ADANI FIRES UP OUR INDIA TIES

ADANI’S commitment to Townsville may be just the start of closer ties between North Queensland and India.

Mayor Jenny Hill met with India High Commissioner Dr A. M. Gondane on Saturday to discuss ways Townsville could strengthen its relationship with India.

“There are opportunities for us in agriculture to provide things like chickpeas into the Indian market as well as education, whether we do it online or we do it with students coming and studying here,” Cr Hill said.

“Adani is a company but it’s not the only company in India.”

Mining giant Adani is establishing its regional headquarters in Townsville and last week announced the city would host half of its fly- in, fly- out workforce for the Carmichael mine project.

Cr Hill said Adani helped to start the relationship between the two regions that was now expanding, with Dr Gondane also visiting the Australian Institute of Marine Science on Saturday afternoon.

“Australia has got great strengths in medical and scientific research and I think the Indians understand and respect that,” Cr Hill said. “India has one of the biggest pharmaceutical industries in the world.”

AIMS chief operating officer David Mead said the institute conducted research in India and Saturday’s visit was about looking to build on that.

“We have been exploring options as to research partnerships, particularly in the healthy coastal- type areas where there are crossovers of interests in which both areas are trying to improve the health of the coastlines of the countries,” he said.

Dr Gondane also attended the IndiaFest on Saturday night and a function with Cr Hill, which included representatives from Adani and the Townsville Indian community.