Roundtable with Dr Palanivel Thiagarajan

The Perth USAsia Centre was delighted to host Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Finance, Human Resources, Planning and Development, Mr Palanivel Thiagarajan, along with Australia’s Consul General in Mumbai (in the state of Maharashtra), Mr Peter Truswell, for a roundtable discussion on opportunities for Western Australia in India.

Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, as two of the biggest state economies in India, were obvious partners for Western Australia. Particular areas of promise for collaboration included hydrogen and renewable energy, critical minerals, food and beverages (especially dairy and wine) and education. 

Tamil Nadu’s long history of social inclusion policies translated into high levels of education and a stable environment for business. A third of its energy mix already came from renewables, and it was looking for more partnerships. Mumbai’s role as a centre of finance, and host to world class tech campuses and electric vehicle manufacturers also offered clear synergies with Western Australia.

WA was already ahead of the game, posting its trade and investment commissioner to Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. And its recent major business delegation to India in mid-2022 had made an impact. It would be important to build on that momentum. 

The roundtable was attended by members of the WA parliament, the Australian-India diaspora community, academics and private sector representatives spanning education, mining, critical minerals and investment.