Australia keen to invest in Andhra's aquaculture, dairy

Australia is keen to invest in aquaculture and dairy sectors in Andhra Pradesh.

This was conveyed by Australia's Consul General Sean Kelly during a meeting with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu here Monday.

The consul general, who is based in Chennai, said Australia specializes in sustainable fisheries management and could work with Andhra Pradesh in this sector.

"We will ensure that fisheries sector is managed well without exploitation of marine life," an official statement by the state government quoted Kelly as saying.

Kelly said Australia is also keen on collaborating with Andhra Pradesh in healthcare management, mining, gas and energy sector, logistics, sports, skill development, education, human resource and pension funds.

The consul general said Australia could collaborate in Intellectual Property (IP) and medical research as Andhra Pradesh is strong in pharmaceutical sector.

Kelly invited Naidu to visit Australia to participate in seafood convention in Perth in October this year.

Naidu accepted the invitation and said that he could also send a delegation to Australia before October to study the country's aquaculture industry.

Naidu, who made a presentation at the Indo-Australian Summit in Delhi last month, said he aims to make Andhra Pradesh the aquaculture capital of the world and the marine processing hub of India.

He said Australia could also explore opportunities in policy-making for marine industry, research, equipment and machinery.

Stating that he aims to make Andhra Pradesh a logistics hub for Southeast Asia, the chief minister said Australia, which has a strong presence in logistics, could help the state.