ATCC - Australian Tamil Chamber of Commerce

We are thrilled to announce the release of the latest edition of our Victorian newsletter! In this issue, you’ll find: - Highlights from recent events: A recap of the exciting activities we’ve hosted. - Upcoming initiatives: A sneak peek into what’s in store for our members in January 2025. We encourage you to take a moment to explore the newsletter and stay informed about all the great things happening within ATCC. We also wish to recognise our Vice President - Community Relations, Gangatharan Yogalingam, for his outstanding work in developing this edition of the newsletter. His dedication and creativity have brought this issue to life! 👉 Access the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gMswwpsB Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome! Feel free to reach out if there’s anything you’d like to see featured in future editions. Thank you for being an integral part of ATCC. We look forward to growing and achieving more together.

As we reflect on an incredible year, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the 2023/2024 committee for their outstanding contributions and leadership. A special mention goes to Anton Fernando - ATCC President, whose vision and dedication have truly elevated our chamber to new heights. Under his leadership, ATCC has: - Strengthened our image through the rebranding initiative. - Expanded outreach with the establishment of VIC and QLD chapters. - Supported members through the creation of the Tamil Investors Club, funding opportunities and forging connections with business delegations from India. - Forged international alliances, including MOUs with Switzerland Tamil Professional, World Tamil Chamber of Commerce and others. - Hosted impactful networking events and collaborated with organisations such as NASSCOM, NSW Parliament and MPRBC. - Spearheaded community service initiatives, including the annual Walkathon and mental health support donations. These achievements have significantly enriched our members' experiences and positioned ATCC as a hub for business and cultural collaboration. To the entire committee, your dedication and hard work are deeply appreciated. President: Anton Rock Fernando Executive Vice President: Priya Songappan Vice President Finance: Vindran Vengadasalam Vice President Membership: Sanjay Siva Vice President Community Services: THIRUVENGADAM ARUMUGAM Immediate Past President: Theo Soumyaraj Committee Members: Anagan Babu Ramia Janardhanan Jayaprakash Narayanan Keishan Subramaniam Venkat Jayaraj Suwavi Soumyraj Aparna Krishnamoorthy Shan Shankar Manimaran. Shanmugam.Natesan

Come together to celebrate a year of connection, collaboration and success at ATCC’s End of Year Celebration! This special evening is an opportunity to: - Reflect on & celebrate highlights of the year - Network with like-minded entrepreneurs and professionals - Enjoy great food and even better people 🎟️ Tickets are now available 📧 Members: Keep an eye on your inbox for a special promo code to unlock discounted tickets as a token of our appreciation for your support throughout the year.

I’m so proud to have been part of the first-ever event hosted by the ATCC - Australian Tamil Chamber of Commerce – 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 on “𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚.” With over 122 attendees, the event was a beautiful mix of entrepreneurs, students, and professionals, held at the The University of Queensland and supported by the UQ Tamil Society. The evening was filled with valuable insights from experts Tania Harman CA Tara Cuddihy & Govind Appu on topics like Business structuring and R&D grants, engaging Q&A sessions, and networking with like-minded individuals. As someone who loves supporting Tamil-speaking entrepreneurs & inclusive - I invited my Scottish friend Calum McGonigle to come along and network with Tamil speaking entrepreneurs - the best way to show we are inclusive and events happen in English. I am grateful to be part of a selfless leadership team that made this event a grand success Ramanathan Karuppiah Elayaraja Kaliyaperumal @veeravel kesavan Sundar Velumani Boovarahavan. Huge thanks to Anton Rock Fernando and ATCC - Australian Tamil Chamber of Commerce team for all the support in making this event a grand success. This is just the beginning, and I’m excited for what’s ahead!

Earlier this year we updated our logo to include the Sydney Opera House, a symbol of where our journey began. As proud as we are of our Sydney roots, the past few months have brought exciting growth. We’ve expanded our operations to Brisbane and Melbourne, making ATCC a truly national organisation. With this in mind, we’ve made another important change to our logo. The silhouette of the Opera House has now been replaced with a kangaroo, a symbol that represents not just Sydney but all of Australia. This change celebrates our expansion and reaffirms our commitment to supporting Tamil entrepreneurs and professionals in every corner of the country. Thank you for being part of this exciting journey. As ATCC continues to grow and connect communities across Australia, we’re proud to embrace a logo that represents all of us.

Another Successful ATCC Event! ATCC members had the privilege of meeting with the Hon. R. Gandhi, Minister for Handloom & Textiles, Tamil Nadu, along with key dignitaries including R. Lalitha IAS, Director of Textiles; Deputy Directors of Textiles V. Anandhakumar and A. Mahalingam; and R. Vaasu, GM of Co-Optex. The event was an excellent platform for exploring various business opportunities in the textile industry. Key discussions included: • Franchising for Co-Optex: An exciting opportunity for expansion. • Organic Cotton-Based Textiles: A new, high-demand product with tremendous potential. • Promoting Toda Embroidery: A wonderful initiative to showcase this unique and traditional art form. The event facilitated valuable networking among members of the textile industry. Additionally, participants were provided with contact details of major textile exporters from India, paving the way for further collaboration. A big thank you to the Tamil Nadu Ministry of Textiles and all members who participated in making this event a success.

Our Victoria Chapter recently hosted an event that brought together professionals, entrepreneurs and thought leaders from various industries. Our esteemed speakers, Thabojan Rasiah CFP and Kamal Salwan, shared their extensive knowledge and expertise, offering attendees deep insights into the transformative impact of AI on modern business landscapes and strategic approaches to managing and growing private wealth. Their presentations sparked engaging discussions and provided attendees with actionable takeaways to implement in their own ventures. Stay connected for future events that promise to keep you at the forefront of industry trends and innovation.

ATCC members with a legal background had the privilege of attending an exclusive event today on Arbitration in Indo-Australia Trade Relations at the NSW Parliament, hosted by DLA Piper & AIBC The roundtable featured distinguished speakers from the Indian Council of Arbitration, including Arun Chawla Director General of ICA; Mr. N.G. Khaitan, President of ICA; and Ms. Pinky Anand, Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India and former Additional Solicitor General of India. This insightful event underscored the crucial role of investor confidence for the business and legal sectors in both nations, further showcasing and strengthening the robust ties between Australia and India, especially following the signing of the ECTA bilateral trade agreement.

Today we collaborated with the Macquarie Park Ryde Business Chamber for a truly inspiring networking session, hosted by Suwavi and the amazing team at Optus. Held at their cutting-edge Enterprise Innovation Facility, this event brought together entrepreneurs and professionals from diverse industries. A special shout-out to Ash and the #FutureNow team at Optus for an insightful session on 5G & AI. Their expertise highlighted how these technologies are reshaping industries and driving transformation across businesses of all sizes. Here’s to more collaborations that empower and uplift our communities!

Our members in from VIC had the privilege of meeting Vinod Kumar N, Senior Director at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (AUSTRADE). Mr. Kumar shared valuable insights into the immense potential for strengthening trade and commerce between Australia and India. In addition to highlighting the various support services AUSTRADE offers to help businesses expand globally, he provided practical guidance on leveraging the Australian Government’s Export Market Development Grant to support growth initiatives.