Q&A: Mike Rann, Premier, South Australia

South Australia is aggressively seeking Indian investments in a number of projects in its booming mining industry, as well as in other sectors such as manufacturing, defence technology and IT, says the 44th Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann, in an interaction with Nayanima Basu. Rann, also the minister for economic development, social inclusion, arts and climate change, says that in its effort to become world leader in some sectors, South Australia is looking for more and more skilled and qualified Indians to contribute to its development. Excerpts:

You are leading quite a big delegation from South Australia this time and you have visited Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai already. What are your expectations from the visit?
This is my sixth visit to India in six years. I try to come here every month. My main aim is to foster friendly relationship between India and Australia and states within Australia are really energised about forging greater and more progressive ties with India. My state, South Australia, is rich in resources and mining and we are also very strong in defence technology and renewable energy. So, we are seeking Indian investments in a number of projects that are coming up in South Australia and asking the companies to explore the opportunities there.

 

Which sectors have you identified in forging greater ties with India?
We have spoken to some of the large Indian companies such as Reliance that have shown eagerness to invest in our ever-developing mining industry. Reliance has already got associated with two mining companies of South Australia. We see this as a two-way relationship. We have also spoken to some of the companies that are involved in environment waste management, engineering and infrastructure. Besides, we have spoken some of the heads of state in Chennai and Mumbai. We have also met some of the leading IT and hi-tech companies in Delhi.

We have got billions and billions of dollars involved in mining, including the expansion of the Olympic Dam which is soon going to be the biggest mining field in the world. We are also having many Chinese companies coming down to Adelaide and investing there in great number. So, what we are telling India is, come and be a part of the action.

How would you position South Australia to those Indian students who are eager to study there in the wake of the recent incidents that have dented your reputation as a credible destination for higher education?
Recently, there had been a survey on international students in Australia and Adelaide was voted number one for being the safest, friendliest and most affordable city for international students. We have put a big effort in making it into one. Some of the incidents that have happened concerning Indian students have not really happened in my own state. But Australia, in general, has put a big effort in dealing with the issue. In my own state, we have an outstanding record of welcoming students internationally and giving them world-class education.

We have seen a rise of around 55 per cent in the number of Indian students in places like Adelaide that have some world-renowned universities and many foreign universities such as Harvard, Cambridge, Yale, Oxford and Carnegie Mellon offering a plethora of degrees. We welcome Indians as students, tourists and migrants.

You said South Australia has a robust defence industry. What sort of cooperation are you planning in that area, especially at a time when India is contemplating opening the sector for more foreign investments?
We are inviting Indian companies and introducing India to some of our expertise in defence technology. We are particularly strong in naval warfare technology and electronic warfare surveillance.

I believe South Australia’s economy is also largely based on a booming export sector. How has been your performance with relation to India?
Exports to India from South Australia have increased by 600 per cent in the last five years, out of which there was a jump of 120 per cent only last year. So, we think that we already have a two-way relationship. We have also seen a mining boom in South Australia which has boosted the growth, making the relationship robust and friendly. Development of Australia and India is complementary to each other.

What sort of cooperation are you expecting from India in areas such as sustainable energy and green technology?
Suzlon is already a big player in South Australia and probably the biggest player of wind turbines there. By 2020, about 33 per cent of our electricity will come from renewable sources, which is again a world leadership. We have seen Tamil Nadu has great commitments in renewable energy. We would also like to see more cooperation in geothermal and solar power areas where we command significant expertise in the technology. Our role is to do a sort of match-making.