NSW Premier Chris Minns and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey kicked off the state’s official trade mission to India, announcing new education and research initiatives while pursuing investment, trade and jobs across critical minerals, technology, tourism, food and creative industries.
The four-day mission has already delivered new opportunities for NSW-developed technology and exporters, while opening discussions with some of India’s biggest companies about investment in NSW.
On the first day of the mission, the Premier and Treasurer marked progress towards Western Sydney University welcoming its first students to its new Greater Noida campus in 2027, alongside new scholarships and a Centre of Excellence focused on water security, digital innovation and community resilience. The campus will deepen NSW’s education presence in India, providing Indian students with access to an Australian university education closer to home while creating new opportunities for Australian students, researchers and businesses. The university also plans to deliver a Master’s program in Sustainable Water Management from 2027, subject to regulatory approval.
“India is growing quickly and we want NSW businesses and workers to benefit from that growth. That’s why we’re here,” Premier Minns said. Treasurer Mookhey said the mission showcased NSW’s “world-class education institutions and vibrant multicultural communities” and would help create new pathways for investment, trade and collaboration.
The economic program has already produced new opportunities, with the Premier and Treasurer meeting senior executives from NMDC, NTPC Mining, Hindustan Copper Limited and Coal India to discuss Indian investment in NSW’s critical minerals sector and opportunities for NSW to supply minerals needed by India’s growing manufacturing economy. The discussions highlighted NSW’s mineral deposits, mining expertise, technology, safety standards and stable investment environment.
The delegation also witnessed an agreement between Transport for NSW’s Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) and HCLTech to explore using AI to make the NSW-developed traffic technology easier to use across India’s diverse language markets. SCATS is already used globally, and the partnership could open further opportunities to sell NSW-owned technology into India. “If we can sell more NSW-owned technology into cities like Delhi and Mumbai, that’s more revenue we can put back into better transport at home,” Mr Mookhey said.
The economic program followed meetings with senior Indian political leaders on the first day of the mission, including Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
At a reception hosted by Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green, the Premier announced the internationally renowned Jaipur Literature Festival will be hosted at Powerhouse Parramatta in August 2027. The event will bring writers and cultural figures from Australia, India and around the world to Western Sydney, while 14 NSW food, beverage and consumer brands were launched into the Indian market.
A new feature film, The Indian Cowboy, was also announced. Set and filmed in NSW, the film will tell the story of Indian country music singer Bobby Cash and his international career following his performance at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. The delegation also visited Asha in New Delhi, meeting children and families supported by the NGO, and visited Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple.
India is one of NSW’s most important international partners. In 2024-25, NSW and India traded $6.87 billion worth of goods, while more than 28,000 Indian students studied in NSW in 2025 and 174,000 Indian visitors travelled to the state in the year to March 2026. “We’re just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the opportunities between NSW and India,” Premier Minns said. “We have to be here making the case for NSW.”
“As someone whose family heritage is Indian, I know first-hand the importance of the connections that unite our communities across education, business, culture and sport”, added Treasurer Mookhey
The official mission now continues in Mumbai, where the Premier and Treasurer will meet further government and business leaders and make the case for greater Indian investment in NSW and stronger commercial links between the two economies.
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