Australian Companies Using MEA as a Staging Post to India: the Dubai to Delhi Strategy

The Program

At Austrade, we understand that sometimes we need to be creative about how we target export-ready Australian firms for export to India, and to be creative about how we connect Indian businesses with Australian exporters.

The Dubai to Delhi (D2D) strategy aims to reach Australian companies that are already exporting to regional hubs with significant Indian influence or diaspora commercial communities, such as Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia & Hong Kong into South Asia, particularly India. D2D targets Australian companies present in these markets, or trade shows held there, to connect local Indian importers, distributors and retailers with Australian food and beverage exporters.

We do this specifically by organizing 1 on 1 buyer meetings, presentations at trade shows, partnering with Indian chambers in each country, and providing forums and networking events for large cohorts of Indian and other South Asian food representatives to meet prospective companies from Australia. 

Why do we do this?

This strategy reflects some of the traditional trade routes and merchant communities of South Asians in Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai, where many of the retailers, importers and distributors are of Indian or South Asian origin.

Whilst we would prefer to be leading more companies directly into India from Australia, we recognize that with the size of the Middle Eastern and SE Asian food market, and with the perceived difficulties of doing business in India, we can more effectively target established and competent exporters in our region this way.

What’s new this year?

In February 2020, we will be with 150+ representatives of Australian food and beverage companies at Gulfood in Dubai. Gulfood is the largest annual food show in the world, and the show attracts a vast array of food imports from South Asia. Dubai – often called the biggest commercial city in India – is critical to Australian success in South Asia, both as a staging post for entry into India, and as a conduit for Australian food into South Asia.

 During the last edition of Gulfood, we hosted over 20 South Asian food importers and retailers in a South Asia focused networking event. The show was a fantastic platform for Australian companies to meet large cohorts of potential partners across the South Asia region. We also supported Australian Almond Board in organizing the “Almond Ashes”, an annual cricket match with Indian importers and Australian Almond exporters at Gulfood.

This year we will be engaging 80 Australian exhibitors and fronting them with 30+ importers and retailers from South Asia including the likes of Sri Lankan Catering (catering arm of Sri Lankan Airlines), Cargills, Future Group, Olympia Industries, Max Foods & Sunbeam Ventures.

Outcomes

Austrade’s reach to exporters has paid dividends in terms of our impact and reach, coupled with a program that has funneled 450 Australian food and beverage clients into category-specific webinars over the last 12 months by our South Asia team.

We are now working with large Dubai based Australian food consolidators to partner with Indian retailers to ship Australian brands from Dubai, and working with Indian importers to buy more Australian brands from Dubai. We now also have more Australian clients partnering with us, more Australian product on-shelf, and more Australians that understand the significant opportunity in the South Asian market.

Several examples include the Melbourne based Provedore Group whose Jaycroix range of Cream Cheese is now available at Foodhall India or the NSW based Biosota Organics whose Manuka Honey is now available at Amazon India.

What’s next?

We will be leading a delegation of 30+ buyers including importers, retailers from South Asia to Gulfood. If you are an Australian exhibitor, or just visiting the show, and you’re interested in export to South Asia: reach out to us and we will connect you with importers.

Yaser Siddiqui is a Business Development Manager at Austrade, working with Australian companies to export food, wine, health & beauty and fashion products to South Asia. As well as having an MBA in International Business, he has over 7 years of marketing and business development experience, working across several industry sectors in South Asia. When not working, you can find him creating new business and marketing content, collecting matchbox covers (yes you read it correct) or playing Peekaboo with his 2 year old!