Hyderabad: Rising tensions between India and Canada seem to be pushing Indian students to increasingly explore Australia.
Confirming that there has been an uptick in the number of Indian students headed Down Under, Vik Singh, trade and investment commissioner, Australian Consulate-General, Bengaluru, told STOI that while 2023 had 1.24 lakh Indian students studying in Australia, the numbers rose to around 1.3 lakh as on Aug 2024. In the period from 2005 to 2023, about 5 lakh Indian students have studied in Australia.
Indian tourist arrivals in Australia hit their highest ever for any year at around 4.23 lakh for the year ended Aug 2024, a 109% jump over 2019 levels, Singh pointed out.
In terms of the calendar year, for the Jan-Aug 2024 period, Indian tourist numbers rose 11% to over 2.85 lakh compared to pre-pandemic levels and the corresponding period of 2023. This is even as the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), signed in Dec 2022, is bearing fruit with a significant jump in agri-related trade between the two countries, Singh pointed out on Saturday on the sidelines of a day-long ‘Festival of Australia’ conducted in the city as part of a four-city showcase.
The event showcased Australian educational institutions as well as some of its famed produce and food to familiarise students keen on heading there for studies with the country. According to data provided by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, India’s agricultural exports to Australia shot up 58% during the first half of 2024 to A$250 million compared to the pre-ECTA figures.
