The West Australian Indian Film Council (WAIFC) has been officially launched at Government House in Perth, bringing together representatives from government, diplomacy, film, business, education and the arts to build closer links between Western Australia and India's screen industries. The independent not-for-profit organisation aims to connect, facilitate and advocate for collaboration between Western Australian and Indian film and creative sectors. The launch focused on opportunities for co-productions, talent exchanges, investment and cultural partnerships, with speakers highlighting the growing scope for cooperation between the two regions. WAIFC chair Nilesh Makwana and his team were recognised for establishing the organisation, with the Consulate saying it looked forward to seeing the council develop further opportunities for co-production, talent exchange and cultural engagement.
Western Australia Premier Roger Cook will lead an investment and trade mission to India and Vietnam from September 17-25, with job creation, workforce development and education among the key areas of focus. The mission will cover energy, tourism, aviation, primary industries, education and workforce development, with the Western Australian government seeking opportunities for businesses and institutions in India and Vietnam that could support local jobs. The mission will include meetings with government, business, industry and education stakeholders, covering areas including mining, energy transition, tourism and investment.
In India, Cook will visit Mumbai and Delhi and attend the opening of the University of Western Australia's (UWA) Mumbai campus – the first Australian Group of Eight university to establish a campus in India. As reported by Business Standard, India was WA's largest international student market last year, with more than 15,000 enrollments. The mission will also include meetings with major Indian airlines as the WA government pushes for direct flights between Perth and India to strengthen tourism, trade and investment links. Daniele Merlerati, chief regional officer for APAC, Baltics & Benelux at global staffing firm Gi Group Holding, noted that the skills partnership could help address structural shortages in Western Australia, particularly as the resources and energy sectors expand faster than the domestic workforce.
The mission comes as India and Australia have entered into a trade deal in 2022, under which India enjoys duty concessions on 100 per cent of tariff lines, while Australia has got concessions on 70 per cent of tariff lines, covering 90 per cent of Australian shipments. According to Business Standard, boosting bilateral trade is set to be an important item on the agenda during the visit as total merchandise trade between the two countries has declined nearly 16 per cent in the last five years. India had a trade deficit of $6.5 billion with Australia in 2025-26 (FY26) and exported goods worth $7.3 billion. Additionally, the two nations have set an ambitious target to increase bilateral trade five-fold to $100 billion by 2030.
In Vietnam, Cook will be joined by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis and Parliamentary Secretary Samantha Rowe, along with a delegation of 32 WA businesses and organisations. As reported by Business Standard, the delegation will focus on energy transition, primary industries and international education, with Rowe leading the education component including visits to schools delivering the Western Australian curriculum and meetings with education authorities. The mission comes as WA seeks to deepen economic ties with India and Vietnam while using education, skills and workforce development to support employment and address labour shortages.
