New South Wales Premier Chris Minns will lead an official delegation to India from August 31 to September 3, marking his first overseas visit as Premier. The mission was announced at the 80th Independence Day of India event at the ICC in Darling Harbour, with Minns stating that "I'm proud that my first overseas visit as Premier will be to India. It reflects the importance of the relationship and the enormous contribution the Indian community makes to NSW." As reported by ANI, the four-day program in New Delhi and Mumbai will focus on high-level business and government engagements to strengthen economic ties, attract investment and create new opportunities for NSW, alongside community and cultural events that deepen the strong relationship with India.
In 2024-25, NSW and India traded goods worth AUD 6.87 billion ($4.86 billion), making India one of the state's most important trading partners, according to the official release. New South Wales is Australia's most populous state and is home to Sydney, the country's largest city and a major financial, business and education hub. The mission will focus on sectors where NSW has a competitive advantage, including education, research and innovation, agri-food, clean energy, critical minerals, technology, tourism and advanced industries. Treasurer Daniel Mookhey emphasized that "India is one of the world's fastest-growing global economies and one of the most important to the people of New South Wales."
The relationship between India and NSW extends to tourism and education sectors with significant economic impact. In the year to March 2026, 174,000 Indian visitors travelled to NSW, spending around AUD 600 million (USD 424 million) and staying 8.5 million nights, according to the official release. Additionally, more than 28,000 Indian students study in the state, making India one of NSW's largest and most important international education markets. The visit will also build on NSW's sister-state relationship with Maharashtra, established in 2012, which encompasses collaboration on vocational skills training, agriculture, water management and waste treatment technology.
Deputy Premier Prue Car will act as Acting Premier while Premier Minns is overseas. Following the India visit, Minns will travel to Kathmandu from September 4-5 to strengthen government and community ties with an emerging South Asian regional partner, while Treasurer Mookhey will undertake programming in Bengaluru focused on trade, investment and technology, as reported by ANI. Minns emphasized that "India is one of the world's fastest-growing major economies and an increasingly important partner for NSW. We want more trade, more investment, more tourists and more opportunities for NSW businesses." The mission reflects the strategic importance of India as a key international partner for New South Wales in strengthening economic, education and cultural ties.
