Chris Minns’ India Mission Strengthens Education, Trade and Community Ties with NSW
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey have begun their official trade mission to India with new education and research initiatives, while highlighting the deep community connections that continue to strengthen the relationship between New South Wales and India.
The four-day mission opened in New Delhi with progress towards Western Sydney University welcoming its first students to its new Greater Noida campus in 2027, alongside new scholarships and plans for a Centre of Excellence focused on water security, digital innovation and community resilience.
For NSW’s large Indian-Australian community, the visit carries significance beyond trade and investment.
More than 200,000 Indian-born people now call NSW home, forming an important bridge between the two economies through family, education, business, cultural and professional connections.
Premier Chris Minns said these community links give NSW a major advantage as it seeks to deepen its relationship with India.
“We also start with an enormous advantage in the more than 200,000 Indian-born people who call NSW home,” Mr Minns said.
“They understand this market and have family, cultural and business connections that other economies would love to have.”
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey also reflected on the personal significance of the visit and the growing relationship between NSW and India.
“As someone whose family heritage is Indian, I know first-hand the importance of the connections that unite our communities across education, business, culture and sport,” Mr Mookhey said.
“Today’s visit showcased two of NSW’s great strengths, our world-class education institutions and our vibrant multicultural communities, both of which help drive our relationship with India.”
Western Sydney University expanding into India
A major focus of the first day was Western Sydney University’s new Greater Noida campus, which is expected to welcome its first students in 2027.
The university is among the first Australian universities to establish a campus in India, creating a direct educational link between Western Sydney, one of Australia’s fastest-growing and most culturally diverse regions, and Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.
The campus will allow Indian students to access an Australian university education closer to home, while also creating opportunities for Australian students, academics and researchers to study and collaborate in India.
A suite of new scholarships was also announced, supporting women’s advancement, business, data, innovation and sustainability.
Western Sydney University also plans to offer a Master’s program in Sustainable Water Management from 2027, subject to regulatory approval, building on existing collaboration with Indian partners through the Australia India Water Centre.
The visit included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque and a ceremonial tree watering associated with the university’s new JalSetu Centre of Excellence in Water Security, Digital Innovation and Community Resilience.
Vice-Chancellor and President of Western Sydney University, Distinguished Professor George Williams AO, said the university was committed to creating opportunities across both countries.
“Ahead of next year’s opening of our Greater Noida campus, Western Sydney University is pleased to demonstrate our long-standing commitment to India and our ambition to create new opportunities for students, researchers and industry across both countries,” Professor Williams said.
“The new scholarships will help support talented students to pursue advanced studies and contribute as future researchers, innovators and leaders.”
Trade, investment and jobs in focus
The education announcements form part of a broader NSW Government push to expand trade and investment between NSW and India.
“India is growing quickly and we want NSW businesses and workers to benefit from that growth. That’s why we’re here,” Mr Minns said.
“Western Sydney University’s new campus is a practical example of what this relationship can deliver, taking NSW expertise into India and creating opportunities for students, researchers and businesses in both countries.”
The Premier and Treasurer are spending two days in New Delhi before travelling to Mumbai, where they will meet government and business leaders and promote NSW as a destination for Indian investment.
The mission is targeting opportunities in education, energy, critical minerals, technology, tourism and other sectors identified as priorities under the NSW Trade and Investment Strategy.
India is already one of NSW’s most important international partners.
According to figures provided by the NSW Government, NSW and India traded $6.87 billion worth of goods in 2024–25.
More than 28,000 Indian students studied in NSW in 2025, while 174,000 Indian visitors travelled to NSW in the year to March 2026.
These figures sit alongside the growing contribution of the Indian diaspora to the state’s business, education, professional and cultural life.
For many Indian-Australian families, the NSW-India relationship is therefore not simply an international relationship. It is also a connection between the places where they live, work and raise their families in Australia and the country with which they maintain strong personal, cultural and professional ties.
A people-to-people relationship
The community dimension of the mission was also highlighted during a visit by Mr Minns and Mr Mookhey to Asha in New Delhi.
Asha, meaning “hope” in Hindi, works across more than 100 communities in Delhi, supporting access to healthcare and education, women’s empowerment, housing improvements and financial inclusion.
The Premier and Treasurer met children, families, staff and volunteers supported by the organisation and joined local children for a game of gully cricket.
Among those they met was Madhu, who will travel to Sydney on a scholarship to undertake a Master of Public Health at the University of Sydney in 2027.
“It was wonderful to meet Madhu today,” Mr Minns said.
“She’ll soon be heading to Sydney to study public health, and her story is a great example of the connections we want to build between NSW and India.”
Asha also has established NSW connections through the University of Sydney and the Sydney-based Friends of Asha Australia.
Mr Mookhey said the opportunities arising from the NSW-India relationship were significant.
“The opportunities arising from our relationship with India are significant, and this mission will help create new pathways for investment, trade and collaboration that support jobs and economic growth in NSW,” he said.
As the mission continues through New Delhi and Mumbai, its focus will remain on attracting investment and creating commercial opportunities.
But the visit also underscores a broader reality: the relationship between NSW and India is increasingly being shaped not only by governments and businesses, but by students, researchers, entrepreneurs and the growing Indian-Australian community that connects the two places every day.
