Full list: Melbourne’s most influential Indian Australians taking charge in every sector
From surgeons to politicians, chief executives to beauty queens, we’ve compiled the full list of Melbourne’s most influential Indian Australians who are taking charge in every sector.
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Victoria’s landscape is more vibrant and diverse than ever, as communities from different backgrounds contribute to the region’s cultural richness and colour.
The population of Australians of Indian descent has grown rapidly, with these migrants taking on key roles in various sectors of society.
Latest data from June 2023 shows those born in India (846,000) made up the second largest migrant group in Australia, after those born in England.
The Victorian Indian community is one of the largest in the nation, with 371,901 people in the state having Indian ancestries.
Almost 260,000 Victorians were born in India.
The first wave of arrivals from India to Victoria began after changes to immigration policies in the late 1960s but the second significant wave happened in the 1980s and 1990s, when many skilled workers from India moved to Victoria.
Monash University sociology professor Dharmalingam Arunachalam said during that period a huge demand of jobs in IT and health was filled in by Indian migrants.
“The prominent Indians you see in the country today were the cohort of Indians who migrated under the new skilled migration program,” he said.
“People from the Indian descent are becoming prominent in even politics — playing a very active role at different levels.”
In the late 1990s, the Indian community expanded even further as Indian students started attending Victorian universities.
By 2001, Victoria’s Indian population reached 30,744, with more than 96 per cent living in metropolitan Melbourne, especially in the southeastern and northwestern suburbs.
But it was only in the last decade the Indian community in Victoria rapidly grew with more than half (55.3 per cent) of the Indian residents arriving during 2011 to 2021.
Prof Arunachalam said Indian migrants were beginning to become more visible in all social, economic, political and cultural aspects of Australian society.
He said with agreements on migration struck between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Australian PM would only see the phenomenon grow stronger.
“The bilateral agreement reflects the demand for highly skilled professionals from countries like India, and that is related the ageing of Australia’s population,” he said.
“We are going to see decreasing proportion of people in the middle and older ages. We need more skilled people to support the new sectors of growth in Australia.”
*The Herald Sun profiled Indian Australians who were making waves in Melbourne through professional endeavours and community advocacy.
We understand that any such list is bound to be subjective and by no means is exhaustive. Instead, it highlights some of the incredible professionals who now call Melbourne home. Please note that the list is in no particular order.
Listed: Prominent Indians in Melbourne
Sandeep Biswas, director of Minerals Council of Australia
Sandeep Biswas is the director of the Minerals Council of Australia.
He was also the former chief executive of Newcrest Mining Limited, leading the renowned gold mining company for over nine years before retiring in 2022.
Born in West Bengal in India, Mr Biswas finished his studies at The University of Queensland specialising in chemical engineering before starting his career and ultimately moving to Melbourne.
Harish Rao, non-executive director of the Australian Indian Chamber of Commerce
Harish Rao is the non-executive director of the Australia Indian Chamber of Commerce Institute.
Born in Chennai, India Mr Rao migrated with his family to Melbourne in 1968 before attending Melbourne Grammar School.
He completed his higher studies at the Australian National University and Monash University.
Mr Rao is also a non-executive director of Cricket Victoria, the Australia India Institute, Australia India Social & Charitable Ventures Limited.
Dr Gurdip Aurora, president of Australia India Society of Victoria
Dr Gurdip Aurora is a Melbourne GP and president of the Australia India Society of Victoria.
Dr Aurora, who also works at the Angliss Hospital and teaches medical students at Melbourne and Monash University, is passionate about improving and strengthening the quality of relations between Australia and India.
He was instrumental in the negotiations with the state government on behalf of Sikhs to allow them to carry the traditional Kirpan (sword) and to exempt them from wearing helmets while cycling.
Ravneet Pawha, vice president of Deakin University
Ravneet Pawha is Deakin University’s the global alliances vice president and South Asia chief executive.
Ms Pawha started at Deakin University in 1994 and has more than 28 years of experience in the international education and research.
Before her university role, Ms Pawha was the chief executive at Education and Training Pty Ltd South Asia and Middle East.
Ms Pawha is also the chairwoman of Business and Community Foundation, board member of India Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA), chair of education at the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce (IACC) and adviser to Australia India Institute.
Kaushaliya Vaghela, former Member of the Victorian Legislative Council
Kaushaliya Vaghela is the first Indian-born member of the Victorian parliament and a former Labor member of the Legislative Council for the Western Metropolitan Region in Victoria.
Ms Vaghela, who was born in India’s Jamnagar, was also the first Indian-born Hindu to enter any parliament in Australia.
She was also an adviser to former State Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott before taking on her parliamentary role.
She formed the New Democrats party but was defeated in the 2022 election, polling just 0.5 per cent of the votes.
Dr Weranja Ranasinghe, urologist
Associate Professor Dr Weranja Ranasinghe is an urologist and uro-oncologic surgeon in Melbourne.
Dr Ranasinghe completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Bristol in 2006 and received a membership of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh in 2008.
He was then awarded his PhD at the University of Melbourne for his work in advanced prostate cancers and obtained a fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
Dr Ranasinghe is a member of several Australian and international societies including the Urology Society of Australia and New Zealand, Royal Australasian College of Surgeon and Society of Urologic Oncology, American Urology Association, Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, a member of the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group.
Sanjay Dayal, Pact chief executive
Sanjay Dayal is the managing director and chief executive of Pact, a renowned packaging group.
Before Pact, Mr Dayal was the chief executive of BlueScope Steel.
Mr Dayal who also worked at Orica, has a Bachelor of Technology (in chemical engineering) from Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, India.
Sakshi Thakur OAM, founder of Sewing the Seeds
Sakshi Thakur OAM is the founder of Sewing The Seeds, an organisation that aims to empower women in India through textiles.
Ms Thakur was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the community through social welfare organisations.
Ms Thakur has also won multiple City of Monash leadership awards and has received the NFP Directors Scholarship from the Australian Institute of Company Directors Governance Foundations.
Dr Ankur Sidhu, specialist colorectal and general surgeon
Dr Ankur Sidhu is a specialist colorectal and general surgeon at the Northern Hospital, John Fawkner Hospital and Epworth Freemasons Hospital.
Dr Sidhu completed his medical degree from the University of Melbourne in 2008 followed by his general surgery training and did his fellowship at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2017.
He specialises in the treatment of all areas of colorectal and general surgery.
Mr Sidhu was also a clinical lecturer at University of New South Wales and University of Tasmania.
He has previously held positions as the trainee representative on the Australian Board in General Surgery and Colorectal Surgery Society in Australia and New Zealand.
Sanjeev Gandhi, chief executive of Orica
Sanjeev Gandhi is the managing director and chief executive officer at explosives giants Orica.
Before starting his role as top boss at Orica in April 2021, Mr Gandhi was the group executive and president of Australia Pacific & Asia at Orica.
He was also a former member of the board of executive directors at BASF SE for 26 years.
Pallavi Sharda, model and actor
Pallavi Sharda is an Australian actor of Indian descent, best known for her role in the Academy Award nominated film Lion (2016).
The now movie star was born in Perth to Indian parents who migrated to WA in the 1980s.
Sharda was named Miss India Australia in 2010 and has starred in teleseries Les Norton and movies Wedding Season and Save Your Legs!.
She came to Melbourne as a child, attending Essendon’s Lowther Hall where she was awarded an academic scholarship.
Sharda then went on to do her LLB, BA and Diploma in Modern Languages (French) at the University of Melbourne, graduating with honours at age 21.
Dr Sunil Jassal, breast cancer surgeon
Dr Sunil ‘Sunny’ Jassal is the director and founding member of Melbourne Breast and Endocrine Surgeons.
He is also a specialist breast cancer surgeon, a founding member of BreastSurgANZ, a member of the Australasian Society for Breast Disease (ASBD) and Australian and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trial Group.
Dr Jassal completed his medical degree at The University of Melbourne before finishing his surgical training through The Austin Hospital, his fellowship years in advanced General Surgery at Dandenong Hospital.
Dr Jassal is also co-author of the highly commended “Breast Cancer. The Facts”.
Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM, director of Mind Blowing Films
Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM is the founder of Mind Blowing Films.
She is an Indian-Australian filmmaker and producer and the founder and director of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
Ms Lange was awarded Jill Robb Screen Leadership Award for 2017 from Film Victoria and has also been appointed as a board of member at WIFT Australia.
She is also a board member at Film Vic Australia and on the committee for Natalie Miller Fellowship.
In 2023 Ms Lange received the award of Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to performing arts through film.
Dr Sushil Kumar, General Consul India
Dr Sushil Kumar has been the Consul General of India in Melbourne since July 2022.
Dr Kumar has done his PhD from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and served briefly as scientist before joining the Indian Foreign Service in 2009.
Sheba Nandkeolyar, president of International Advertising Association of Australia
Sheba Nandkeolyar is the International Advertising Association of Australia (IAA Australia) president.
Ms Nandkeolyar was the first female national chair for the Australia India Business Council (AIBC) and is currently the National Chair for Women in Business AIBC and an advisory board member of Media Diversity Australia.
Dr Girish Nair Somasekharan, neurosurgeon
Dr Girish Nair Somasekharan is a renowned neurosurgeon.
Dr Nair Somasekharan is the first neurosurgeon in the world to implant stem cells as part of a clinical trial which is ongoing at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.
He specialises in brain and spine tumours, surgical treatment for degenerative disease, deformities and trauma of the spine.
Sahana Ramesh, councillor of Wyndham City Council
Sahana Ramesh is the first Indian born elected councillor of Wyndham.
Cr Ramesh came to Melbourne from India shortly after obtaining her Bachelor of Engineering.
She went on to study a Master of Business Administration at Melbourne University, and started up her own company to manufacture lithium-ion batteries before turning to local politics.
Priya Serrao, Miss Universe Australia 2019
Priya Serrao, born in India’s Belmannu in Karnataka, represented Australia in the Miss Universe 2019 competition.
After migrating to Australia at the age of 11, the beauty queen attended Mac. Robertsons Girls’ High School before obtaining two degrees: one in arts and one in law from Melbourne Law School.
She now works as a policy adviser for the Victorian government and was admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria as a lawyer in 2019.
Niharika Hiremath OAM, National Board Youth Adviser and Chair of the Multicultural Strategy Advisory Group for Headspace
Niharika Hiremath OAM is the national board youth adviser and chair of the multicultural strategy advisory group for Headspace.
Ms Hiremath received an Order of Australia Medal for her services to community health as part of this year’s King’s Birthday honours.
Born in India’s Karnataka, Ms Hiremath studied biomedical science and commerce at Monash University before continuing onto a Graduate Diploma of Psychology, and a Master of Social Work at the University of Melbourne.
Vasan Srinivasan, president of Federation of Indian Association of Victoria
Vasan Srinivasan is the chair of Confederation of Indian Australian Association Inc, chairman of Mental Health Foundation of Australia, and the first of Indian origin to be appointed as member of the Australian Multicultural Council.
Mr Srinivasan, who came to Melbourne in 1987, also established Museum India in 2012 – Victoria’s one of kind and only museum outside India, showcasing historical artwork, Indian culture, heritage and famous events from Indian mythologies.
He also founded The Federation of Indian Music & Dance Victoria.
Sonali Deshpande, first Indian origin female police officer in Victoria Police
Sonali Deshpande is Victoria’s first female Indian police officer.
Ms Deshpande was working as a doctor but craved a more dynamic career in the police force.
She has worked across counter-terror, family violence and now road policing portfolios.
“Policing wasn’t considered a women’s career (in India), but I was looking for something different,” she said.
“It is really important for police to reflect the community because it is most important we understand their needs and concerns, to achieve better outcomes.”
Amitoj Singh, Victoria Police prosecutor
Amitoj Singh is the first Sikh officer to join Victoria Police.
Senior Constable Singh, who joined the force five years after migrating to Australia, was the first police recruit to wear an official police-issue turban
He has worked across a range of areas in his years in the force, but said he found his passion in prosecutions.
“You don’t need a degree when you are applying but since joining prosecutions I’ve done my Bachelor of Laws,” he said.
“Police prosecutors go to Magistrates’ Courts and prosecute, and more recently legally-qualified prosecutors have been given the authority to appeal in the Supreme Court of Victoria as well.
“I take pride in wearing the uniform every day. I’m proud of myself for standing up for other people and standing up for other people’s rights. It’s different work every day and it gives you job satisfaction.”
Yemee Fernandes, co-founder and managing director Four Pillars Trading Australia
Yemee Fernandes is the co-founder and managing director of Four Pillars Trading Australia, operating across Mumbai and Australia.
Ms Fernandes was born in India and moved Down Under in 1998.
She has held senior commercial roles in a number of publicly listed companies such as Fairfax, Universal Music Australia and LexisNexis.
Dinesh Nettur, Senior Constable Victoria Police
Senior Constable Dinesh Nettur is of Indian and Sri Lankan heritage and joined Victoria Police in 1997.
He has worked right across metropolitan Melbourne including St Kilda, Collingwood, South Melbourne and the Melbourne Custody Centre.
He is also a Multicultural Liaison Officer at Victoria Police.
Anou Khanijou, managing director of Anouconcept
Anou Khanijou is the chief executive of IFOTA Group, a manufacturing business.
She is also the managing director of Anouconcept Integrated Marketing.
Ms Khanijou is also a board member of Melbourne Fashion Festival, EO Melbourne and chief executive of City Collection.
She also served as the vice president of Australia India Society of Victoria until 2006.
Dr Vikram Balakrishnan, colorectal surgeon
Vikram Balakrishnan is a colorectal and general surgeon.
He trained at St Vincent’s Health Victoria, St George Hospital NSW and Box Hill Hospital.
Dr Balakrishnan has a passion for advanced laparoscopic surgery, treating all colorectal conditions including benign anorectal disease, colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.
Ms. Reena Rana, founder of India Women In Australia
Reena Rana is founder of the Indian Women in Australia (IWIA) group.
IWIA is a community group that empowers and aims to connect Indian women by providing an accessible platform for women of Indian descent to connect, network and support each other.
She completed her Masters in Accounting & Financial Management from La Trobe University in 2009.
Murali Kumar, president of Federation of Indian Music & Dance Victoria
Murali Kumar is a Melbourne-based violinist and vocalist and the founder of the Raaga Sudha School of Carnatic Music.
Mr Kumar moved to Australia in 2000 from Chennai and has won Victoria’s Multicultural Award for Excellence.
He is also the president of the Federation of Indian Music and Dance in Victoria.
Manjot Singh, lawyer
Manjot Singh is a criminal and family lawyer based in Melbourne.
Mr Singh is a former police officer and senior prosecutor with the specialist prosecution branch at Victoria Police.
He has also taught law at Deakin and Monash University.
Dr Mohan Yellishetty, associate professor at Monash University
Mohan Yellishetty is an associate professor at Monash University’s department of civil engineering.
Mr Yellishetty has co-founded the Critical Minerals Consortium at Monash University, founded the Australia-India Critical Minerals Research Hub, and is also a convener at the Critical Minerals National Industry Group.
He is involved with Australia-India Chamber of Commerce.
He was also one of top three short-listed nominees for Australia’s Melbourne Asia Game Changer (MAGC) Awards in 2023.
Ash Dixit, Senior Constable Victoria Police
Senior Constable Ash Dixit is based at Melbourne West Police Station.
He came to Australia 11 years ago as a business student before turning to public service.
Dr Shrikkanth (Raj) Rangarajan, vascular and endovascular surgeon
Dr Shrikkanth (Raj) Rangarajan is a Melbourne based vascular surgeon.
Dr Raj served on overseas operations as a member of the Australian Army and been awarded the Australian Defence Medal and the Australian Service Medal.
He has trained at institutions across Melbourne (Alfred Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital), Brisbane (Princess Alexandra Hospital, Royal Brisbane and Womens’ Hospital), and Auckland (Auckland City Hospital).
Dr Raj completed his undergraduate studies at Monash University and also has a law degree.
Dr Raaj Chandra, colorectal surgeon
Raaj Chandra is a Melbourne-based colorectal surgeon and a senior lecturer at Monash University Medical School.
He primarily serves patients in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, consulting at Elgar Hill Medical Suites in Box Hill and performing surgery at Epworth Eastern Hospital in Box Hill.
Dr Rana Dhillon, neurosurgeon
Rana Dhillon is a neurosurgeon based in Geelong and Melbourne.
Dr Dhillon completed his medical and postgraduate degrees at the Universities of Melbourne and Cambridge before doing his neurosurgical training in Australia.
His research on cellular mechanisms underlying recovery from cervical myelopathy was performed at the Anne McLaren Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine.
Dr Zaffar Mohamed-Ghouse, director of Advisory and Innovation at Woolpert
Dr Zaffar Mohamed-Ghouse is the advisory and innovations director at AAM-Woolpert based in Melbourne.
He has held senior and executive roles at Spatial Vision, FrontierSI (the former Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information), GHD, Sinclair Knight Merz (Jacobs) and Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna University.
Dr Sharmila Balanathan, vascular surgeon
Sharmila Balanathan is a vascular surgeon with appointments at The Alfred Hospital, Box Hill Hospital and Austin Hospital.
She graduated from the University of Otago in 1999 and underwent surgical training in Queensland and Victoria before attaining a fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in vascular surgery in 2011.
Dr Balanathan was also awarded the AVT travelling fellowship in endovascular surgery with the Angiology Group in Leipzig, Germany.
Yogen Lakshman, trustee at Australian Indian Innovations
Yogen Lakshman is one of the founding executive committee members of Australian Indian Innovations.
He is also the vice president of the Hindu Society of Victoria and co-founder of the Tamil Society of Melbourne.
Mr Lakshman received the Victorian Parliamentary Friends of India award for excellence in 2008.
Dr Ivan Bhaskar, neurosurgeon
Ivan Bhaskar is a neurosurgeon across metropolitan Melbourne, Bacchus Marsh, Gisborne and Bendigo.
He has more than 15 years experience in conducting complex brain and spinal surgery and has sub-specialisation in keyhole spine surgery
Dr Mayur Krishnaswamy, vascular surgeon
Mayur Krishnaswamy is a vascular and endovascular surgeon in Bellarine Peninsula and Geelong.
Dr Krishnaswamy completed his fellowship in complex aortic intervention in Zurich, Switzerland.
He specialises in minimally invasive arterial and venous treatment.
Dr Natteri V. Chandran, founder of The East West Centre (TEWC)
Natteri V Chandran is the founder of The East West Centre (TEWC), an organisation that helps the disadvantaged in Australia.
Dr Chandran is also a Melbourne-based psychotherapist, hypnotherapist and educator at the University of Melbourne.
Born in Chennai in India, he came to Australia in 1971 to study and work.
Dr Chandran was awarded the Prime Minister of Australia’s certificate of recognition for extraordinary contribution to the community in 2001.
He was also awarded the American Biographical Institute Man of the Year Commemorative Medal honouring community service and professional achievement in 1995.
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