Addressing the Indian community here, Jaishankar
also underlined the historical ties between the two countries. He said India
has made significant progress under the leadership of Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi in the last ten years.
“India will grow, India is growing, but India
wants to grow with the world. When we look at the world, we see opportunities.
We are optimistic. There may be problems, but overall, we think the world has
goodwill and a desire to work with India,” he said.
“We see a sentiment overall in the world for
India to succeed, and it is important we harness that sentiment,” he added. He
mentioned that there are numerous opportunities for global cooperation in the
fields of education and research. “India
will grow, India is growing, but India wants to grow with the world. When we
look at the world, we see opportunities. We are optimistic. There may be
problems, but overall, we think the world has goodwill and a desire to work
with India,” he said.
“We see a sentiment overall in the world for
India to succeed, and it is important we harness that sentiment,” he added. He
mentioned that there are numerous opportunities for global cooperation in the
fields of education and research. “The
image today of Indians abroad, the image of being well educated, of being
personally responsible, work ethic, family-centric nature of our lives. I think
the combination of all of this today makes us very, very attractive in the
global workplace,” he said.
“I think, it’s important that that brand is
developed, that those skills are nurtured… Again, I emphasise that this era,
you know, this era of AI, of electric mobility, of chips, this will require a
global workforce,” he added. On ties
with Australia, he emphasised the transformation in the bilateral relations and
attributed the progress to four key factors – Prime Minister Modi, Australia,
the world, and the Indian diaspora.
Noting the presence of around 125,000-strong Indian
diaspora in Queensland, including 15,000-16,000 students, the minister
highlighted their significance in strengthening ties between the two countries.
Highlighting that 75 per cent of Australian exports to India come from
Brisbane, he said that this cooperation should be viewed not merely as an
achievement but as a framework for future growth.
India and Australia are members of QUAD – a
four-member strategic security dialogue that includes the US and Japan. Later,
in a post on X, the minister said he was “delighted to interact with members of
the vibrant Indian community” in Brisbane. “Spoke about the strong
India-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership and the efforts, vision and
leadership by both countries to energise it. The upcoming opening of India’s 4th consulate in Australia is a step
forward in our friendship,” he said.