New Delhi [India], August 31 (ANI): India and Australia have significant opportunities to deepen cooperation in critical minerals and high-tech metals, with New South Wales looking to strengthen economic ties and support India's growing industrial requirements, said New South Wales Premier Chris Minns.

Speaking at the Energy Transition, Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals meeting in New Delhi, Minns highlighted the potential for greater collaboration between the two regions, particularly in the mining and resources sector.

He said New South Wales, Australia's largest state, has a strong presence in sectors such as technology, biomedicine, education and mining, and shares a strong relationship with Indian industries.

'It's a big economy, but whilst we have big sectors in technology, biomedicine and education, we are world leaders in mining,' Minns said.

He further noted that several engineers trained in New South Wales have gone on to work with Indian firms, reflecting the existing links between the Indian mining sector and companies in the Australian state.

Highlighting areas of cooperation, Minns said there is 'great complementarity' between India's critical minerals goals and New South Wales' resources potential. He pointed to minerals identified under the state's Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy, including copper, gold, rare earths, scandium, silver and metallurgical coal deposits.

'Whether it's a customer or an investor in New South Wales, there are wonderful opportunities in the New South Wales economy and it is exciting for us because we see India as the fastest growing large economy in the world, being dependent on a lot of those critical deposits,' he said adding New South Wales wants to help Indian industries achieve their full potential by leveraging the advantages available in the state.

'We want to see the relationship, the economic relationship, meet its full potential. I think there's the signs of a strong opening relationship, and obviously there's the presence of Indian firms in New South Wales,' he said. However, he added that to see the relationship grow, particularly in line with the projected growth of the Indian economy, 'we probably need to make the relationship deeper and stronger.'

He also highlighted ongoing cooperation with Indian public sector undertakings, saying New South Wales is looking forward to further exploration opportunities in the region. (ANI)