This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese celebrated the vibrant Indian community and cinema’s role in the strengthening ties between Australia and India.
On 16th August, he attended the India Australia Business and Community Alliance (IABCA) dinner, held in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra. This event highlighted the flourishing relationship between the two nations.
Albanese, who became the first Australian Prime Minister to attend the IABCA event, expressed his pride on social media platform X, writing, “Honoured to be the first PM to attend the event, which gets bigger each year.”
The IABCA, founded a decade ago by Sydney’s Sonia Sadiq Gandhi, the largest platform dedicated to enhancing the Australia-India relationship, has been instrumental over the past decade in promoting cultural diplomacy, bilateral trade, and business investment.
By honouring the bilateral success stories of organisations and individuals, IABCA has gained international recognition as a crucial tool for strengthening ties between the two countries.
Earlier in the week, on 14th August, Albanese joined Mitu Bhowmick Lange, Founder of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), Centre for Australia-India Relations (CAIR) Chair Swati Dave, Bollywood star Rani Mukerji, and renowned director Karan Johar in the celebration of Indian cinema and partnership opportunities with Bollywood.
This event was hosted by IFFM and Parliamentary Friends of India and the highlight of the 15th anniversary celebration was the unveiling of a commemorative stamp honouring legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra by actress Rani Mukerji and director Karan Johar. The stamp was then presented to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Australian Parliament House.
The IFFM, established in 2010, is a prominent global celebration of Indian cinema and the longest-running private film festival outside India. It highlights the rich diversity and creativity of Indian filmmaking, connecting the Indian diaspora and cinephiles with filmmakers who bring captivating Indian stories to the screen.
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