Western Australia Premier Roger Cook reached Mumbai, enjoyed Kulhad tea on the roadside

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Mumbai The Premier of the State of Western Australia, Roger Cook is on a tour of India these days. An informal style of his also came to the fore during his stay in Mumbai, when the Australian delegation enjoyed tea at a roadside kulhar. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's reaction after the picture of him drinking tea surfaced also brought this moment into discussion.

Amidst the formal meetings between India and Australia on trade, education, energy and investment cooperation, this roadside tea experience in Mumbai became a different aspect of the visit of the delegations of both the countries.

Tour of India and Vietnam from 17 to 25 September

Roger Cook is on a tour of India and Vietnam from 17 to 25 September. According to the Government of Western Australia, the purpose of this tour is to advance cooperation with India and Vietnam in the areas of trade, investment, education, energy, tourism, aviation and skill development.

Cook's major event during his visit to India was the inauguration of the University of Western Australia (UWA) campus in Mumbai. UWA's Mumbai campus is the first campus of an Australian Group of Eight (Go8) university in India. The university has received UGC approval for the Mumbai campus and plans to start teaching here from September 2026.




    • New campus opened for Indian students

    According to the Government of Western Australia, India is an important international education market for the state and there were more than 15,000 enrollments of Indian students in Western Australia last year. Along with education, issues like energy, mining, critical minerals, tourism, agriculture and aviation connectivity are also prominent in Cook's India tour.

    Also met Fadnavis

    Roger Cook also met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai. Both the leaders were present together at the inauguration program of UWA's Mumbai campus. Australia's High Commissioner Philip Green, UWA Chancellor Dianne Smith-Gander and Vice Chancellor Amit Chakma and other officials also attended the event.

    Fadnavis said that with the opening of UWA campus in Mumbai, Indian students will get the opportunity to study in an international university in the country. He described it as important for the activities related to education and research sector of Mumbai.

    Tea on the roadside attracted attention

    The experience of kulhad wali chai between formal functions became a topic of discussion on social media. The photo of the Australian delegation drinking tea on the roadside gave a glimpse of the everyday local culture of Mumbai.

    Chief Minister Fadnavis's reaction also brought this picture into further discussion. Amidst the official meetings, business and education related discussions, this simple tea experience in Mumbai has emerged as an informal snapshot of the India trip.

    According to the Government of Western Australia, the broad objective of the India visit is to strengthen trade and investment relations between the two sides and explore new opportunities for cooperation in various sectors including energy, education, tourism, agriculture and aviation.

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