Aus PM endorses "superpower" India

With an aim to boost trade ties, Abbott kick started his two-day India trip from the country’s commercial capital.

Abbott arrived in Mumbai on Thursday morning.

Addressing a delegation of business leaders and select Indian CEO’s here, Abbott said, “The purpose of this trip, as far as I’m concerned, is to acknowledge the importance of India in the wider world, acknowledge the importance of India to Australia’s future, to let the government and the people of India know what Australia has to offer India and the wider world for our part, and to build on those stronger foundations.”

“There is an abundance of opportunities here in India. I am determined to make the most of them,” he added.

Abbott’s trade wish-list seems large since he arrived in India with a strong 30-member business delegation accompanying him on this trip.

According to the Aus premier, India has changed "enormously" since his last visit 33 years ago.

Abbott said, “I can remember on my first day in Mumbai watching a bullock cart take material to a nuclear power station.”

“Well, 33 years on, there aren't that many bullock carts left in urban India, and the power stations the nuclear power stations are more sophisticated than ever,” he added.

Australia is expected to sign the agreement to sell uranium to India when Abbott meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the capital on Friday, which according to experts shall remain as the highlight of this visit.

India and Australia kick-started negotiations on uranium sales in 2012 after Canberra lifted a long-standing ban on exporting the valuable ore to Delhi to meet its ambitious nuclear energy programme.

Australia, the world’s third-largest producer of uranium, had previously ruled out selling the metal because nuclear-armed India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

But Aus Trade Minister Andrew Robb, who is travelling with Abbott, said Canberra is satisfied with India’s precautions to ensure Australian uranium exports would be used only for peaceful purposes.

Sanjay Bhattacharya, Indian foreign ministry joint secretary, said on Wednesday that “significant outcomes” were expected from the visit.

On his first day of the visit, Aus PM showered praises on India’s new head of the state on Thursday.

According to Abbott, Narendra Modi's call “come, make in India” was close in “spirit and in intent” to the phrase he had used in respect of Australia that “we are open for business.”

Before heading on to Delhi on Friday, the Aus premier is scheduled to meet Indian cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar and former Australian stars Adam Gilchrist and Brett Lee on Thursday night, ahead of Australia’s hosting of the World Cup next year.

He laid a wreath at the memorial for the victims of 26/11 attacks at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace, one of the scenes of the ghastly terror assault in 2008.

On Friday Abbott is having a packed schedule.

After being accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the morning, Abbott will lay wreaths at Rajghat and India Gate before meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House.

A clutch of pacts in areas including mining, finance and education could be signed there.

Abbott is expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of sports.

He is scheduled to hold meetings with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Vice President Hamid Ansari.

Abbott is due to head on to Malaysia on Saturday for talks with Prime Minister Najib Razak, before returning home.