As the Indian diaspora continues to grow in Australia, you can see Indian culture such as Diwali having a big impact in communities across the nation.
Australia is home to a rapidly expanding Indian community.
According to an MEA report, approximately 1 million Overseas Indians live in Australia. The Indian diaspora is the second-largest and fastest-growing in Australia. As of September 2023, there are 122,391 Indian students, making them the second-largest group of foreign-born students in the nation.
Meanwhile, in California, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 268 into law, putting Diwali on the list of 12 state holidays. The new law, which will go into effect next year, allows community colleges and public schools to close on Diwali, and state government employees can choose to take the day off.
Diwali is such a charming and engaging event – and celebrates the triumph of light over dark, good over evil – it is an uplifting message for our times.
INTO INDIA would love to hear from you – do we need a public holiday for Diwali?
Author: Stephen Manallack
Former President, Australia India Business Council, Victoria and Author, You Can Communicate; Riding the Elephant; Soft Skills for a Flat World (published by Tata McGraw-Hill INDIA); Communicating Your Personal Brand.
Director, EastWest Academy Pty Ltd and Trainer/Speaker/Mentor in Leadership, Communication and Cross Cultural Communication.
Passionate campaigner for closer western relations with India.
Stephen Manallack is a specialist on “Doing Business with India” and advisor/trainer on “Cross-Cultural Understanding”. He is a Director of EastWest Academy Pty Ltd which provides strategic advice and counsel regarding business relations with India.
A regular speaker in India on leadership and global communication, his most recent speaking tour included a speech to students of the elite Indian university, Amity University, in Noida. He also spoke at a major Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) global summit, the PR Consultants Association of India in Delhi, the Symbiosis University in Pune and Cross-Cultural Training for Sundaram Business Services in Chennai. He has visited India on business missions on 10 occasions and led three major trade missions there. He provides cross-cultural training – Asia and the west.
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