The India Australia Business & Community Awards:Celebrating the Bilateral Heroes of the India-Australia Relationship

The recently launched DFAT India Economic Strategy to 2035 by Peter Varghese AO, currently an IABCA Board member, identifies Australia’s Indian diaspora as an essential asset in shaping India’s economy into the future. With an ever-increasing population, Australia’s expansive Indian diaspora is steadily establishing itself as a backbone of our national’s cultural and commercial identity. Across business, sport, community and research, our Indian diaspora are actively impacting the way in which all Australian’s live on a day-to-day basis, as well as contribute to Australia’s international reputation as a cultural melting pot and hub of diversity. By the same token, Australia’s presence in India has never been bigger, with flagship sectors such as Education, Agribusiness, Tourism, Energy, Heath and much more constantly reaching new heights.

The India Australia Business & Community Awards (IABCA), proudly supported by the Queensland Government,exists to celebrate these bilateral advancements and is Australia’s largest platform dedicated to celebrating the India-Australia relationship.

Each year three major initiatives as part of IABCA are executed in partnership with state governments. An intimate closed room roundtable at the Prime Ministerial boardroom in Canberra, ACT, a networking style event in honour of our IABCA finalists in Sydney, NSW and the major awards gala in Brisbane, QLD that brings over 45% interstate and international visitation to the states. Theabove IABCA 9-month campaign, raises awareness of Indians in Australia and Australians in India, in a way that further encourages growth in relations between the two nations.

Since its inception in 2014, the IABCA awards have produced several major success stories and connected businesses and professionals with the right network and through the support of our media have gone on to launch highly successful investments following their involvement with the initiative. Winners such as Uppma Virdi, Director of the now globally recognized Chai Walli tea brand are testament to the exposure that the IABCA awards can provide for aspiring professionals. Alternatively, having regularly acknowledged the accomplishments of major bilateral business leaders such as Riverina Oils & Bio Energy or Deakin University’s RavneetPawha have established an element of prestige associated with winning an IABCA award.

Over the course of six years, IABCA gradually began establishing a growing community of alumni including more than 1,600 businesses, community leaders, professionals, and influencers who engaged across the platform. This, coupled with a constantly expanding online community and a showcase of bilateral IABCA success stories, finally provided the initiative with the legs it needed to become national with key wins over the years.

• Regularly engaging with key leaders and influencers of the India-Australia space, including hosting High Commissioners from both nations, as well as having representation from the Australian Prime Ministers and the Australian Foreign Minister.
• Hosting a delegation of 45 key industry leaders from the Indo- Australian Chamber of Commerce, Chennai at IABCA.
• Been acknowledged as a major example of initiative that are actively advancing the India Australia relationship in DFAT’s ‘India Economic Strategy To 2035.
• Hosted the ‘IABCA Parliamentary Roundtable’ at Canberra’s Parliament House. This welcomed key leaders from the IABCA initiative and India-Australia space to discuss strategies to further develop India-Australia relations
• A motion has been passed in NSW Parliament that now recognizes IABCA Winner in the Hansard.
• IABCA was profiled as a positive case study in ACOLA’s report ‘Australia’s Diaspora Advantage: Realising the potential for building transnational business networks with Asia’

In the longer term, IABCA will travel to India in celebration of its 10-year anniversary in 2024.

In 2019 and years to come, IABCA looks forward to further profiling success stories, serving as a platform for bilateral growth, and working in conjunction with the Australian and Indian Governments in identifying more opportunities for business collaboration between both nations.

This content was produced in conjunction with the Australia India Council – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.