Australia and India are two leading democracies in the world with diverse public sectors that deliver wide ranging services.

The NSW public sector is the largest in the country and well recognised for its innovative delivery of services. The governments (both federally and at the state level) have also signalled their strong intention to build relationships with countries (especially in the growth regions of Asia). This presents a strong opportunity for collaboration between public sector organisations to enhance the quality of the overall engagement.

India, as has been well documented is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It is also home to more than a billion people. The Indian Civil Service (public service) is also modelled along similar lines as Australia under a Westminster system of government. While the size of the public sector in India is relatively large (the federal government itself employees nearly 3.1 million employees), the number is not very high when compared on a per capita basis.

What India lacks in public sector expertise are primarily in areas of governance, service delivery and effective public sector reform, three areas where the NSW government and the public sector have unique expertise that could be leveraged.