Australia–India Innovation & Investment Initiative Workshop (Adelaide)

Thinking about growing your business? Look at India.

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing markets, with significant opportunities across sectors including pharmaceuticals, robotics, AI and advanced manufacturing.

Through the Australia–India Innovation & Investment Initiative (MAITRI) Program, Australian small and medium businesses can take part in free workshops designed to help them explore the Indian market, connect with other business owners and develop a practical market strategy.

Please note: This workshop is designed for an Australian businesses in AI, Robotics, Advanced Manufacturing, Pharma and Medtech sectors and will be delivered from 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM SA time on 10 November.

Participants will join the workshop to explore frameworks, legal considerations and investment pathways, then use structured templates and guided discussions to develop a practical market entry roadmap, including opportunity assessment, entry options, support needs, and key barriers and enablers.

This roadmap will guide the selection process for a fully funded India roadshow in early 2027.

Workshop format:

• Date: 10 November
• Delivery: In person
• Participants will develop a draft roadmap covering the stages: Explore, Evaluate, Enter, Establish and Expand
• Supporting resources, recordings and templates will be available through the Deakin SME Centre LMS

If you are unable to attend the event, please feel free to reach out to us at smeresearchcentre@deakin.edu.au for information about online workshop options.

This is the first time the workshop is being held in person in South Australia. Our sincere thanks to our partners, the City of Salisbury and the SA Business Development Managers Network, for making it possible.

The workshop will be facilitated by Cathryn Nolan from Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, who is flying in for the session.

If your business works in artificial intelligence, robotics, health or pharmaceuticals, or a related sector, you are warmly invited to join us.

Privacy notice: By registering, you agree that your registration details will be shared with our event partners

About the facilitator: Cathryn Nolan

Cathryn Nolan is a lawyer, educator and design thinking facilitator with more than three decades of experience at the intersection of law, business and applied learning. Alongside her commercial legal practice, she designs and delivers workshops that bring design thinking and creative problem-solving into legal and business education, helping professionals reframe complex problems and build confidence navigating uncertainty.

She has experience teaching design thinking, commercial and company law, international trade and global citizenship across postgraduate and executive programs at a number of Australian universities. She works across the Business and Law schools at Deakin and consults to the Deakin SME Research Centre from time to time. Cathryn is a co-founder of Pracademy, a consulting and facilitation practice drawing on academic research to deliver practical outcomes for organisations ranging from major law firms to start-ups.

Her legal career spans corporate and commercial law, M&A, governance and regulatory compliance, including senior in-house roles with ASX-listed companies. She has built and run cross-cultural teams in financial services, and has significant experience both as an adviser and as part of entrepreneurial teams expanding into new markets. This blend of experience, legal rigour and creative facilitation shapes her practical, human-centred approach to teaching and consulting.

About MAITRI

The Maitri program, led by the Deakin Small-to-Medium Enterprise Research Centre and supported by Centre for Australia India Relations, strengthens innovation ties between Australia and India. It helps Australian SMEs engage with India’s fast-growing innovation ecosystem through practical support, including workshops, research, and a targeted 2027 roadshow.

Focusing on high-impact sectors such as AI, robotics, health technology and pharmaceuticals, the initiative equips businesses with the knowledge, strategies and tools needed to explore investment and partnership opportunities in India.