New Delhi, India, August 31: New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey have kicked off an official trade mission to India with new education and research initiatives aimed at strengthening trade, investment and job opportunities between NSW and one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies.
On the first day of the mission, the Premier and Treasurer marked progress toward Western Sydney University’s new campus in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, which is expected to welcome its first students in 2027. The university also announced new scholarships and a Centre of Excellence focused on water security, digital innovation and community resilience, according to an official release.
The new campus will expand NSW’s education presence in India and create opportunities for collaboration among students, researchers, universities and industries in both countries. Western Sydney University is among the first Australian universities to establish a campus in India, connecting Western Sydney, one of Australia’s fastest-growing and most diverse regions, with Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.
The campus will give Indian students access to an Australian university education closer to home while creating opportunities for Australian students and researchers to work and study in India.
As part of the event, the university announced a series of scholarships supporting women’s advancement, business, data, innovation and sustainability. The initiatives are intended to create pathways for the next generation of scientists, researchers, business leaders and innovators.
Western Sydney University also plans to offer a master’s program in Sustainable Water Management from 2027, subject to regulatory approval. The program will build on the university’s existing collaboration with Indian partners through the Australia India Water Centre.
The visit also included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque and a ceremonial tree-watering event linked to the new Centre of Excellence.
The announcements come as the NSW Government uses the four-day mission to pursue greater trade and investment with India and expand opportunities for NSW businesses and institutions in education, energy, critical minerals, technology and tourism.
Minns and Mookhey will spend two days in New Delhi before traveling to Mumbai, where they will meet government and business leaders and promote greater Indian investment in NSW and stronger commercial ties between the two economies.
India is one of NSW’s most important international partners and a priority market under the state’s Trade and Investment Strategy. In 2024-25, NSW and India traded $6.87 billion worth of goods. More than 28,000 Indian students studied in NSW in 2025, while 174,000 Indian visitors traveled to the state in the year ending March 2026, according to the release.
The first day of the mission also highlighted the strong community connections between NSW and India. The Premier and Treasurer visited Asha in New Delhi, where they met children and families supported by the organization and joined them for a game of gully cricket.
They also met staff, volunteers and people who have benefited from Asha’s work. Among them was Madhu, who will travel to Sydney on a scholarship to pursue a Master of Public Health at the University of Sydney in 2027.
Asha, which means “hope” in Hindi, works across more than 100 communities in Delhi to improve access to health care and education while supporting women’s empowerment, housing improvements and financial inclusion.
The organization also has strong NSW links through the University of Sydney and the Sydney-based Friends of Asha Australia, the release stated.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said India is growing rapidly and NSW wants its businesses and workers to benefit from that growth.
“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,” Minns said.
He added that the delegation would meet government and business leaders over the next few days to promote investment in NSW and create more opportunities for NSW businesses in India.
“We also start with an enormous advantage in the more than 200,000 Indian-born people who call NSW home. They understand this market and have family, cultural and business connections that other economies would love to have,” Minns said.
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said his family’s Indian heritage had given him first-hand appreciation of the connections linking the two communities through education, business, culture and sport.
“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,” Mookhey said.
He said the opportunities arising from the NSW-India relationship were significant and that the trade mission would help create new pathways for investment, trade and collaboration while supporting jobs and economic growth in NSW.
Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor and President Distinguished Professor George Williams AO said the university was pleased to demonstrate its long-standing commitment to India ahead of the opening of its Greater Noida campus next year.
“The new scholarships will help support talented students to pursue advanced studies and contribute as future researchers, innovators and leaders,” Williams said.
He added that the university was working with partners in NSW and India to expand access to high-quality education and strengthen cooperation in research, innovation and sustainability, including through the new JalSetu Centre of Excellence in Water Security, Digital Innovation and Community Resilience. (ANI)
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