Posts tagged Australia

It was never in Jamsetji Tata’s ken

1 Comment read Business and Trade
The Sydney Harbour Bridge Photo Credit: © Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 20 January 2013 (Business Standard): The Tata Group of companies has made big forays into Australia, investing and expanding in various sectors from mining to information technology. Historically too, remote though it may now be, Tata Steel has a connection to the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, which contains 50,000 tonnes of steel. Close to 80 per cent of the steel used in the bridge, spanning 1,650 ft (503 metre), was made by Teesside Company Dorman Long, which became part of British Steel Corporation after World War II. In 1999, British Steel merged with a Dutch company, Hoogovens, to become Corus. In 2007, Corus was bought by Tata Steel.

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Warming up to Oz

0 Comments read Business and Trade

By Neena Bhandari

(Opinion piece in Business Standard): With the “uranium irritant” out of the way, the year ends on a promising note for Australia-India bilateral relationship, setting the momentum for deeper strategic, defence and economic ties.

Once the Julia Gillard Cabinet formally approves uranium sales early next year, negotiations will begin on a bilateral nuclear safeguards treaty. Analysts say it will help fast-track the free trade agreement negotiations between the two countries and also encourage Indian companies to invest in Australian uranium mines.

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Australian ruling party okays uranium export to India

0 Comments read Business and Trade, Nuclear Disarmament

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 5.12.2011 (Business Standard): The ruling Australian Labor Party’s national conference on Sunday voted by a very narrow margin to overturn its long-standing policy banning uranium sales to India.

Till now, party policy dictated that uranium could only be sold to countries signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), which has not. Prime Minister Julia Gillard urged delegates to support the motion, emphasising it would boost trade and enhance the bilateral relationship.

The PM’s motion was finally endorsed by a 206-185 split, revealing deep dissensions even among ministers in the Gillard government. So much so that when the chair ruled the motion passed, a recount was called, as many couldn’t believe the outcome.

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