Events

The ANZ India Business Chamber’s prestigious Australia–India SME Business Conference 2026 was successfully held in Melbourne on 11 June 2026 and Sydney on 15 June 2026, alongside a high-level business delegation from India. The conference brought together government representatives, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and business professionals from Australia and India to explore opportunities for trade, investment, innovation, and business collaboration across the Indo-Pacific region.

Melbourne Conference – 11 June 2026

The Melbourne conference was hosted at the Consulate General of India, Melbourne. The event was honoured by the presence of The Hon. Lee Tarlamis OAM MP, Government Whip in the Legislative Council of Victoria, and Shri Hemant Kumar Pandey, Consul (Commerce & Education), Consulate General of India, Melbourne, who delivered the keynote addresses.

The first panel discussion, “The Role of SMEs in Driving Trade and Business Growth in the Indo-Pacific Region,” was moderated by Ms. Sally Curtain, Chief Executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The distinguished panel comprised Mr. Damien Pound (Director, Pound Partners), Mr. Chris Batrouney (Director, Eyeonic), Mr. Stephen Manallack (Blogger at INTO INDIA and Consultant), and Mr. Saurabh Mishra (CEO & Co-Founder, Vyatra).

The second panel discussion, “From Survival to Scale: How Businesses Can Leverage Emerging Technologies to Compete Globally,” was moderated by Ms. Su Jella, Advisor, Nano Insights. The panel featured Mr. Mathavan Parameswaran (Partner – Audit & Assurance, RSM Australia), Mr. Ketan Panchal (Managing Director – ANZ, Wipro Australia), Dr. Jeff Mazzini (Managing Director, AAMC Training Group), and Mr. Darshil Mehta (Strategic Advisor – Chief Data & AI, DataAIT Technologies).

The conference commenced with a welcome address by Mr. Archie Monteiro, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Mr. Kumar Vaidyanathan. The event was coordinated by Mr. Santhosh Perumala, MD & CEO of the ANZ India Business Chamber.

Sydney Conference – 15 June 2026

The Sydney conference welcomed an eminent gathering of business and government leaders. The event was honoured by the presence of Dr. S. Janaki Raman, Consul General of India in Sydney; The Hon. Jacqui Munro MLC, Shadow Minister for Science and Technology, New South Wales; and The Hon. Mark Coure MP, Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, New South Wales, as Guests of Honour.

The first panel discussion, “The Role of SMEs in Driving Trade and Business Growth in the Indo-Pacific Region,” was moderated by Mr. John Elliott, Founder of ELR Executive. The panel featured Prof. Dr. Patricia Davidson (Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellow, UNSW), Ms. Natasha Jha Bhaskar (Executive Director, Newland Global Group), Dr. Jim Varghese (Chairman, The Leadership Company), Mr. Paul O’Brien (Founder & CEO, AirPhysio), and Dr. Rustom A. Kanga (CEO, iOmnicient).

The second panel discussion, “From Survival to Scale: How Businesses Can Leverage Emerging Technologies to Compete Globally,” was moderated by Mr. Ben Vella, Executive General Manager, Optus, and Global Chairman of ANZIBC. The distinguished panel included Ms. Kala Philip (Head of Accredited Learning, aEX Institute and CEO, BSI Learning), Mr. Rakesh Prabhakar (Country Head – ANZ, Zoho), Dr. Jeff Mazzini (Managing Director, AAMC Training Group), Ms. Lakshmi Pillamarri (Managing Director, SoftLabs), and Mr. Harshvendra Soin (President – Asia Pacific & Japan Business, Tech Mahindra Ltd).

The Sydney conference commenced with a welcome address by Mr. Matthew McMillan, while Mr. Rajesh Nair delivered the vote of thanks. The event was coordinated by Mr. Leon Skaliotis.

Key Outcomes

Across both Melbourne and Sydney, the conference provided a valuable platform for dialogue on the future of SMEs in the Indo-Pacific region. Discussions highlighted the critical role of small and medium enterprises in driving bilateral trade, investment, innovation, and economic growth.

Particular emphasis was placed on how businesses can move beyond survival and achieve sustainable growth through the adoption of artificial intelligence, automation, digital transformation, data-driven decision-making, cybersecurity, cloud technologies, and other emerging innovations. The sessions offered practical insights and strategic perspectives on enhancing competitiveness, productivity, and global market access in an increasingly dynamic business environment.

The Australia–India SME Conference 2026 further reinforced the ANZ India Business Chamber’s commitment to fostering meaningful business engagement, strengthening commercial ties, and creating new opportunities for collaboration between India, Australia, New Zealand, and the wider Indo-Pacific region.

The SME Conference 2026 was proudly sponsored by Automatorr, Expert Education and Flavourtech. The Chamber would like to thankfully acknowledge their support for the success of the event in both the cities.

The ANZ India Business Chamber’s Business Meet in Sydney on 26th March 2026 was truly a unique and enriching experience. The event provided every participant with an opportunity to introduce their business in a thoughtfully designed and engaging environment, culminating in a delightful business dinner along with a health score screening session from Mr. Christian Sullivan.

Mr. Leon Skaliotis, Chairman of the Chamber’s F&B Committee, set the tone for the evening and led the session with great energy and positivity.

Mr. Matt Alderton from Bx Business Networking and Mr. Sudhir Basavaraju from Investment NSW shared valuable insights on fostering connections within the Indo-Australian business community and beyond. The event was seamlessly coordinated by Mr. Pankaj Khandelwal on behalf of ANZIBC.

We extend our sincere thanks to Builders Institute, Optus, SBI Sydney, and The Colonial for their support as event partners.

The ANZ India Business Chamber (ANZIBC) successfully hosted three days of business networking events across Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi, bringing together over 500 delegates as part of the CapTech Mission to India. The initiative provided an excellent platform for members and the wider business community to build new connections, gain valuable insights, and explore expansion into emerging business verticals—particularly within the Indo-Australian business ecosystem.

The Australian Business Mission was led by Mr. Raman Bhalla, President of Sydney Investors, Professionals and Business Networking Inc (SIPBN). The India edition of CapTech was officially launched in Mumbai on 27 February 2026.

The Chamber would like to thank Ms. Dimple Merchant (IV Merchant & Co.), Ms. Malini Dutt (Investment NSW), Mr. Anuj Share Dalal (C.R. Sharedalal & Co.), Mr. Neeraj Bansal (KPMG), Mr. Paresh Shah & Mr. Yusuf Hakim (C N K Khandwala & Associates), Dr. Anju Gupta (IvyCap Ventures), Mr. Harsh Thakrar (University of Wollongong) and Shri Vijay Kalantri (World Trade Centre Mumbai) for being part of the various panels and spoke on the occasion. Mr. Santhosh Perumala, MD & Global CEO, also addressed the gathering and acknowledged the support of all stakeholders.

For the Bengaluru event on 02 March 2026, ANZIBC would like to thank the World Trade Centre Bengaluru, Fox Mandal & Associates, and Adyar Ananda Bhavan for their support as event partners. Speakers included Dr. Arun Abraham George (New Zealand), Mr. S.T. Prashantha Kumar (Fox Mandal & Associates), Mr. Gopi Shankar (Victorian Government), Mr. Raman Bhalla (SIPBN), Mr. Santhosh Perumala & Mr. K.V. Ashok (ANZIBC), and Mr. Vivek George (WTC Bengaluru, Chennai & Kochi).

At the Bengaluru event, the Chamber also honoured Mr. C. Sarat Chandran for his outstanding contributions to strengthening Indo-Australian trade and business relations through his work with various industry bodies and multinational corporations.

In Delhi, Dr. Jaijit Bhattacharya (Centre for Digital Economy Policy Research) attended as the Chief Guest on 06 March 2026. Mr. Vikram Gera (IOBA), Mr. Raman Bhalla (SIPBN), and Mr. Santhosh Perumala (ANZIBC) also addressed the gathering. On this occasion, ANZIBC and the India Oceania Business Association (IOBA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote mutual collaboration in trade and business development.

The ANZ India Business Chamber’s first event of 2026, held in Chennai, was a resounding success, featuring insightful Indo-Australian success stories and engaging business introductions from our members. The event was enriched by valuable insights and observations from our distinguished speakers: Mr. Peter Pryn, Senior Consultant, Hall Chadwick Melbourne; Ms. Deepa Ramesh, CEO, Sundaram Business Services; Mr. K. T. Srinivasa Raja, Managing Director, Adyar Ananda Bhavan; and Mr. B. Kumaresan, Vice President, World Tamil Chamber of Commerce.

We sincerely acknowledge and appreciate the support of our event partners—Union Bank of India, Adyar Ananda Bhavan, Indian Bank, and Indian Overseas Bank.

As a close observer and regular commentator on trade developments between India and Australia, Mr. Peter Pryn focused his session on business culture and the establishment of Indian entities in Australia.

Ms. Deepa Ramesh shared Sundaram Business Services’ remarkable 25-year journey, highlighting the organisation’s commitment, dedication, and growing presence in Australia.

Mr. K. T. Srinivasa Raja spoke about the success of the Adyar Ananda Bhavan (A2B) Group of restaurants and sweet shops, which has evolved from a traditional sweets and snacks outlet into one of India’s leading vegetarian restaurant brands, with an international presence across the USA, UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Australia.

Mr. B. Kumaresan, Vice President of the World Tamil Chamber of Commerce (WTCC), shared his learnings and experiences from participating in the 12th Annual Global Business Meet held in Sydney in December 2025, organised by the WTCC.

As part of the ANZ India Business Chamber’s end-of-year Business Delegation to Australia, the 5th edition of the Christmas Networking event proved to be a unique experience, enriched by the presence of distinguished guests and an engaged, appreciative audience.

While Dr. Sushil Kumar, Indian Consul General in Melbourne, was the Chief Guest at Christmas Networking held at the Indian Consulate General in Melbourne on 11 th November 2025, Dr. S. Janakiraman, the Indian Consul General in Sydney, was the Chief Guest at the event at ANZAC Memorial Hall in Sydney on 12 November 2025.

At both locations, a high-profile panel discussion centred on the theme “Powering the Indo-Pacific Business – Technology, Knowledge and Strategic Partnerships” brought together eminent leaders from the business and education sectors. The session was moderated by Mr. Ben Vella, Global Chairman of ANZIBC, in Melbourne, and by Mr. Somesh Kamra, Senior Director, Sales Strategy and GTM at Optus, in Sydney.

The panel members included:

At Melbourne, the Chamber presented its Champion of Cultural Impact and Inclusion Award 2025 to The Hon. Lee Tarlamis OAM MP, Member for South-Eastern Metropolitan Region and Government Whip in the Legislative Council of Victoria, Australia. The Award was presented considering Lee’s contributions for the multi-cultural society, particularly for the Indian community to ensure their access to rights and opportunities.

Mr. Archie Monteiro, Mr. Santhosh Perumala, Ms. Su Jella, Mr. Peter Pryn, Mr. Harry Lagad, Mr. Matthew McMillan and Mr. Pankaj Khandelwal co-ordinated the program.

Adding to the festival spirit, the event offered exciting entertainment programs with traditional dance performances and instrumental music. The event was co-sponsored by Hockey Australia, Leora, Optus and Guni.

As part of the Delegation Program, the members of the delegation also participated in CapTech 2025 organised by Sydney Investors Professionals and Business Networking Inc. (SIPBN).

- Ms. Esha Oberoi, Founder & Co-CEO, Leora Healthcare
- Dr. Erin Watson, Founder & MD, Baker & York
- Mr. Darshil Mehta, Strategic Advisor, Chief Data & AI, DataAIT Technologies
- Dr. Athena Bangara, Director, South Asia, Monash University
- Ms. Sheba Nandkeolyar, Founder /CEO MultiConnexions Group
- Mr. Adrian McKnight, MD – ANZ, WNS Global Services
- Mr. Harshvendra Soin, President – Asia Pacific & Japan Business, Tech Mahindra

The concluding day of the Chamber’s BIZCON INDIA 2025 at the Startup Hub in Sydney on 25th July 2025 drew wide attention with a large participation and eminent panel of speakers.

Sydney Investors Professionals and Business Networking Inc. (SIPBN) hosted another successful networking for the Business Mission at the evening on 23 July 2025.

The Hon Ros Bates MP, Queensland Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Ms. Neetu Bhagotia, Indian Consul General in Brisbane; Mr Rod McGeoch AO, Chairman & Mr. Raman Bhalla, President, SIPBN and a few other distinguished invitees from the industry spoke on the occasion.

Ms. Neetu Bhagotia, the highly efficient Indian Consul General in Brisbane was the Chief Guest on the occasion of the second part of the Chamber’s BIZCON INDIA 2025 held in Brisbane on 23 July 2025. She provided an overview on the current Queensland–India relations, covering trade, investment, education, research, diplomacy and community ties in her Keynote Address.

A 13-member Business Delegation from the Chamber visited Australian and participated in its prestigious annual event, BIZCON INDIA 2025 across three cities - Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane - from July 21 to 25, 2025.

The ANZ India Business Chamber (ANZIBC) hosted another high-profile Business Mission from Australia organised by Sydney Investors, Professionals and Business Networking Group Inc. (SIPBN) and ANZIBC. The Chamber joined hands with the World Trade Centre (WTC) Mumbai, All India Association of Industries and Indo-Australian Association to have successful business matching and productive networking sessions at Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.

The members of the Australian Business Mission included:

- Mr. Raman Bhalla – President – SIPBN Inc. (Areas of interest: Banking and Financial services, Distribution of food and beverages, Distributors of cotton and wool).
- Mr. Chris Nimorakiotakis – Founder and Director of title, which is a revolutionary startup AI driven Real Estate Marketplace which list, promotes, and transacts properties, utilizing a real time database like no other platform.
- Elias Peter Fares, Director & Jonathan Bitar, Logistics Manager, International Liquor Distributors Pty Ltd which produce and distribute alcoholic beverages eg beer, volka, whiskey, rum, scotch.
- Ms. Sarah Morgan – CEO #Cap Tech2025 (Areas of interest: Healthcare organizations, Distributors of retail products)
- Dr. Paul Di Pietro, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Sustainable Futures & Professor Ty Christopher, Director, Energy Futures Network, University of Wollongong (Areas of interest: Education / Institutional and industry collaboration).
- Mr. Sahil Makkar, Chairman, Punjab Angels Network
- Mr. Aakashh Deep, Founding Partner, Unnati Ventures India
- Mr. Parth Maheshwari, Mr. Shreyash Dinesh Bhaga, and Mr. Mohinder Kumar Nirala, SIPBN

At the Networking Dinner in Chennai on 10 April 2025, Mr. Santhosh Perumala, MD & CEO of ANZIBC welcomed the gathering. Mr. Preet Pillai, Associate Director, Global Markets, The HSBC Bank, provided by an overview of the current market trends and macro-economic updates. This was followed by Special Address from Mr. Raman Bhalla, President of SIPBN and concluded with a word of thanks from Dr. Susan Verghese, President, Indo-Australian Association.

The ANZ India Business Chamber joined hands with T-Hub to host the Australian Business Mission and to organise the Business Networking in Hyderabad on 11 April 2025.

The program included a tour of T-Hub to interact with the large number of companies operating in the T-Hub and a Hi-Tea Networking where all our members and the business community had an opportunity for business interactions.

The members of the Chamber from the education sector had an opportunity to meet Mr. Sumeet Tembe, Director from the Lincoln Institute of Higher Education (LIHE) from Sydney, Australia. The meetings focused on the areas of co-operation in and collaboration in arts, extension programs, community services and internship programs.

The Madras Christian College, SRM University, T.J.S. Engineering College, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Dr. NAC Foundation, Reya Consultancy Services and SRM Connects participated in the meetings.

The members of ANZ India Business Chamber had fruitful one-to-one meetings with Mr. Raman Bhalla, who is an investor and is the President of Sydney Investors, Professionals and Business Networking Group Inc. (SIPBN), head quartered in Sydney, Australia. Raman is an investment banker and has extensive contacts in the private capital, family offices and high-net worth individuals in Australia and globally. He has run successful political campaigns and has deep political contacts across wide spectrum in Australia and overseas.

Raman is also the founder of CapTech Summit, which connects the best minds and business opportunities with capital and technology, in Australia and globally.

The meetings were held at the office of Investment NSW in Mumbai on 8 January 2025 and at The Accord Metropolitan in Chennai on 9th January 2025.

The Chamber organised an interactive meeting with Mr. Con Livissianis, the Co-Founder of Australia India Business Pty Ltd (AIB) and a very knowledgeable consultant from Sydney, who has great contributions in the Indo-Australian relations in the three cities – Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.

It was an opportunity for the members to discuss on a number of significant projects AIB was involved including education, agri-business, wine, food, lamb, mineral water, business valuation and skills assessment.

The one-to-one meetings were held at Chennai on 4th January at The Accord Metropolitan, T Nagar, Chennai; at Delhi on 6th January at Le Meridian Windsor Place Janpath; and at Mumbai on 11th January at I.V. Merchant & Co., Ali Chambers, Nagindas Master Road, Fort, Mumbai.

The Chamber’s focus on Singapore has added tremendous value for its members to have meaningful business exchanges in the Indo-Pacific region. We see great advantages in connecting Singapore in the Indo-Australian relations because of its strategic location, growing business with India and Australia, effective financial and logistics system, Significant presence of Australian and Indian companies, major investment partner and many more. It was a great pleasure meeting H.E. Dr. Shilpak Ambule, the Indian High Commissioner in Singapore along with our honorary members in the Regional Committee to discuss on the future activities of the Chamber in Singapore and the opportunities in bringing the Australia-India-Singapore community together. It is estimated to have over 8,000 Indian companies and 2,000 Australian companies in Singapore and the number is growing.

The ANZ India Business Chamber's Christmas Networking this year at Sydney on 29th November 2024 received wide participation from the government, business and education fraternity with over 100 delegates gathered at the Lincoln Institute of Higher Education (LIHE).

With the Opening Remarks through a video message from the highly regarded H.E. Mr. Gopal Barglay, Indian High Commissioner in Canberra, the event saw the Special Address from the two eminent personalities - Dr. S. Janakiraman, Indian Consul General in Sydney and The Hon. Mr. Damien Tudehope MLC, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations.

The event had another power packed Panel Discussion on the theme “Emergence of Women as a transformative force in Business, Education and Technology” moderated by Mr. Ben Vella (Optus) and joined by the industry luminaries - Ms. Marisa Mastroianni (UOW Global Enterprises), Ms. Shreya Goswami (Infosys), Ms. Esha Oberoi (Leora Healthcare), Ms. Varsha Banker (Realestate for Women) and Ms. Heather Tropman (OPTUS).

The Chamber also launched the new industry chapter “Women in Business Leadership Forum” and Ms. Marisa Mastroianni (MD & Group CEO, UOW Global Enterprises) has taken charge as the inaugural Chairperson to lead the Forum.

The rich cultural events - Kathak, Mohiniyattam and Bharatnatyam - from the talented Indian artists were a distinct feature of the event.

The Chamber would like to acknowledge the support from LIHE, Flavourtech, Optus, SBI Australia, Atlas Payments, ACET, MIA (Marketing in Asia), Saarthi GreenTech, UOW Global Enterprises, SRKAY Consulting Group and The Colonial as co-sponsors for the event.

Special thanks to Mr. Leon Skaliotis, Mr. Harry Lagad, Mr. Sulal Mathai, Mr. Ben Vella, Mr. Pankaj Khandelwal and Mr. Sumeet Tembe for their support and for speaking on the occasion.

The ANZ India Business Chamber celebrated India’s Independence Day at the Sydney Start-up Hub in Australia on 9th August 2024.

Mr. Santhosh Perumala, MD & CEO of ANZIBC in his welcome Address said that “In the year 2024, India proudly marks its 78th Independence Day on the 15th of August. Indian Independence Day is a significant day in India’s history, a day to celebrate the country’s freedom, remember the sacrifices that were made to achieve it, and reflect on India’s progress since independence.

The Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Robert Kok from the City of Sydney was the Chief Guest on the occasion. He observed that Sydney is emerging as a major powerhouse and connecting link in the India-Australia relations and beyond.

The event had a scintillating presentation from Mr. Sudhir Basavaraju from Investment NSW on the business and investment opportunities in New South Wales for global business community.

The ANZ India Business Chamber’s prestigious annual event “ANZIBC Technology Conference 2024 turned out to be a huge success with an eminent team of speakers and wide participation from the industry.

The Conference, which was held at Melbourne on 18th June 2024 focused on one of the most critical topics of today – “Gen AI & Cyber security - Navigating the Risks and Challenges’ ‘Bridging the Gap’ with three rounds of panel discussions centred on Gen AI, Cyber Security and Diversity & Inclusion.

The senior executives from the global technology and business transformation firms like Sutherland Global, Cognizant, HCL, Telstra and many others played a key role in providing insights and point of views on technology evolving at an unprecedented pace, with daunting challenges to be addressed.

Moderators and Panelists flew down from US, Europe, India and other places within Australia to attend this conference. Insightful discussions happened keeping Data Security, Risks, ensuring proper governances in testing new use cases to people, upskilling, building awareness and education across builders of emerging technologies, it’s users and consumers.

The discussions were orchestrated by Ms. Su Jella (Top 25 Analytics Leaders), Mr. Richard Miller (Chief Executive, Emc.venures) and Mr. Karhun Nanda (Managing Director, safeview media & silver medalist in Golf at the world transplant games 2024 in Perth) driving focused conversations to get the best discussions and point of views across the distinguished panelists.

Inclusion of workforce across various levels of organization and balanced team structures to ensure point of views are in entirety and bias free was at the center stage of the discussion.

Bridging the ‘Gap’ is essential with due importance in bringing together the stake holders of academia, industries and link innovation to accountability and responsibility.

Dr. Sushil Kumar, the Indian Consul General in Melbourne in his keynote address observed that the new technologies threats and its advantages must be looked at with great vigil and India and Australia with its advanced technologies, focus has to be to deploy with great Governance to reap the benefits across countries, companies and drive a brighter future for the society.

Australia and India today stand at an inflection point of harnessing the best of the worlds’ mindsets and leverages the best of global minds to strategize and plan for building cutting edge solutions across the financial services industry to drive digital, secure consumers for their information and build scalable future operating models making it truly digital with Generative AI, he added.

Diversity and Inclusion in technology and its criticality into the corporate world was discussed with complete candor.

Mr. P. Santosh, MD & CEO and Mr. Chetan Mehta, Chairman of the ICT Committee of the Chamber with their committee and team planned and organized this event in Melbourne.

The Chamber organised a Business Networking with the Honourable Soomilduth Bholah, Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance and a high-level delegation from the Economic Development Board of Mauritius on 8 March 2024.

Started with the Opening Remarks from Mr. Anuj Sharedalal, Committee Member and Welcome Address from Mr. Ramesh Shrivastava, Chairman, Banking & Financial Services Committee, ANZIBC, the event was an opportunity to understand the investment and business opportunities in Mauritius and the product and services offered by the Mauritius IFC.

The first edition of the Chamber’s Connect India Conference in the three cities in Australia – Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney received overwhelming response from the business community. The week-long event from 26 to 29 February 2024 was addressed by some of the eminent personalities from the corporate and government sector. The Indian Consulate Generals in Melbourne and Sydney and the American College were the co-hosts for the event.

It was another great day in the Chamber's history with around 100 delegates participated in the Chamber's Christmas Networking Meet in Sydney on 13th December at the City Campus of the University of Wollongong.

The event, marked by the presence of distinguished speakers including H.E. Mr. Manpreet Vohra, Indian High Commissioner in Canberra; Professor Dr. Patricia Davidson, Vice-Chancellor of University of Wollongong; Mr. Edan Corkill, Director – Priority Markets, Investment NSW and Ms. Anne Nalder, Founder & CEO of Small Business Association of Australia, shed light on the thriving relations between India and Australia. The discussions reaffirmed the new heights reached in trade, technology, and economic ties, particularly in New South Wales.

Stability and collaboration in sectors such as mining, technology, education, digital health, fintech, and food and beverages took center stage, influenced by the leadership of both nations. The speakers brought attention to traditionally untapped opportunities in Asia for Australia, with a focus on enriching collaborations and partnerships.

Started with the opening remarks from Mr. Leon Skaliotis (Chairman, F&B Committee) and concluded by Mr. Pankaj Khandelwal (Board Member), the event was moderated by Mr. Ben Vella (Committee Member). Mr. Shekar Mani (Committee Member) acknowledged the great contributions of the High Commissioner in the Indo-Australian relations and his wonderful support to the Chamber and its activities.

While the University of Wollongong hosted the event, the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Association of Australia extended their support as event partners. The Ocean Finserv and The Colonial sponsored the event.

As part of promoting the charity initiatives, the Chamber also facilitated a table for the team from SRMD Australia for promoting organ donation. The event had light Music Entertainment from Rosemont Strings and DeBortoli sponsored the wines for networking drinks.

The Chamber’s ANZIBC EduSkill Conference 2023 at the Vijnana Bhavan in Mysore University on 04 November 2023 focused on the theme “Education, Skill Development and EdTech – The evolving new triangle of opportunities”.

Excelsoft and Mysore University came together as associate partners for the event and a team of highly successful educational institutions from Australia also participated in the Conference.

While inaugurating the Conference, Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, CEO, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, highlighted the importance of fostering relations between India and Australia. He highlighted the mutual benefits that could arise from a strengthened relationship between the two nations.

He discussed the Beyond Bengaluru initiative and its potential to bolster the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Mysore. Through this initiative, he envisions creating a conducive environment for startups and established enterprises alike to flourish.

Mr. Sanjeev emphasized the close ties among academia, government, and industry as pivotal in bridging the gap between education and employment / entrepreneurship. He believes that a collaborative approach among these sectors is essential for nurturing a skilled workforce and promoting innovation.

To amplify the state's digital economy, he invited the dignitaries present at the event to join him in positioning Mysore as a thriving destination for businesses looking to expand their presence. Through collective efforts, he aims to attract more businesses to the region, thereby stimulating economic growth and creating job opportunities.

Prof. Dr. N.K. Lokanath, Vice-Chancellor, University of Mysore observed that no sector has been so profoundly transformed in our time as has been education and skill development.

Prof. (Dr.) Sandeep Sancheti Provost of Marwadi University and Chairman of the ANZIBC Education and Skill Development Committee, highlighted the provisions of NEP 2020 indicating that Skills is going to be flavour of the times and would be treated at par with any other courses. He also mentioned that internationalization of education and skilling is going to supported by schemes like credit transfers and Academic Bank of Credit.

Mr. Santhosh Karnananda, Director – Education South Asia, Australian Trade and Investment Commission observed that the relationship between India and Australia in the field of education is very conducive now as evident from two Australian Universities setting up their campuses in India and the spurt in the number of students from India heading to Australian for higher education.

Mr. Prashanth HM, Head of Strategy at Excelsoft in his concluding remarks highlighted how the city of Mysuru became an industry, innovation and knowledge hub with the involvement of some of the leading institutions like Excelsoft.

Mr. P. Santhosh, MD & CEO, ANZ India Business Chamber, in his welcome address said that while there is huge upsurge in the number of Indian students enrolling in the Australian universities, the Australian Vocational Education and Training Institutions play a significant role in the Skill India Mission and Training the Trainer programs.

The Chamber also presented the Business Leader of the Year Award 2023 for the Skill Development category to two of the Australia based entrepreneurs – FDr. Jeff Mazzini, Managing Director of AAMC Training Group and Mr. Suresh Padmanabhan, CEO of Reach for Training acknowledging their contributions, particularly in the Indo-Australian space.

The full-day Conference had two panel discussions and several presentations from some of the eminent speakers focusing on the trends and opportunities in the education and skill development sector.

It was another memorable day in the Chamber's history, when over 100 delegates gathered at The Accord Metropolitan Chennai to host the honourable Parliamentarians from the State of Victoria along with a delegation from the State.

Mr. Lee Tarlamis OAM MP, Government Whip in the Legislative Council; Ms. Belinda Wilson MP, Deputy Government Whip in the Legislative Assembly and Ms. Emma Vulin MP, Member for Pakenham addressed the members.

The cocktail dinner started with the opening remarks from Mr. P. Santhosh, MD & CEO of the Chamber. Mr. Ananth N, Chief Strategy Officer, eNoah presented the welcome address and Mr. Jithu Jose, Committee Member (Healthcare) of the Chamber presented the concluding remarks.

The evening saw beautiful melodies from the Madras Christian College. The eNoah iSolution joined as the lead sponsor and Apollo Hospitals extended its support as an Event Partner. The Chamber facilitated a visit for the team to the world class facility of Apollo Proton Cancer Centre in Chennai.

The honourable Members of the Parliament also presented the "Empowering Trade: Collaboration in Focus Award" to the ANZ India Business Chamber. A prestigious moment and indeed an acknowledgement of the Chamber's growing stature in the Indo Australian bilateral space and contributions.

The ANZ India Business Chamber organised its Technology Mission to Australia from 21-23 August 2023, which visited the three Australian cities – Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

As part of the Mission, the Chamber organised its prestigious ANZIBC Technology Conference Australia 2023 at Melbourne on 21st August 2023, a visit to the Indian High Commission in Canberra on 23 August and a Business & Technology Conference in Sydney on 24 August 2023.

ANZIBC Technology Conference Australia 2023: The ANZIBC Technology Conference Australia 2023 at Melbourne on 21st August 2023 drew wide attention with the participation of some of the eminent global CEOs. The Consulate General of India in Melbourne joined hands with the Chamber to facilitate this event.

Mr. Girish Singh Kavia, Head of Chancery & Consul (Com. & Pol.), Indian Consulate General, Melbourne, presented the opening remarks and Mr. Archie Monteiro, Advisory Board Member of the Chamber, welcome the gathering.

The Indian High Commission in Canberra is doing phenomenal role in bringing India and Australia together and for promoting the bilateral trade. Our every visit to the High Commission is very productive and gives us more energy and encouragement to increase our engagement in the bilateral space.

We are particularly happy to witness the best moments and milestones in this relationship with the stellar leadership of H.E. Shri Manpreet Vohra and his team including Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Second Secretary (Economic & Commercial).

It was another power packed session at the ANZIBC Business and Technology Conference at Sydney on 24th August 2023 with some of the eminent speakers including:

- Mr. Matthew McMillan, McCullough Robertson, Mr. Chetan Mehta, WNS Global Services
- Mr. Grame Barty, GAICD, Grame Barty and Associates
- Mr. Ali Asghar Shah, Investment NSW
- Mr. Soni Charanjeet, ATMC Australia
- Mr. Sam Freeman, WRK4CE, (former Australian Trade Commissioner to India) and
- Mr. Megha Birudavolu, FieldEZ Technologies.

At its Business Networking Meet in Chennai on 20th July, the ANZ India Business Chamber brought together two amazing Indo-Australian success stories in business - AccSource and EMT Group, one of the best 20 modern universities in the world - University of Wollongong, which is now setting up its offshore campus in the GIFT City in India; Grant Thornton Bharat LLP - one of the preeminent Indian professional services firms and offers end-to-end solutions for a business lifecycle, and Investment NSW - the NSW Government’s economic development and attraction agency, with a mandate to reinforce NSW as the most desirable place in the world to visit, study, invest and do business.

With the pandemic receding, international flights resuming and a trade agreement between India and Australia signed and ready to be activated, the ANZ India Business Chamber became the first Australia focused bilateral trade organization from India to lead a business mission to Australia. The visit covered four cities – Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Paramatta -and interacted with over 300 companies in the four cities.

The Mission had an amazing start with a Networking Session hosted by Hall Chadwick Melbourne in association with the Chamber’s Melbourne Chapter. At Canberra, the members of the Mission had a very productive discussion with the Deputy High Commissioner, Shri Suneet Mehta and his team including Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Second Secretary. REACH for Training also organized a briefing session for the Members in Canberra.

At Sydney, the University of Wollongong hosted the Networking event is association with the Chamber’s Sydney Chapter. Another networking session was hosted by the Small Business Association of Australia.

The city of Paramatta is a fast developing second largest city in New South Wales and the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce organized another productive meeting in association with the City of Parramatta. It was wonderful experience to have a visit to the Paramatta Square.

It was another productive meeting with the Honorable Mayor of Greater Chennai Corporation, Ms. R. Priya, to discuss opportunities for collaborations in areas of vocational education and technology transfers between Chennai and Australia (February 2023). The Chamber represntatives also met the Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu and the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation, Dr. J. Radhakrishnan IAS to discuss on the opportunities in Skill Training and Healthcare (September 2023).