ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr is heading overseas for the first time this year, leading a six-day trade mission to India this week, aimed at strengthening links in education, tourism and sport.

Last year, Mr Barr undertook several overseas trips as part of the ACT Government’s international engagement activities, including trade and engagement missions to China in March, the Pacific region (including Fiji and NZ) in June and Japan in mid-2025, as well as a combined mission to Thailand and Singapore in October.

The government estimates the cost of Mr Barr’s participation in the Indian visit at about $10,800 and will be met from within the existing ACT Executive budget, with final figures to be reported in the quarterly ministerial travel report.

Mr Barr is joined on the mission by senior representatives from the University of Canberra, UNSW Canberra, the ANU, the Australian Catholic University, VisitCanberra and the chief executive of Cricket ACT.

The mission is supported by the Australian Government, including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Austrade and Tourism Australia, and aligns with the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement. Meetings are scheduled with government agencies, higher-education institutions, education agents and tourism industry representatives.

India is one of the ACT’s key international markets: it is the territory’s second-largest source of international students, with more than 2500 Indian students enrolled in ACT tertiary institutions last year, and its fifth-largest source of international visitors, with about 15,000 arrivals in the 12 months to September 2025.

The trade mission includes a program of events in Delhi, such as education agent events, a reception hosted by the Australian High Commissioner, and a tourism roundtable with Indian travel agents. Mr Barr will also attend the Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters exhibition at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, a collaboration with the National Museum of Australia. In Bengaluru, engagements include meetings with government and education sector representatives, a reception hosted by the Australian Consulate-General and the launch of the 2026 University of Canberra-Cricket ACT T10 Cricket Challenge.