Australia India Infrastructure Forum: Promoting two-way investment in infrastructure with Australia’s valuable trading partner

PwC Australia’s Integrated Infrastructure team will play a key role in strengthening ties between Australia and India, and creating valuable two-way infrastructure investment opportunities, when it helps stage the first annual Australia India Infrastructure Forum (AIIF) later this year.

The AIIF is one of a suite of new initiatives announced by the Federal Government, which aims to grow Australia’s bilateral relationship with one of its most important trading partners in the Indo-Pacific region. 

PwC Australia has been commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to help facilitate the three-year Forum, with support to stage the events and specific thought leadership opportunities to drive new investment channels between Australia and India. 

“The AIIF provides a real opportunity for the entire Australian infrastructure industry to identify real opportunities for trade and investment in India’s growing infrastructure space,” said PwC Australia chief economist Jeremy Thorpe.

The scale of the Indian infrastructure investment opportunity is immense for Australia. According to the Global Infrastructure Hub, the total infrastructure investment over the past five years in India has topped USD $330.5 billion - and private investment of USD $68.7 billion.

“India’s infrastructure program is a major focus of government in driving a sustainable and fast pace of economic growth and job creation into the future,” said PwC Australia Integrated Infrastructure partner Andrew Mrnjavac. 

One of the key focus areas for the first AIIF will be road construction.

“There’s a rare opportunity for Australia to invest in transport infrastructure in India, while for India, transport infrastructure is critical when it comes to the liveability of India’s cities. It is pivotal for India’s productivity and the competitiveness of many of its key sectors across the economy,” said Thorpe.

According to the Federal Government’s India Economic Strategy, An India Economic Strategy to 2035, de-risked brownfield assets in the transport sector represent the clearest investment opportunities for Australia. There are also export opportunities for Australian expertise in areas such as port logistics, infrastructure financing, road safety, heavy haul transportation, multimodal logistics and architectural design and engineering.

The first AIIF will be held later this year.