A path-breaking ‘Indigenous and First Nations business connect’ program has been initiated by the Australia India Business Council (AIBC). This program will host well-known First Nations and Indigenous business owner and advocate, Susan Moylan-Coombs, and Senior Atlantic Fellow, Indu Balachandran, both will be co-chairing the session.
Susan Moylan-Coombs is the founder of The Gaimaragal Group. She has extensive experience working with First Australian communities nationally and internationally, with specific expertise in community consultation, empowerment and the facilitation of voice and storytelling. She also previously held the positions of Executive Producer ABC’s Indigenous Programs Unit and Head of Production, NITV a division of SBS.
Indu Balachandran has over 20 years of experience in innovation and leadership in the Indigenous, arts and community development sectors. Her work has been recognised by the UTS Human Rights Award for Reconciliation, and as a Fellow of the Global Atlantic Fellowship for Social Equity.
In an exclusive interview with The Australia Today, Susan Moylan-Coombe and Indu Balachandran shared their insights into the significance of this initiative.
Susan Moylan-Coombs told The Australia Today that there are opportunities across the board for engagement. Indu Balachandran also emphasised that while areas like textiles, food, art and history are starting points, there are possibilities for Indian and Indigenous businesses to interact in every sector like infrastructure, cyber security, education or any of the traditional, conventional, large sectors.
Ms Moylan-Coombs said,
“We have the ability to share knowledge about different ways of doing business as Indigenous people so it’s not just that we are being included into this bigger opportunity that is I guess a ‘mainstream’ way of doing things.”
She further added, “as original people as Indigenous people and our world view which is about sustainability about caring for the planet and our way of original economies and how to do things that care deeply about humans but also country, whether it is India or Australia, it is still about being able to live sustainably on your home ground, that we also have something to offer mainstream.”
“It’s not just about profit and loss it’s a different lens through which we see success,” said Ms Moylan-Coombs
Indu Balachandran felt that the community should open up ‘Indianness’ to First Nations people. She said
“if we open up Indianness to the First Nations people here, my vision is that the Indian community can actually lead the way on what relationality and kind of lawful relationship between migrants, first people, business cultural social can look like and it’s a celebration.
It’s actually a celebration of coming together, that’s what it is and coming together respectfully, knowingly and truthfully”.
The Australia India Business Council (AIBC) is holding its inaugural Australia India International Business Summit (AIIBS) in Sydney this week (23-25 August). The summit will include many high-level programmes and sessions covering key sectors.
