“I was struck by the clarity and conviction of Dr Singh's vision.”
Trade Minister Tim Groser was in India earlier this month to attend the WTO ministers meeting in New Delhi. Besides attending this important international meeting, Mr Groser also met Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his counterpart India’s Minister for Trade Anand Sharma. He also initiated the setting up of a new Consulate General in the city of Mumbai. Indian Weekender editor-in-chief Dev Nadkarni interviewed Mr Groser on his return from India.
What were the highlights of your visit to India?
I was consistently impressed by India's leadership, including my counterpart Minister Anand Sharma who chaired the meeting of WTO Ministers that I attended in New Delhi. But if I could single out one highlight then this was a meeting, along with my counterpart WTO Trade Ministers, with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It was Dr Singh, who as India's Finance Minister in the early 1990s, played a large part in opening India to the world. During his meeting with us, I was struck by the clarity and conviction of PM Singh's vision. He understands that we live in an increasingly integrated world, which requires all countries to work together to face the challenges of our time. It is this leadership that I believe places India well to continue its emergence as a global super-power.
Has there been any follow up in the run up to the FTA with India during this visit?
We’ve been working on this steadily since my visit to India in February. When I was in New Delhi this month, I had a good discussion with India’s new Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma about our prospective FTA negotiations.
India’s Trade and Economic Relations Committee, the ministerial body that is required to give formal tick-off for entry into negotiations, has not yet been reconstituted since India’s general elections earlier this year. I am hopeful, based on my discussions while in India, that this Committee will be constituted in the near future and that the prospects for approval of commencement of negotiations are good.
What's the level of interaction with the new government's ministerial set-up as regards the planned FTA?
I have now had two meetings with Minister Anand Sharma since he was appointed as India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry. I believe that he has a very good understanding of the ways our two economies complement each other and how an FTA between us could serve both of our countries.
My officials have also been in regular contact with Indian officials. The New Zealand lead negotiator has met with his Indian counterpart for preliminary talks about ways to take the negotiating process forward, once approval has been given by the Indian Government for commencement of negotiations.
What's the rationale for the Mumbai consulate? Will it have an important trade role to play? Where is it likely to be located? What level of staffing is planned? What’s the time frame for setting it up?
India’s economy is growing at an impressive rate and is helping power world economic growth. India’s importance to New Zealand is also growing, which is reflected in the considerable recent increase in engagement between the two countries’ governments and business communities.
Trade with India is increasing and is expected to grow even more rapidly under a possible FTA. Indian tourist and student numbers are also increasing steadily, with an increase in the demand for visas – and the Immigration New Zealand branch at the High Commission in New Delhi is operating at full capacity. The
opportunities for New Zealand in India are huge and additional resources are essential to support the growing relationship.
Mumbai is the business and finance hub of India, and is the location for important institutions such as the Reserve Bank and Stock Market, key media outlets, many think-tanks and the creative industries. It is the logical place outside New Delhi to increase New Zealand’s resources for engagement with India. The Consulate-General will initially operate from NZTE’s existing office in Mumbai – however these premises are not sufficient to serve long term as a full Consulate-General. Officials have now begun the search for a permanent office for the Consulate-General.
The Consulate-General will be headed by a seconded NZTE official as Consul-General and supported by locally employed staff. Immigration New Zealand will also establish a presence at the Consulate-General, to be overseen by two seconded managers and staffed by a number of locally employed staff. Tourism New Zealand already has a small office in Mumbai and it is hoped that this office can relocate to join the Consulate-General.
The new Consulate-General will have an important role in supporting New Zealand business and economic development interests, advancing wider trade and investment interests and supporting the implementation of a possible FTA. It will support NZTE’s Beachhead program in India, which connects New Zealand companies to experience business advisors in the market. The Consulate-General will also allow us to increase our visa processing capacity in India, and support the management of consular issues for New Zealanders.
Because it is a diplomatic post, there are a few necessary formalities that have to be concluded before the Consulate-General can open formally, but we hope that the official opening will be in early 2010.
What has been the Indian community's reaction to the announcement of the new consulate?
The Indian community has reacted positively so far to the announcement, as far as I am aware.
How is the NZ Govt, NZTE, gearing up for the planned FTA? What are the main areas of business/ sectoral interest for NZ in India?
NZTE has been very active in encouraging new links between New Zealand and India and the new Consulate-General in Mumbai will help tremendously in this regard. Organising for a number of trade delegations to India is already underway and there are plans for further activity in this area over the next year. New Zealand has three major cricket matches with India in 2010 and we are looking at possibilities for leveraging off these events to raise New Zealand’s business profile in India.
Officials from MFAT and NZTE have also been consulting widely with the New Zealand business community to hear about their areas of particular interest so that we can take this into account as we prepare for these important negotiations. There is a high level of interest in the opportunities which an FTA with India might create, drawing on our respective strengths.
Already India is our second fastest growing market. Our trade with India is currently one tenth of the volume of our trade with China, so there is certainly a lot of room for development. Tariff reductions that we would seek in the FTA would clearly be of benefit to business but, beyond those immediate term gains, there would also be much to be gained from the longer-term strategic partnership that the FTA would help develop. Delivery of a high quality trade agreement would raise the profile of New Zealand businesses in India and also assist in developing our understanding of the Indian market – facilitating connections and acting as a catalyst for promotion of new trade initiatives.
One of the major areas of potential for New Zealand businesses in India is in the delivery of agritech solutions – post-harvest processing, transport, cold storage and food safety. Other areas where New Zealand business could find opportunities would include export education, aviation, infrastructure
development, green technologies, ICT and the marine industry.
I am confident that the negotiation of an FTA with India would open doors for New Zealand businesses in India and would play an important role in strengthening and deepening our bilateral trade and political engagement for the mutual benefit of both countries.
Trade Minister Tim Groser was in India earlier this month to attend the WTO ministers meeting in New Delhi. Besides attending this important international meeting, Mr Groser also met Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his counterpart India’s Minister for Trade Anand Sharma. He also...
Trade Minister Tim Groser was in India earlier this month to attend the WTO ministers meeting in New Delhi. Besides attending this important international meeting, Mr Groser also met Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his counterpart India’s Minister for Trade Anand Sharma. He also initiated the setting up of a new Consulate General in the city of Mumbai. Indian Weekender editor-in-chief Dev Nadkarni interviewed Mr Groser on his return from India.
What were the highlights of your visit to India?
I was consistently impressed by India's leadership, including my counterpart Minister Anand Sharma who chaired the meeting of WTO Ministers that I attended in New Delhi. But if I could single out one highlight then this was a meeting, along with my counterpart WTO Trade Ministers, with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It was Dr Singh, who as India's Finance Minister in the early 1990s, played a large part in opening India to the world. During his meeting with us, I was struck by the clarity and conviction of PM Singh's vision. He understands that we live in an increasingly integrated world, which requires all countries to work together to face the challenges of our time. It is this leadership that I believe places India well to continue its emergence as a global super-power.
Has there been any follow up in the run up to the FTA with India during this visit?
We’ve been working on this steadily since my visit to India in February. When I was in New Delhi this month, I had a good discussion with India’s new Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma about our prospective FTA negotiations.
India’s Trade and Economic Relations Committee, the ministerial body that is required to give formal tick-off for entry into negotiations, has not yet been reconstituted since India’s general elections earlier this year. I am hopeful, based on my discussions while in India, that this Committee will be constituted in the near future and that the prospects for approval of commencement of negotiations are good.
What's the level of interaction with the new government's ministerial set-up as regards the planned FTA?
I have now had two meetings with Minister Anand Sharma since he was appointed as India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry. I believe that he has a very good understanding of the ways our two economies complement each other and how an FTA between us could serve both of our countries.
My officials have also been in regular contact with Indian officials. The New Zealand lead negotiator has met with his Indian counterpart for preliminary talks about ways to take the negotiating process forward, once approval has been given by the Indian Government for commencement of negotiations.
What's the rationale for the Mumbai consulate? Will it have an important trade role to play? Where is it likely to be located? What level of staffing is planned? What’s the time frame for setting it up?
India’s economy is growing at an impressive rate and is helping power world economic growth. India’s importance to New Zealand is also growing, which is reflected in the considerable recent increase in engagement between the two countries’ governments and business communities.
Trade with India is increasing and is expected to grow even more rapidly under a possible FTA. Indian tourist and student numbers are also increasing steadily, with an increase in the demand for visas – and the Immigration New Zealand branch at the High Commission in New Delhi is operating at full capacity. The
opportunities for New Zealand in India are huge and additional resources are essential to support the growing relationship.
Mumbai is the business and finance hub of India, and is the location for important institutions such as the Reserve Bank and Stock Market, key media outlets, many think-tanks and the creative industries. It is the logical place outside New Delhi to increase New Zealand’s resources for engagement with India. The Consulate-General will initially operate from NZTE’s existing office in Mumbai – however these premises are not sufficient to serve long term as a full Consulate-General. Officials have now begun the search for a permanent office for the Consulate-General.
The Consulate-General will be headed by a seconded NZTE official as Consul-General and supported by locally employed staff. Immigration New Zealand will also establish a presence at the Consulate-General, to be overseen by two seconded managers and staffed by a number of locally employed staff. Tourism New Zealand already has a small office in Mumbai and it is hoped that this office can relocate to join the Consulate-General.
The new Consulate-General will have an important role in supporting New Zealand business and economic development interests, advancing wider trade and investment interests and supporting the implementation of a possible FTA. It will support NZTE’s Beachhead program in India, which connects New Zealand companies to experience business advisors in the market. The Consulate-General will also allow us to increase our visa processing capacity in India, and support the management of consular issues for New Zealanders.
Because it is a diplomatic post, there are a few necessary formalities that have to be concluded before the Consulate-General can open formally, but we hope that the official opening will be in early 2010.
What has been the Indian community's reaction to the announcement of the new consulate?
The Indian community has reacted positively so far to the announcement, as far as I am aware.
How is the NZ Govt, NZTE, gearing up for the planned FTA? What are the main areas of business/ sectoral interest for NZ in India?
NZTE has been very active in encouraging new links between New Zealand and India and the new Consulate-General in Mumbai will help tremendously in this regard. Organising for a number of trade delegations to India is already underway and there are plans for further activity in this area over the next year. New Zealand has three major cricket matches with India in 2010 and we are looking at possibilities for leveraging off these events to raise New Zealand’s business profile in India.
Officials from MFAT and NZTE have also been consulting widely with the New Zealand business community to hear about their areas of particular interest so that we can take this into account as we prepare for these important negotiations. There is a high level of interest in the opportunities which an FTA with India might create, drawing on our respective strengths.
Already India is our second fastest growing market. Our trade with India is currently one tenth of the volume of our trade with China, so there is certainly a lot of room for development. Tariff reductions that we would seek in the FTA would clearly be of benefit to business but, beyond those immediate term gains, there would also be much to be gained from the longer-term strategic partnership that the FTA would help develop. Delivery of a high quality trade agreement would raise the profile of New Zealand businesses in India and also assist in developing our understanding of the Indian market – facilitating connections and acting as a catalyst for promotion of new trade initiatives.
One of the major areas of potential for New Zealand businesses in India is in the delivery of agritech solutions – post-harvest processing, transport, cold storage and food safety. Other areas where New Zealand business could find opportunities would include export education, aviation, infrastructure
development, green technologies, ICT and the marine industry.
I am confident that the negotiation of an FTA with India would open doors for New Zealand businesses in India and would play an important role in strengthening and deepening our bilateral trade and political engagement for the mutual benefit of both countries.
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