Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh with Parramatta Mayor Martin Zaiter in Australia on Tuesday.
On the third day of his tour of Australia on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh held a series of high-level meetings aimed at strengthening cooperation in seafood exports, sustainable agriculture, urban development and innovation partnerships between Andhra Pradesh and Australia.
In Parramatta, Mr Lokesh met Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) CEO Veronica Papacosta and Stakeholder Engagement Manager Jasmine Kelly to discuss strengthening Andhra Pradesh’s seafood export network.
Representing more than 30,000 members from the wildlife, aquaculture and processing industries, the SIA contributes about AUD 3.5 billion to the Australian economy annually. Papacosta said the SIA is working closely with the government and research institutions to improve biosecurity and export standards.
According to the statement, Mr Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh accounted for more than 60% of India’s total aquamarine exports worth US$7.4 billion (₹66,000 crore) in 2024-25. He urged SIA to facilitate trade missions and buyer-seller networking between Andhra Pradesh exporters and global importers. He emphasized the need for modern cold chain management, packaging and processing technologies to increase product quality and shelf life, and called for cooperation in sustainable aquaculture and seafood-based culinary tourism.
He later met Parramatta Mayor Martin Zaiter and praised his initiatives in promoting local business, green spaces and the major development of Parramatta Square. Mr Lokesh sought Parramatta’s support in developing Andhra Pradesh’s major cities under the ‘Startup State’ vision and visited the Little India Riverside Food Court in Harris Park, a center celebrating Indian cuisine and culture.
Collaboration with WSU
At Western Sydney University (WSU), Mr Lokesh discussed partnerships in AI-driven agriculture, smart irrigation and sustainable agriculture. He invited WSU to collaborate with Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) in Andhra Pradesh to train farmers and agricultural professionals in precision agriculture and data-driven agriculture.
WSU, ranked in the top 2% of the world’s universities, shared its research initiatives in AI, IoT and environmental sustainability that support global food security.
Mr Lokesh met with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology Anoulack Chanthivong. He proposed the Andhra Pradesh-NSW Innovation and Industry Partnership to promote collaboration in advanced manufacturing, green technology and startups.
Mr Lokesh invited the NSW business delegation to the Visakhapatnam Partnership Summit-2025 and suggested linking NSW innovation clusters with Andhra Pradesh’s upcoming startup hubs in Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Anantapur.
Published – 21 Oct 2025 20:32 IST
