Ties between India and Queensland have never been closer and the economic, business and social impacts are obvious, from massive mining investments to cultural contributions at a community level.

Australian Indian relations expert Dr Ashutosh Misra said the “generally highly educated, youthful, linguistically diverse” Indian community in Queensland were well represented in business, across services and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics sectors.

Migration agent Seema Chauhan said India’s rapidly growing economy offered lucrative prospects for Australian businesses.

How did we determine the list?

The Courier-Mail profiled Indian Australians who are making waves in Queensland both in terms of professional endeavours and community advocacy.

This list was compiled in consultation with key Indian Australian groups including GOPIO Qld, Brisbane Indian Times, The Indian Sun and IMAQ.

We understand that any such list is bound to be subjective, and is by no means exhaustive but highlights some of the incredible professionals who now call Queensland home. Please note the list is in no particular order.

Narayana (Nick) Attam

A first-generation Indian immigrant, Nick has dedicated his career to advocacy and bridging gaps in communication. He serves as an editor for The Indian Sun Queensland and secretary of India Fest Townsville. “As our community expanded rapidly, I realised the importance of having our own platform,” he said.

Shashidhar Venkatesh Murthy

After arriving in Australia on a skills visa in 2004, Mr Murthy has built an impressive list of achievements through a long tenure at James Cook University. He is an Associate Professor and Head of Pathology in the College of Medicine at the university. Mr Murthy is passionate about spiritual teachings, creating the North Queensland Hindu Community and spearheaded the build of a Hindu temple after his arrival in Townsville.

Dr Geetha Sadagopan

Dr Sadagopan is an engineer turned classical dance instructor. After more than 25 years based in Adelaide with the Defence Science and Technology group within the Department of Defence, she moved to Townsville for a quiet retirement. “I used to practice dancing for two hours in the morning before work. After about seven years of continuous learning and rigorous practice, I started teaching the dance for free to all those who want to learn,” she said

Dr Cyril Fernandez

Cyril Fernandez has worked at Ipswich Hospital, Logan Central, Borallon and Wacol Correctional Centres and in both residential and aged care across greater Brisbane. Passionate about helping migrant medical professionals find success in Australia, Dr Fernandez is now the president of the Indian Medical Association of Queensland.

Dr Dilip Dhupelia

Dilip Dhupelia moved to Queensland in 1977, starting his Australian career as a medical superintendent at Millmerran and now serves as the director of Darling Downs Health, a role he has held since 2010. While he spent his childhood in South Africa, he still has strong family ties to Gujarat, where his mother was born.

Umesh Chandra and Usha Chandra

After helping form the Hindu Society Queensland in 1991, over the last 30 years Mr Chandra has cemented himself as a notable member of the Indian Australian community, launching the Brisbane Indian Times and Australian Indian Radio alongside Ms Chandra. Both Mr and Ms Chandra were named 2019 Brisbane City Council joint Citizen of the Year. Ms Chandra is the Globenet Realty Director, owning and operating multiple real estate offices since moving to Australia.

Atul Bhardwaj

After finishing school, Atul Bhardwaj served in the army for 22 years, then moved to Australia with his family in 2002. Two years later, he joined the Queensland Police Service as a recruit and embarked on a 14-year career that allowed him to serve as a police prosecutor and gain admission to both the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia. He now runs his own law firm in Brisbane.

Dr Harjeet Kaur Khanna

An accomplished geneticist, Dr Khanna knew from a young age she wanted to pursue her love of science. She studied biotechnology at Delhi University, completing her bachelor and masters ingenetics. After moving to Australia Dr Khanna led a project at University of Southern Queensland creating the first wheat variety tolerant to harsh frost conditions. She now leads her own consulting firm and actively contributes to the scientific community within Australia.

Hemant Naik and Kalpana Naik

Mr Naik and Mrs Naik met at the School of Architecture in Ahmedabad. Shortly after graduating, the couple got married and moved to Australia. Mr Naik worked for the Queensland Government as a senior architect for more than 25 years, designing 70 childcare centres and contributing to architectural projects on 350 prep schools. The couple now manage their own architecture company.

Anoop Nannuru

Anoop Nannuru is an IT professional and spends his spare time helping vulnerable members of the community. He is currently the President of the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland. “By fostering stronger relations with various governmental bodies, FICQ effectively advocates for the interests and wellbeing of our community members,” he said. “Through these efforts, we strengthened the position of FICQ as the premier advocate and representative of the Indian diaspora in Queensland.”

Veena Goverdhan

Veena Goverdhan moved to Australia as a teenager on a scholarship. She is currently a magistrate at the Southport Court House on the Gold Coast. Prior to her appointment as a magistrate, she was working as a senior lawyer and a sessional academic in the Faculty of Law at QUT.

Prerna Pahwa

Prerna Pahwa works as an IT professional, but feels her calling in life is to be an advocate for those unable to advocate for themselves. After running a successful crowd-funding campaign for a student diagnosed with Leukaemia in 2015, she developed Simply Human Inc. – Superheroes Without Capes, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing education and awareness around Leukaemia.

Parnam Heir

After joining Red Rocket Realty as a sales agent, Parnam Heir established himself as a top performer, eventually becoming the owner, principal and director of the Springwood branch. Mr Heir is proud of his faith, stating that it is an “honour” to wear his turban. “Every year on Anzac Day, I organise free traditional Punjabi breakfast through Brisbane Sikh Temple and their volunteers for the Sunnybank RSL Community service to serve all local community,” he said.

Manju Rani Jehu

Described by listeners at Brisbane Ethnic Community Radio (4EB) as the “Samosa Queen”, Ms Jehu was one of the finalists featured on TV show Recipes to Riches in 2013. Passionate about sharing her love of cooking and culture, Ms Jehu has served as an announcer at 4EB for almost 30 years.

Bikash Randhawa

Mr Randhawa has worked at Village Roadshow Theme Parks for nearly 30 years. After completing a Bachelor of Commerce, he moved to the Gold Coast with just one bag at the age of 19. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing management of Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, Wet’n’Wild, Paradise Country, Australian Outback Spectacular, Sea World Resort and Topgolf.

Dr Girish Basavaraj

Dr Basavaraj migrated to Australia in 2007 after completing his Masters in Paediatric Dentistry while living in India. He has become a community leader in Townsville and is the director of the Vinayak Temple. “Our vision extends beyond mere structures; we envision a temple that stands as a beacon of our cultural identity, complete with a community hall where bonds are strengthened over shared meals and vibrant cultural celebrations,” he said.

Aarti Bajaj

Ms Bajaj works in healthcare management and operates a dance school focused around amplifying unheard voices and stories through art. “My strongest connection to the Indian community in Queensland has been through my involvement in the arts and the work we have done through our stories,” she said. “I’ve aimed to break down these silos of multiculturalism and create pathways that foster assimilation and a sense of belonging for various communities within one large Australian family.”

Dr Ashutosh Misra

Dr Misra migrated to Australia in 2007, spearheading the inaugural South Asia and India program while working as a research fellow at the ARC Centres of Excellence. Through the years he has worked with Queensland Police, Austrac, National Integrity in Sport Unit and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). He was appointed Project Multicultural Leader by Cricket Australia and contributed to the Multicultural Action Plan. In April 2024 he was appointed as Cricket Australia’s Multicultural Ambassador and continues to develop relationships between Indian and Australian agencies.

Professor Kunwarjit Sangla

Mr Sangla is the Medical Director for Medical Services at James Cook University. He was appointed to the Townsville Hospital and Health Services Board in 2024 and previously was the Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee in Townsville. He is a grant reviewer for National Health and Medical Research Council and is an internationally recognised peer reviewer. He regularly travels to remote hospitals to provide bulk billing services for small Queensland communities in his personal time.

Dr Ekta Sharma

Dr Sharma is a National Intelligence Research Fellow with ONI and a Vice Chancellor Fellow for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine at the University of Southern Queensland. Additionally she is the only Queenslander to hold the position of Office of National Intelligence Research Fellow, which is a competitive funding with a 4 per cent national success rate. Her research has been recognised by the Australian High Commission in India. She collaborated with the Australian Department of Defence in 2020 to develop AI algorithms for wireless communication systems. “I am deeply committed to advancing the field of AI and championing gender diversity in STEMM disciplines.”

Satvinder Singh

Mr Singh is an engineer that has worked in a diverse range of roles since he moved to Australia in 2002. He has worked as an Aged Care Director, Program Director at the Department of Social Services and currently works with the Department of Health ICT SAP program.

Seema Chauhan

Ms Chauhan is a registered migration agent, providing expert guidance to help clients navigate visa selection, regulatory compliance and immigration procedures. She regularly contributes to SBS Hindi, sharing insights on migration issues to help aspiring migrants. “The successful integration of skilled migrants creates a positive ripple effect,” she said. “It benefits both aspiring individuals and the nation. Migrants gain the opportunity to pursue their dreams in a welcoming environment, while Australia gains a valuable asset – a skilled and diverse workforce. This skilled migration helps fill critical job vacancies and address skills gaps, ultimately contributing to sustained economic growth.”

Dr Sarva Daman Singh

Dr Singh is a historian and has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his immense contributions to Australia. Some of his notable achievements since moving to Australia in 1974 include becoming President of the India Club of Queensland, delivering keynote lectures, helping found the Indian Cultural Association, establishing the Institute of Asian Studies, being appointed Honorary Consul of India for Queensland and writing several prominent articles, including a piece on Indian Australians in Multicultural Queensland 2001, 100 years, 100 Communities, a Century of Contributions.

Madhu Khanna and Dr Neeraj Khanna

Ms Khanna is a special-education teacher with a passion for traditional Indian art. She runs workshops on Indian art and craft, and has significantly contributed to art installations in Beenleigh, Loganlea, Logan, Slacks Creek and Springwood. Her husband Dr Khanna is the convener of the Indian Medical Association’s Queensland Branch.

Professor Mohan Jacob

Professor Jacob is the Dean of Research Infrastructure at James Cook University. He is passionate about pioneering new research, focusing on developing smart electronic materials, and has been credited on more than 200 international journal publications. He is in the top 2 per cent of researchers in the Stanford University database.

Sonu Nigam

Ms Nigam is the Medical Director of Anatomical Pathology and an anatomical pathologist at Gold Coast University Hospital. “I really love the fact that the entire Indian community comes together to celebrate major festivals,” she said. “I have been a keen contributor to the Indian community in Gold Coast, participating in plays and directing plays.”

Giridharan Sivaraman

Mr Sivaraman is currently the Commonwealth Race Discrimination Commissioner. “I’ve felt and witnessed racism on an interpersonal and structural level,” he said. “I want to have honest conversations about race and power, but also encourage people to be curious and interested in those that don’t look like them. We can be a much richer fabric of society if we are prepared to learn from those that are different.”

Akashika Mohla

Ms Mohla is a business professional with more than two decades working in Corporate Services across India and Australia. “My journey has been a blend of strategic thinking and a perpetual quest for knowledge, with an unending curiosity as a forever student in the fields of Law and International Affairs providing a robust foundation for my professional endeavours,” she said. She also currently a volunteer with Media Diversity Australia, where she has often leveraged her voice on cultural sensitivity in newsroom reporting. “One of my proudest advocacy efforts was in collaborating with the Queensland Human Rights Commission to safeguard the sacred Swastika symbol, ensuring its protection under the Hate Crime Act. This milestone not only shielded Queensland’s Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain communities from vilification but also prevented the misuse of this revered symbol by nefarious elements,” she said.

Sanjay Bhatia

Mr Bhatia is the Multi Property General Manager for Sea World on the Gold Coast while also managing 400 rooms at the Sea World Resort and Convention Centre. “My career journey has provided me the opportunity of working with global brands, including Sheraton group and Marriott international,” he said. “It helped shape my behavioural skills and has carved me as an enthusiastic, caring, intelligent, and creative human being.”

Samir Vora

Mr Vora is Executive Director of Bravus, the Australian arm of the Adani Group, a group of Australian businesses that export resources including thermal coal and solar energy. “I’ve been fortunate to live and work around the world and I love everything about life in Australia,” he said. “There is a strong sense of community as well, not just within the Indian diaspora, and that broad social circle is a big part of why we are so happy here.”

Pushpinder Singh Oberoi

Passionate about mental health and disability support in vulnerable communities, Pushpinder Singh Oberoi is an accomplished businessman with a drive to cultivate positive change in the world. Actively involved in the Indian community on the Gold Coast, Mr Oberoi was one of the founders of GOPIO Gold Coast and has worked tirelessly to assist in maintaining strong relationships between India and Australia. “I care deeply about my community and am always ready to help. I believe in no borders when it comes to serving the community here at the Gold Coast,” he said.

Dr Kurinji Kannan

Dr Kannan has achieved significant feats in the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, becoming the first female Indian Urogynecologist in Australia and New Zealand and the only female doctor performing robotic surgeries on women in Townsville. “As an obstetrician, I became increasingly aware of the significant prevalence of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse that affect the quality of life in women, particularly after childbirth,” she said. “Now, I can offer all available surgical options to women, open, laparoscopic and robotic, to help them make informed decisions.”

Professor Ajay Rane

Professor Rane is the Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at James Cook University. Writing more than 100 peer reviewed papers, Mr Rane is an accomplished academic. Among other achievements, he has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his work in Urogynaecology in 2013 and as well as the Pride of Australia medal in 2019. Professor Rane has made an impressive impact internationally, setting up a fistula hospital in Chennai and helping develop similar models of care in Nepal, PNG and Fiji. He also regularly contributes to an orphanage in Chennai alongside his wife.