Melbourne Diwali Launch 2025

the programme

Who spoke

1. 01

   Anya Gupta

   MC

   Welcome, and MC for the programme

2. 02

   Anu Bhardwaj

   Chief Executive Officer, Melbourne Diwali

   Welcome to the Launch and the vision for 2025

3. 03

   Roshena Campbell

   Deputy Lord Mayor, City of Melbourne

   Welcome from the City of Melbourne. She also spoke during the Q&A.

   “I think particularly opportunities like Diwali remind us to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us.”

   Read the transcript▾

   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00...to showcase its culture and faith to all Victorians and the point has been made by a few people but of course India is not one nation with one language or one faith.
   2. 00:12I often think it's almost closer to Europe than a single country, you know, it is a language of so many faiths, so many cultures, so many languages and I think particularly opportunities like Diwali remind us to focus on what
   3. 00:24unites us rather than what divides us.
   4. 00:27So I think you will see the full breadth of Indian culture on the actual day.
   5. 00:32But I'm very grateful, Gautam and Anu, that you have presented this in a way that everybody feels included.
   6. 00:38Thank you.
   7. 00:39Thank you.
   8. 00:39Thank you.

4. 04

   Praveen Kumar

   Little India Traders Association

   Partner showcase

   “Our purpose is simple, organise and advocate for Indian owned businesses, connect traders with council, agencies and partners and help shape a precinct that's proudly Melbourne and proudly Indian.”

   Read the transcript▾

   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:01Good evening, everyone.
   2. 00:03My name is Praveen Kumar.
   3. 00:06Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land that we're meeting in, the elders past, present and emerging.
   4. 00:15The Little India Traders Association, probably some might have already heard about it, for some people it's a bit new.
   5. 00:23So I would like to share some insights about what we do.
   6. 00:26So, our story starts here.
   7. 00:29It was at Melbourne Diwali that the Lord Mayor announced support to establish Little India precinct to better back Indian businesses.
   8. 00:40The movement led a path, where traders asked for a voice, a network and a plan, that LITA was born for that call.
   9. 00:50So, LITA means Little India Traders Association.
   10. 00:53You might be thinking what is he saying about LITA, who's this LITA?
   11. 00:58Today LITA is established and ready to deliver.
   12. 01:02Our purpose is simple, organise and advocate for Indian owned businesses, connect traders with council, agencies and partners and help shape a precinct that's proudly Melbourne and proudly Indian.
   13. 01:19In the months ahead, working with Melbourne Diwali and the city of Melbourne, we will focus on three practical priorities.
   14. 01:28The first one being the business network in itself.
   15. 01:31Launching a membership drive, building a trade directory and setting up regular meetings so owners can share knowledge and opportunities.
   16. 01:41Secondly, the precinct.
   17. 01:44We are trying to find a wayfinding and placemaking that makes it easier to discover our stores plus join retail activations through the year and here with Melbourne Diwali as a major anchor.
   18. 02:02The third is a business support so we're ready to do some workshops on marketing and digital readiness guidance on safe trading and clear signpost for grants and services that help small businesses growing.
   19. 02:18Success for us looks like stronger footfall, longer dwell times, more confident trades and a Little India precinct that welcomes every visitor.
   20. 02:29If you are a trader, community leader or a partner, please come and speak with us tonight, join the network, help us co-design the precinct we all want to see.
   21. 02:42Thank you everyone and and a happy Melbourne Diwali, thank you.

5. 05

   National Australia Bank

   Partner showcase

6. 06

   Dr Reet Kaur

   Lecturer, Swinburne University; facilitator of ConnectED

   Partner showcase

   “Every act of connection is an act of light.”

   Read the transcript▾

   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00Thank you.
   2. 00:03Well, I'm Reet, Dr Reet Kaur, a lecturer from Swinburne University and a facilitator and deliverer of the program ConnectED.
   3. 00:13Now, do you as parents ever worry about your child's online world, about bullying, about isolation, or simply too many hours lost in the front of the screen.
   4. 00:25If you do, then you're just like me.
   5. 00:28And like so many of us gathered here tonight, I'm not just a lecturer or a community worker.
   6. 00:34I'm first a mother of a 10-year-old.
   7. 00:37And like every parent, I lie awake some nights wondering, how do I prepare her for the world where technology is everywhere?
   8. 00:46How do I ensure it helps her connect more deeply with people rather than pulling her away from them?
   9. 00:52These are not small questions.
   10. 00:54They are the questions shaping our families, our schools, and our communities today.
   11. 01:00This is what inspired me to create ConnectED, a program designed to help young people build the skills of connection in an age of disconnection.
   12. 01:09When we run ConnectED workshops in schools, we invite students to pause and reflect.
   13. 01:14Who are the people I can turn to when I need support?
   14. 01:17We call it mapping the circles of support.
   15. 01:21And the results are eye-opening.
   16. 01:23I remember one young boy who drew this map and then stared at it for silence.
   17. 01:28Finally, he said, I didn't realise I had so many people who cared about me.
   18. 01:33That single realisation lifted a weight off his shoulders.
   19. 01:38This is what ConnectED does.
   20. 01:40It makes the invisible visible.
   21. 01:42It reminds our children that even when they feel alone, they are surrounded by a web of care.
   22. 01:48Family, friends, teachers, mentors, and safe communities.
   23. 01:53And why is this needed now more than ever?
   24. 01:56Because we are living through a paradox.
   25. 01:59We are more connected than any point in history, yet our children are lonelier than ever.
   26. 02:05Rates of cyberbullying, anxiety, and isolation are rising.
   27. 02:09Technology is not going away, but what can change is the way our children use it.
   28. 02:14ConnectED helps them reclaim technology for good, to strengthen friendships, to seek help when they need it, and to grow into resilient, confident young people who can give back to their communities.
   29. 02:27In a time when darkness often feels louder than light, programs like ConnectED are not optional.
   30. 02:33They are urgent.
   31. 02:35They are the tools that allow the next generation to carry hope, empathy, and courage into the future.
   32. 02:41And this is where I see the beautiful connection to Diwali.
   33. 02:44Diwali is not just about lamps and sweets.
   34. 02:47It is about removing darkness and creating light in our homes, our communities, and in our hearts.
   35. 02:54When a child feels seen, supported, and connected, that is Diwali.
   36. 02:59When families come together, not just to live under one roof, but to listen and care for one another, that is Diwali.
   37. 03:06When schools and communities stand hand in hand to protect and empower young people, this is Diwali.
   38. 03:14Through ConnectED, we are part carrying forward that very spirit, turning isolation into belonging, fear into courage, and loneliness into connection.
   39. 03:24So tonight, as we come together to celebrate Melbourne Diwali, I invite you to carry this message with you.
   40. 03:31Every act of connection is an act of light.
   41. 03:34Every movement of kindness pushes back against darkness.
   42. 03:38Together, let us raise a generation that shines not just for themselves, but for community around them.
   43. 03:45On behalf of ConnectED, I wish you and your families a season filled with love, joy, and togetherness.
   44. 03:51Happy Melbourne Diwali.
   45. 03:53Thank you.

7. 07

   Aunty Jenny

   Partner showcase

8. 08

   Gautam Gupta

   CEO, SarasCare

   Keynote

9. 09

   Professor Rajesh Vasa

   Professor, Deakin University

   Closing note

   “The community is an extremely optimistic community.”

   Read the transcript▾

   Transcribed from the recording, with names checked by hand. Times are minutes and seconds into the clip.

   1. 00:00Thank you everyone.
   2. 00:00Great to be here.
   3. 00:02I've been in Melbourne since 1992.
   4. 00:05I started one of the first Indian clubs that have been set up in Melbourne at Swinburne University.
   5. 00:12I think we have an academic here from Swinburne University.
   6. 00:15Oh, there you are.
   7. 00:15Alright, so I started that with two people, me and one other person, and I started it mainly because we got free printing credits if you started a social club.
   8. 00:26But they kind of took off after that, and then it became a big deal on its own.
   9. 00:32It's phenomenal to see where it's reached.
   10. 00:34The community is an extremely optimistic community.
   11. 00:38It's done a lot of contribution.
   12. 00:41I've known Gautam for a number of years.
   13. 00:45I can't remember now.
   14. 00:46At least 20, I think, or a bit less, maybe.
   15. 00:49And I met him actually at a university.
   16. 00:51and Gautam ran the Indian club at university.
   17. 00:56He got involved in the university politics, enjoyed some of it, did enjoy some other parts of it, but he picked up a lot about how to play politics in Australia, and it's quite visible in how he's able to coordinate an event
   18. 01:09of this size.
   19. 01:10He learned a lot about the community and got it, and Gautam's not alone, actually, there's a lot of people from India who've come here and migrated.
   20. 01:18I taught maybe thousands of them over the 25 years I've been academic, and all of them have gone on globally, globally to build fairly successful careers.
   21. 01:32Some have set up wonderful companies, some have built companies right here in Australia with tens of millions and globally hundreds of millions of dollars.
   22. 01:41So it's an extremely optimistic community and it's good to celebrate the one of the most optimistic festival of the Hindu culture, and that is Diwali, the festival of light.
   23. 01:53And thank you again for contributing to all of it, all the sponsors, and I hope [unclear] celebrates one of the best Diwalis.
   24. 02:02Thank you.

A live Q&A with the speakers followed the keynote.