- 2018-10-19
India wants international status most
As India wants to achieve economic transformation, it needs to change its own infrastructure to energy and education. Especially in terms of natural resource imports, the trade relationship between India and Australia has been continuously strengthened.
But in addition to natural resource needs, India also wants to gain more recognition globally. As India is about to become the world's third largest economy, it also wants to obtain rights that match its own rights.
When the political leaders of Australia and India both make speeches in each other’s country, we can always hear the sentence: "India and Australia have a lot in common..."
Perhaps apart from "cricket, the Commonwealth and Curry", Britain and Australia don't have much in common. And the above-mentioned commonality is a long time ago for India. This is the 21st century, and India does not necessarily view itself and its relationship with Australia in this way.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always hoped to make India an important economy, an influential country that can be respected and recognized by all countries in the world, rather than just being regarded as a regional power by other countries.
Modi's way to achieve this goal is to rely on young people. He hopes to change India's economic situation by training young people to give them technology, allowing them to make products for the world, and attracting foreign investment.
Anirban Ganguli, director of the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Institute, said: “At present, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the way Indians think about themselves.”
Rising from the post-colonial era
All this seems very simple, but with an open attitude to attract foreign investment, this will mean that India in the post-colonial era will undergo earth-shaking changes.
Ganguli said: "Earlier, we wondered whether we should open up to the outside world to attract foreign investment. But now I think it should. After all, the colonialist era has completely passed."
"In the past, India generally believed that we should not let other countries exploit us. So there will be some conservative ideas."
Under British colonial rule, India promoted mercantilism for centuries. After India gained independence in 1947, it began to deviate from economy and trade and chose to implement a self-sufficient planned economy.
India's economy fell behind, mainly due to the infamous bureaucracy restricting business and foreign investment, but since the 1990s, the Indian government has continued to abolish these restrictions.
He said: "I think there are still many uncertainties in India's economic development. The current state of India is still unclear. In which direction India wants to develop? We still don't know these."
He said that the current government is cultivating and fostering venture companies, providing development impetus for innovative small companies, and actively encouraging foreign companies to open shops in India.
What role does Australia play in India's economic development?
Modi believes that Australia is an importer of Indian products and services. India can encourage the upgrading of manufacturing and service industries, and move India's manufacturing and service industries to a higher value chain.
Ganguli said: “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always used the term “human resources superpower” when referring to India. Abundant human resources are conducive to India’s development of its own economy and manufacturing industry.
India's development depends on young Indians. These young people need training and, of course, they also need opportunities to display their talents.
At present, India places great emphasis on cultivating its own people, and Australia plays an important role in this regard.
Australia's annual income from international students can reach US$20 billion. Last year, the number of Indians who went to Australia to study reached 61,000, making Australia the second largest study destination for Indians after the United States.
At present, India has allowed Australian institutions to enter India further, in order to allow more young Indians to study in Australia.
Officials from the Australian education sector are also currently working hard to help the Prime Minister of India, aiming to help the Indian government train about 400 million people in 2020. Australia will relax restrictions on Indian students.
He said: “Australian qualifications are easier to be recognized by Indian companies, and Indian students also feel that studying in Australia can help them achieve their dreams.”
The choice of nuclear energy
It has been more than 2 years since Australia and India signed a supply agreement. The Australian leaders’ visit to India has yielded fruitful results.
Australian Resources Minister Matthew Canavan said during his visit to India that he was very confident that the nuclear resource trade with India was just beginning.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of India stated that he hopes Australia's resources will be shipped to India in large quantities this year.
The free trade agreement between India and Australia is expected to take effect. Free trade has been achieved in the field of agricultural products.
The link between security and defense
Modi also regards Australia as a strategic partner like Japan and the United States.
David Brewster, a professor at the School of National Security at the Australian National University, previously believed that India would be happy to cooperate with Australia to balance its position in Asian countries.
Both the Australian government and the US government hope to establish a good relationship with India because India is already a rising force in Asia.