On the evening of Monday 16 July, 2018 the Institute for International Trade hosted His Excellency Dr Ajay Gondane, India’s High Commissioner to Australia, for an exclusive presentation and discussion.
Dr Gondane joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1985. He worked in various capacities in the Indian Embassies and Consulates including in Damascus, Baghdad, Vienna, Ankara and New York. He was High Commissioner of India to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. He also worked earlier in SAARC, West Asia North Africa, Bangladesh-Myanmar Divisions. He was the Coordinator for the XIV SAARC Summit in New Delhi, 2007. He was Officer on Special Duty with Dy. Speaker, Lok Sabha and a Research Fellow at the Stimson Centre, Washington D.C. He is a Doctorate in Sociology. Most recently, Dr Gondane worked as Additional Secretary (Pol) and Director General of Inspection in the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.
Dr Gondane spoke of India’s impressive growth story – currently representing the world’s fastest growing economy, it is expected to account for 20 percent of the working age population by 2025 and to become the world’s third largest economy by 2030. With 7 million college graduates per year, and the second largest internet userbase and smartphone market in the world, India represents a significant opportunity for South Australian businesses seeking to expand into international markets.
Dr Gondane reminded the audience of India and Australia’s long standing history and support and highlighted the potential for Australia to significantly enhance it’s future prosperity by further developing a strong relationship with this major emerging economy.
