBC signs landmark agreement with ASEAN NZ council
Another milestone achieved at the event was that The India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC) signed an agreement with the ASEAN New Zealand Business Council.
Earlier, INZBC Treasurer and Honorary Indian Consul in Auckland Bhav Dhillon welcomed the wellattended gathering of INZBC members and guests that included Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan. This is a significant development for New ZealandIndia trade because both the countries are part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Agreement (RCEP), which also includes ten countries of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) grouping.
Almost every company in New Zealand that has something to do with India is member of INZBC and the council had come to earn a reputation as the most active business council in the country with a significant event happening almost every month, Mr Dhillon said. INZBC Events 2018 | 13
The council’s ‘India Unplugged’ series of events went beyond just networking. “These are not catch-all events but each one is dedicated to a different aspect of business and have detailed topics like GST, IP and capital repatriation, among others.
The council also has an annual summit dedicated to a subject. Already, summits on IT, agriculture and education have been held. “In 2018, we will have an Aviation Summit,” Mr Dhillon said. INZBC Executive Member Jo Pennycuick did the honours as MC and Sameer Handa, another Executive Member, proposed a vote of thanks.
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LAUNCH OF SUMMIT 2018: WITH WELLINGTON MAYOR JUSTIN LESTER AND OTHER SPEAKERS. 7 Aug 2018 | WelTec’s Hospitality School, in Wellington
New Zealand Aviation & Tourism industries to grow with greater partnership with India – Key theme emerges at Wellington roadshow for INZBC Summit 2018. Wellington Mayor, Justin Lester announced the formal launch of the INZBC Summit 2018, at an event held at WelTec’s Hospitality School, in Wellington on 7th August 2018. After four successful years, from 2014-17, the India NZ Business Council (INZBC) is again bringing global leaders together under one roof at the INZBC Summit 2018. The focus of the Summit this year will be on Tourism, Aviation and Technology.
Mayor Lester commented on the need for Wellington to increase international linkages. “Singapore Airlines has done this through a link to Wellington via Melbourne but more would be better. We would like more tourists and businesses coming to Wellington, as Wellington provides advantages of cheaper housing, the highest educated work force and is home to some great companies like Xero”. The Mayor outlined various developments in transport and housing to increase Wellington’s accessibility. The proposed Movie Museum will add to tourism stocks and make Wellington a must-see destination. He noted the importance of culture which is central to Wellington’s identity as Cultural Capital - more international visitors, including
students will enhance that cultural connection, increasing Wellington’s growing reputation as a place of acceptance and diversity.
Chris Gosling, Chief Executive, WelTec and Whitireia, said that the link between India and NZ has been strong over 30 years, and noted that the benefit to all students – international and domestic, from exposure to international education cannot be denied. Mr Gosling said that Whitireia and WelTec are proud to be associated with the INZBC Summit, and the connections and opportunities provided by networking with New Zealand and Indian leaders at the Summit. Expanding on the theme of the upcoming summit, there was a panel discussion on Tourism and Aviation by industry experts Chris Roberts (Chief Executive, Tourism Industry Aotearoa) and John Nicholson (Chief Executive, Aviation NZ) moderated by Jamie Smiler (WelTec Academic and Researcher in Tourism).
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place as long as they are applied. Highly academic delivery doesn’t match an applied education.” He continued, “soft skills, people skills, selfmanagement and an awareness of what good service is can’t be academic”. Chris pointed out that Indian workers in the New Zealand tourism industry have shown themselves to be excellent in Front of House positions in the hotel sector, noting “a qualification is a hand up but not if it is too academic.”
Chris Roberts emphasised the importance of the Indian tourism market to New Zealand; while currently 2% of overall visitors to New Zealand the Indian market continues to grow and is expected to double over the next five years. “ Indian visitors stay a long time and visit many areas of New Zealand. The Indian visitor is the ‘value visitor’ that New Zealand is keen to attract”, said Chris. Chris elaborated on the range of products to suit the Indian market, but pointed out that there is a long way to go in understanding and catering to the Indian market - “Indian travellers range from the Great Grandma to babies and tend to travel in family groups. May is when Indian visitors like to travel, so it fits with New Zealand’s off peak period, and these tourism dollars are the most valuable to the industry and to New Zealand” Chris further commented on training opportunities for tourism and hospitality, noting that skilled workers are required to ensure projected tourism growth to 2025 will be serviced by the required skilled workers. “Qualifications such as the Applied Management degree (with Tourism major) have a
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Chief Executive of Aviation New Zealand, Chief Executive John Nicholson confirmed that Indian students are in high demand in the aviation industry. Jay Changlani, Director, Orb 360 and Wellington Chapter Head of INZBC said that this event was an effort to get greater participation from Wellington and the regions for the big annual summit, which is a business event of national importance now. “We encourage Kiwis to participate in big numbers and engage with the incoming delegates from India, who are not easy to get hold of in India”, said Jay.
More photos of the event:
About the Summit: INZBC is gathering business leaders from Aviation and Tourism from India and New Zealand, together for a full day summit on 28th September 2018, in Auckland. The Summit, which is supported by MFAT, NZTE, Westpac, WelTec & Whitireia, Auckland Airport, Jet Airways, and Incredible India amongst other organisations, will see a high-powered delegation coming from India. The top names include Srinivas Bommidala, Chairman-Energy and International Airports Director, GMR Group Holding Board. There will be other veterans like Som Mittal, ACK Nair, Binit Somaia, Manomay Rai, Adrian Littlewood, Rene de Monchy, Gregg Anderson and other experts, representing Airlines, Airports, Aviation services and the Tourism and Hospitality industry. Bhav Dhillon, Treasurer, INZBC invited business from all over New Zealand to come and take advantage of this international conference. Bhav said, “The objective of the Summit is to provide a forum to bring together policy and business leaders from New Zealand and India to explore collaboration in Tourism and Aviation and to showcase New Zealand technology and expertise in these sectors. The summit will allow New Zealand and India to demonstrate their credentials in the above-mentioned sectors, for more bilateral trade.� All details of the summit and tickets can be found on the website: www.inzbusinesssummit.com
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INZBC SUMMIT 2018: AVIATION, TOURISM AND TECHNOLOGY 28 Sep 2018 | Pullman, Auckland
The success of the fifth India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC) annual summit in Auckland on September 28 has amply highlighted the strong will in both nations to take their trade and investment relationship up several notches, riding on India’s fast growing economy.
Themed on Aviation, Tourism and Technology, the one-day summit heard substantively from some of the most successful businesspeople and policy influencers in these sectors both from India and New Zealand and from New Zealand’s Members of Parliament across the main political parties – Labour, NZ First and National. In a video message from New Delhi, India’s Minister for Commerce, Industry and Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu welcomed the summit and invited New Zealand businesses to join India’s unfolding growth story tipped to go from $5trillion to $10trillion in the next 15 years. Two-way trade between the countries, however, stands at a comparatively modest $2.7billion, with India being New Zealand’s tenth largest trading partner in 2017. While trade agreements were touched upon, presenters were emphatic and unanimous in their opinion that strengthening better air links – especially direct flights – between the two countries was key to not only boosting tourism numbers but also growing the education sector, trade and investment exponentially. Representatives of major airlines like Jet 18 | INZBC Events 2018
Airways and Air Asia said they would work determinedly toward a solution, seen by many as long overdue. Growth in Indian tourist numbers into New Zealand has been encouraging over the past few years but the potential was great, said Suresh Nair, Air Asia’s India-based General Manager. Air Asia had developed expertise in creating and marketing new tourist destinations with robust and frequent air links in Asia and India, working with the hospitality industry. New Zealand could similarly tailor its own destinations to suit preferences of the growing and increasingly mobile Indian tourist industry, he said. India is the fastest growing aviation market and with 1000 passenger aircraft joining the fleet in the next few years, the demand for pilots is expected to skyrocket. New Zealand, which has earned a solid reputation in aviation-related training, has great potential to help the Indian aviation sector meet this growing demand. New Zealand’s aviation industry has much to offer India beyond pilot training, as Mahindra Aerospace CEO Arvind Mehra pointed out.
New Zealand’s rich experience in regulatory mechanisms and general aviation (using aircraft for other applications than just transport – such as crop dusting, rescue operations, surveillance) could greatly benefit the fast-developing Indian aviation environment, he said. Mahindra makes single engine planes in Australia and quite a few are already flying in New Zealand and around the South Pacific region connecting smaller communities with a range of roles from tourism to freight and even medical evacuations. While aviation, tourism and technology was the theme of the summit, ministers included infrastructure, housing and other business sectors into the mix in the course of their speeches. Housing Minister Hon Jenny Salesa invited Indian construction companies to participate in the KiwiBuild programme and so did New Zealand First Deputy Leader Fletcher Tabuteau, who spoke about collaborating on developing apartment complexes, in which Indian infrastructure companies had considerable experience.
SESSION ONE: INAUGURAL SESSION
[Left to right] Bhav Dhillon, Mark Jonston, H.E. Sanjiv Kohli, Fletcher Tabuteau, Andrew Harrison, Suresh Nair & Hon. Jenny Salesa.
SESSION TWO: AVIATION [SEGMENT 1]
[Left to right] Lakshman Jayasekara, Scott Tasker, Sir Ken Stevens, Captain Kush Agarwal, John Nicholson & Jo Pennycuick.
INZBC Events 2018 | 19
National Party leader Hon Simon Bridges and senior Labour Party minister Hon Andrew Little also addressed the summit. New Zealand companies already operating in India like Sir Ken Stevens’ Glidepath and Jo Pennycuick’s Redesign Group showcased their success stories working and growing impressively in the Indian marketplace, while Indian business leaders outlined areas in which the two countries could collaborate successfully, building on their commonalities of language, legal systems and a can-do attitude. INZBC Treasurer Bhav Dhillon said the thirty-year-old council has been hosting sector-focused summits that deliver value and practical takeaways to participants from both countries. Earlier summits in the annual series have been on IT, agritech and education.
SESSION THREE: AVIATION [SEGMENT 2]
[Left to right] Binit Somaia, Paul wu, Suresh Nair, Arvind Mehra, Hraeme Harris, Nejeeb Khan and Hon. Andrew Little.
SESSION FOUR: TOURISM & TECHNOLOGY
[Left to right] Hon. Simon Bridges, Som Mittal, Rene de Monchy, Jamie Smiler, Chris Roberts, Judy Chen, Gregg Anderson & Kiran Nambiar
The INZBC also signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Aviation New Zealand and the The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), for promotion of trade ties with India and to work towards taking business delegations to India. 20 | INZBC Events 2018
DINNER: SUMMIT 2018
Stakeholder’s Dinner was organised on September 27th to welcome the India delegates and the speakers. The event saw some great interaction with the sponsors and stakeholders.
FICCI DELEGATES MEETING
The degates from Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) met with the Indian High Commissioner, H.E. Sanjiv Kohli on September 28th. They interacted with him and got a overview of the business environment in New Zealand.
Another announcement made was the tie-up with Mr. Lakshman Jayasekara [Project Director & Team leader of Western Region Megapolis Planning Project (WRMPP), Sri Lanka] as he will be working as a brand ambassador, for INZBC in Sri Lanka, helping promote kiwi businesses in the country.
INZBC Events 2018 | 21
IMPORTERS MEET WITH INDIAN TRADE & COMMERCE AND RCEP OFFICIALS. 25 Oct 2018 | ZING Restaurant, Auckland
Selected importers of Food & beverag, textile, Jewellery industry, etc. met with the Indian RCEP officials to discuss the issues faced by them in importing goods from India. See the photos of the event below.
22 | INZBC Events 2018
INDIA UNPLUGGED: ON SPORTS & DIPLOMACY; WITH HON. PEENI HENARE 25 Oct 2018 | Eden Park, Auckland
The India New Zealand Business Council on 14 Dec Friday, held it’s end-of-year event at Eden Park, Auckland. The Key note speaker was the minister for Whānau Ora, Youth and for the Community and Voluntary Sector – Hon. Peeni Henare.
Mr. Henare spoke to the gathering about the importance of sports in the community, youth and improving relations with the Indian diaspora. He congratulated INZBC on the events done during the year and the continued work done by the council, to promote trade ties between New Zealand and India.
“The beach cricket in New Zealand rivals with the ‘Gully’ Cricket or Street Cricket in India. Cricket has played a significant role in India’s culture for the best part of 80 years and unites a country of huge diversity. It is loved and worshipped. But today, it has also become a big business.”
Sameer Handa, the new Chair of INZBC also spoke about the love of Cricket and how it binds the people of the two nation. He said, “Today, we choose to dwell on the more informal aspect of the relationship with India, which is Cricket. Cricket & Sports binds the souls of the two countries, India & NZ, like nothing else.”
Board member, Earl Rattray explained the importance of the role of Cricket specially, in the current scenario. INZBC Events 2018 | 23
With the five year IPL media rights worth $2.55 billion USD, it’s now a billion dollar industry. There are 11 Black Caps playing in the IPL and around 800K Indian likes on the BLACKCAPS Facebook page. “All this goes to show the great interest of both countries in the game of Cricket and the possibility of leveraging it for the betterment of the ties between the two nations”, said Earl. INZBC Treasurer and Hon. Consul of India, emphasised, “Cricket is where we can relate with each other; it’s a bridge that can span the cultural divide. It’s with cricket that the real conversations can be had, and it is through cricket that the deals can be made. And this is the reason for making this event happen today.”
INZBC Launches a quarterly business magazine – KiaOra India
is poised to do its bit to help power the growth of trade and investment between the two countries.”
On this occasion, the minister also launched the quarterly business magazine, published by INZBC, called KiaOra India.
“There is no gainsaying the power of communication in the building of successful, growing relationships. Kia Ora India hopes to be the platform to connect INZBC members and stakeholders in the New Zealand-India relationship to help craft the exciting new chapters of the unfolding story of the kiwi and the elephant, said Dev.
This magazine will be published every quarter and be available for free circulation, digitally. This magazine will give a platform to celebrate the success stories in the India-NZ Trade, which often go unnoticed. It a platform to debate, discuss and share issues, facing the industry and will incorporate contributions from all chambers of commerce – in India as well as NZ. The editor of the magazine, Dev Nadkarni said, “The India New Zealand Business Council, in the thirty years of its existence, has had a ringside view of developments in the New Zealand-India relationship. It has helped facilitate and catalyse parleys between officials of both countries and hosted summits. The Council is excited as the relationship enters this meaningful new phase and 24 | INZBC Events 2018
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INZBC EVENTS 2018
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