Australia India Business Bilateral Trade & Investment

By Con Livissianis, Chair of Australia India Business

After more than a decade of little discussion that commenced in May 2011 the 2 Governments of Australia and India on 29 December 2022 agreed to the first stage of a Free Trade Agreement in the form of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) with significant reductions in tariffs on both sides.

Over 85 per cent of Australian goods exports by value to India are now tariff free, rising to 90 per cent by 1 January 2026, and high tariffs have been reduced on some further agricultural products. In addition, 96 per cent of imports from India are now tariff free, rising to 100 per cent by 1 January 2026.

The visit by the Prime Minister of India, Hon Narendra Modi, in May 2023 fortified the government to government (G2G) relationship which will support the growing opportunities for the B2B sector.

The Chair and Co-founder of Australia India Business Pty Ltd (AIB) and Managing Director of his family company Exemplar Performance Advantage Pty Ltd (established 1981), Con Livissianis, has welcomed the significant increase in interest in bilateral trade between Australia and India. This interest will shape the growing Business to Business (B2B) opportunities that AIB will focus on to achieve commercial outcomes for its clients.

Con’s 17 trips to India makes for an interesting backdrop to the experience gained on his trips as well as his experience of being a Director of Australia India Business Council Ltd (AIBC 2013-2019).

Together with the vast experience of the Co-founder of AIB, Jim Varghese AM, Immediate Past National Chair of the Australia India Business Council Ltd and Chancellor of Torrens University, the AIB leadership team are ready to assist businesses facilitate bilateral trade between Australia and India.

Businesses in Australia that seek to enter the India market and India businesses seeking partners and investment in Australia is AIB core business. Con is launching his new book “Innovate or Disintegrate”™ - Disruption and the Stress Test on Governance, Environment, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability – How to Form an A-Team of Directors. If you’re a chair, a director, or a CEO wanting your business to innovate and merely not survive, you have to read this book.

The book will also be launched later this year in India along with some FinTech and EdTech products that are already used by businesses in Australia