NSW Premier Chris Minns and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey have begun the Mumbai leg of their official India visit with a solemn tribute to the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, remembering the lives lost nearly two decades ago, including two men from New South Wales.
The NSW delegation visited the permanent memorial inside the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, where the Premier, his wife Mrs Minns and the Treasurer laid wreaths in memory of those who died during the attacks. They also signed the memorial book, paying tribute to the victims, their families and everyone affected by the tragedy.
The attacks, which took place across Mumbai between 26 and 29 November 2008, claimed 166 lives and left more than 600 people injured. Among those killed were two Australians from NSW, Doug Markell and Brett Taylor, whose deaths left a lasting impact on their families and communities.
Markell was killed at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, while Taylor died following the attacks at the Oberoi-Trident Hotel. He had been in India as part of a NSW Government trade delegation visiting the country at the time of the tragedy.
The memorial at the Taj Mahal Palace has since become a significant site of remembrance, attracting visitors from around the world who come to reflect on the lives lost during the attacks. For the NSW delegation, the visit provided an opportunity to acknowledge the personal connection between the tragedy and the people of the state.
Premier Chris Minns said beginning the Mumbai program at the memorial was important because the attacks had affected families in NSW as well as people across India.
The tribute also came as the NSW Government continued its broader efforts to deepen economic ties with India. During the Mumbai visit, Minns and Mookhey met representatives of major Indian business groups Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Group, both of which already have interests in Australia.
The discussions focused on encouraging greater Indian investment and developing new commercial partnerships in NSW. The state is seeking to position itself as a destination for companies looking to expand in areas including technology, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals, tourism and education.
The Premier said the message to Indian businesses was straightforward: NSW wants to be considered when companies are deciding where to invest and expand. He highlighted the state’s skills, resources and expertise as potential advantages for Indian businesses seeking opportunities in Australia.
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the memorial visit was a reminder that the events in Mumbai had resonated deeply in NSW, particularly for the families of the two Australians who lost their lives.
The Mumbai program subsequently shifted towards strengthening the economic and tourism relationship between NSW and India. On Wednesday evening, Minns and Mookhey hosted a tourism roundtable and reception involving aviation, travel and other industry representatives.
The event promoted NSW as a destination for Indian visitors and explored opportunities to expand links across tourism, international education, culture and business. India remains an important market for NSW, with the government seeking to increase visitor numbers while strengthening broader people-to-people connections.
The delegation also explored Mumbai’s distinctive cultural and food traditions. The Premier and Treasurer met members of the city’s famous Dabbawala network, whose workers are renowned for collecting home-cooked meals and delivering lunchboxes to customers across Mumbai.
The meeting offered the NSW delegation an insight into one of Mumbai’s best-known community-based systems and the city’s unique approach to food, work and urban connectivity.
The Treasurer and Mrs Minns also spent time with chef and The Locavore founder Thomas Zacharias, exploring Mumbai’s food culture and its regional traditions. The Locavore uses food and storytelling to showcase India’s diverse culinary heritage.
The organisation has also partnered with Sydney’s Powerhouse on Setting the Table, a project examining contemporary Indian food culture and its wider cultural significance.
The combination of remembrance, business engagement, tourism promotion and cultural exchange reflects the broader objectives of the NSW Government’s India mission. The visit is aimed at building relationships that extend beyond trade and investment to include education, tourism, culture and community connections.
For NSW, India represents an increasingly important economic and cultural partner, while the large Indian community in the state provides a strong foundation for closer ties between the two regions.
For Premier Minns and Treasurer Mookhey, however, the Mumbai visit began with a moment of reflection. Standing at the site where one of the Australians lost his life, the delegation acknowledged the human cost of the attacks before turning its attention to strengthening the relationship between NSW and India.
Nearly 18 years after the Mumbai attacks, the memorial continues to preserve the memory of those who never returned home. The tribute by the NSW delegation ensured that the two NSW victims, Doug Markell and Brett Taylor, were remembered alongside the many others whose lives were forever changed by the tragedy.
