In Vijayawada, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) – Andhra Pradesh, in collaboration with the Young Indians (Yi) Amaravati Chapter, hosted an interactive session with Silai Zaki, Consul General of Australia in Chennai. The event took place on February 4th, 2026, and gained significance following Minister Nara Lokesh’s recent visit to Australia, which aimed at bolstering the relationship between Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Australia.
The discussions centered around creating pathways for women entrepreneurs and young leaders from AP to engage with Australian institutions and innovation ecosystems. Key sectors such as healthcare, green energy, clean technologies, education, tourism, and sustainability were explored during the session. In the tourism and cultural space, strategies to empower local artisans of AP by integrating them into national and international platforms, particularly within Indian Diaspora communities in Australia, were discussed. Cultural showcases, curated exhibitions, and tourism-related events were highlighted as potential avenues to boost global visibility for the State’s arts, crafts, handlooms, and creative industries.
Addressing the gathering, Yi-Amaravati Chapter Chairman Balakrishna Chittineni expressed that such interactions encouraged youth and women leaders to think globally and explore international entrepreneurial opportunities. During the session, Consul General Silai Zaki underscored Australia’s keen interest in deepening people-to-people and business connections with AP, noting the vast potential for collaboration in innovation, sustainability, education, and cultural exchange.
CII-AP Vice-Chairman S Narendra Kumar and CII Vijayawada Zone Chairperson Dr V Nagalakshmi emphasized the complementary strengths of Australia and Andhra Pradesh, particularly in sustainability and education, and reaffirmed CII’s commitment to facilitating global collaborations.
