Consul-General in Chennai

Today I announce the appointment of Ms Susan Grace as Australia's next Consul-General in Chennai.

India is one of Australia's most significant partners in the Indo-Pacific region. It is our ninth largest trading partner and our sixth largest export market globally, with two-way investment worth over $20 billion.

The Consulate-General plays a key role in furthering Australia's trade, commercial and investment interests in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, the Union Territories of Puducherry and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Southern India includes some of India's fastest-growing and most economically advanced areas, offering a range of opportunities for Australian businesses. It is also home to India's burgeoning innovation and technology sector and is an important source of talented students choosing to study in Australia.

Ms Grace is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Abu Dhabi. In Canberra, positions she has held include Director, Gulf States Section and Director, Counter-Terrorism Policy Section. She has previously served overseas as Ambassador to Nepal; Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Tehran and First Secretary, Australian High Commission, New Delhi.

Ms Grace holds a Master of International Law from the Australian National University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Melbourne University.

I thank outgoing Consul-General Sean Kelly for his contributions to advancing Australia's interests in southern India since 2013, particularly his support for the development of a vibrant Australian alumni community.