NATIONAL: Australian womenswear doyenne Carla Zampatti is on a mission – literally.
The fashion icon and SBS chairman will lead an all-women trade mission to India next month in a bid to boost commercial ties with the country.
Brought together by government export agency Austrade, the 16-member delegation will include senior business leaders from finance, health, infrastructure, education, ICT, mining and resources, fashion and lifestyle.
The leaders will visit Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi as part of the six day program, which includes business forums, site visits, market briefings and networking events with senior Indian business figures.
Delegates will also meet several senior women business leaders, government representatives and academics at exclusive Austrade events. Participants include representatives of the Reserve Bank of India, Aditya Birla Group, ICICI Bank, Hinduja Group, Bombay Port Trust, Ranbaxy Laboratories and CNBC-TV 18.
India is Australia's forth largest and fastest growing export market, with merchandise exports growing by an unprecedented 37 per cent to over $10 billion in 2006-07.
Austrade senior trade commissioner Michael Moignard said this figure is expected to rise over the next financial year.
“India is forecast to grow at over eight per cent in 2008. Add to this the growing affluence of a middle class population of over 210 million, and this creates significant opportunities for Australian businesses. It makes sense to engage Indian business audiences across multiple sectors, and it is timely to see a visit by such a high-profile and dynamic group of Australian women business leaders.”