The Hindu Economic Forum of Australia has announced a new leadership team for its Victorian chapter, appointing Vivek Asthana as President as the organisation seeks to expand business, professional and community networks across the state.
The new HEF Victoria executive also includes Vasudevan Srinivasan as Secretary, Rakesh Singh as Treasurer, Avinash Adhyapak as Social Media Manager and Karthikeyan Kameswaran as Government Relations Coordinator.
The appointments were announced by Seshadri Vidyam, Director of Hindu Economic Forum Australia, who said the team would focus on strengthening HEF Victoria, developing professional and business connections and delivering initiatives for the community.
“Congratulations to the entire team. Together, we look forward to strengthening HEF VIC, building professional and business networks, and delivering impactful initiatives for our community,” Vidyam said.
The appointments build on Victoria’s existing leadership structure. HEF Australia’s published chapter information previously listed Asthana as Victorian State Director, Srinivasan as Operations Lead and Rakesh Singh as Finance Lead, indicating all three have already been involved in running the organisation’s activities in the state.
The new structure gives those responsibilities a more formal executive framework, with Asthana taking the presidency, Srinivasan becoming secretary and Singh assuming the treasurer’s role.
HEF Australia describes itself as a platform bringing together business owners, entrepreneurs, investors, bankers, professionals, technologists, economists, academics and other business leaders to share knowledge, resources and commercial opportunities.
Its stated philosophy is based on the idea of “Grow Together. Share Together”, with an emphasis on building economic networks while encouraging members to exchange knowledge, opportunities and expertise.
The Australian organisation is structured as a not-for-profit and operates chapters across several states. Its formal chapter guidelines say HEF Australia was incorporated in 2021 and currently has chapters in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.
The Victorian chapter has increasingly focused on practical business networking.
HEF events in Melbourne have brought together entrepreneurs and professionals around subjects including business growth, finance, technology, artificial intelligence, automation and operational efficiency. An upcoming November networking event in Docklands, for example, is focused on improving profitability through better business operations, cost control and supply-chain efficiency.
Recent HEF Victoria activities have also included forums bringing together professionals to discuss economic leadership, collaboration and business growth.
The organisation’s membership charter places particular emphasis on ethical business conduct, collaboration, reciprocal support and sharing opportunities among members. HEF says members are encouraged to support initiatives strengthening and contributing to wider Australian economic activity.
The Victorian leadership appointments come against the backdrop of a sizeable Hindu community in the state.
According to the 2021 Australian Census, more than 214,000 Victorians identified Hinduism as their religion, representing about 3.3 per cent of the state’s population.
The community is particularly visible in rapidly growing parts of Melbourne’s west, north and south-east.
In postcode 3029, which includes areas around Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit and Truganina, more than 21,500 residents identified as Hindu in the 2021 Census, representing 16.6 per cent of the local population.
Victoria also has Australia’s largest concentration of people with links to India. The Victorian Government says almost 260,000 Victorians were born in India and about 40 per cent of Australia’s Indian diaspora lives in the state.
That demographic growth has increased demand for professional, cultural and business organisations capable of connecting entrepreneurs and professionals across industries.
HEF Australia says its broader objective is to create “local to global” connectivity, helping members access knowledge, partnerships, investment opportunities and professional networks both within Australia and internationally.
Asthana already has a visible role in that work. HEF Australia’s public chapter information identifies him as having previously served as Victoria State Director, while he is also listed among people associated with the organisation nationally.
Singh has similarly been active in HEF Victoria’s business programs and is publicly associated with business coaching and professional networking in Melbourne.
Under the new team, government engagement will become a specifically identified responsibility through Karthikeyan Kameswaran’s appointment as Government Relations Coordinator, while Avinash Adhyapak will oversee social media communications.
The new executive is expected to continue building HEF Victoria around regular business meetings, networking opportunities and initiatives connecting professionals and entrepreneurs.
For HEF Australia, the Victorian appointments form part of a broader effort to develop state-based networks while maintaining links to a wider international Hindu Economic Forum movement.
The organisation describes that objective simply: building connections between businesses, creating opportunities and encouraging shared prosperity.
With Victoria home to a large and economically active Hindu and Indian-origin population, the new leadership team will now be tasked with translating that ambition into a stronger business and professional network across the state.
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