Several prominent Indian-origin New Zealanders have been recognised in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours, celebrating decades of contributions to multiculturalism, governance, education, healthcare, community service and the screen industry.
Among the recipients is Archna Tandon, who was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to multicultural communities.
For more than 30 years, Tandon has championed migrant resettlement, women’s empowerment, social cohesion and interfaith dialogue through organisations including the Christchurch Migrant Centre, Christchurch Resettlement Services and the Canterbury Indian Women Group Trust.
Tandon told RNZ that the honour strengthened her commitment to building a more inclusive New Zealand and called for greater support for ethnic community organisations and stronger representation in government decision-making.
Former Wellington Indian Association treasurer Sumati Govind was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to governance and the Indian community. Govind has spent more than four decades serving on boards and trusts across the health, sport, retirement and community sectors.
She advocated for improved ethnic representation and more detailed ethnic data collection, arguing that the needs of Indian New Zealanders should not be subsumed within broader Asian categories.
Also receiving an MNZM was Shuchi Kothari for services to the screen industry and Asian representation in New Zealand media. A filmmaker, academic and co-founder of the Pan-Asian Screen Collective, Kothari has spent more than two decades promoting diversity and inclusion in New Zealand’s screen sector.
She called for greater efforts by funding agencies to ensure equitable opportunities for Asian creatives and storytellers.
Among the recipients of the King’s Service Medal (KSM) was Raveen Annamalai, recognised for his work advancing multiculturalism and Tamil culture in New Zealand. He has held leadership roles with Wellington Mutamizh Sangam, the Aotearoa New Zealand Federation of Tamil Sangam, and multicultural organisations at both regional and national levels.
Vijeshni Rattan also received the King’s Service Medal for her contributions to community service, language education and cultural preservation. As principal of Wellington Hindi School and a leader within the Hindu community, she has worked to strengthen cultural identity and promote interfaith engagement.
Another recipient, Dr Shanthi Selvakumar, was awarded the King’s Service Medal for services to migrant and refugee communities. A long-time advocate for migrant women and children affected by domestic violence, she has provided free medical care to vulnerable communities and worked extensively with organisations supporting victims of abuse.
Dr Selvakumar called for greater awareness of domestic violence within migrant communities, including multilingual resources, school-based education programmes and stronger outreach through community and faith-based organisations.
The honours recognise the growing contributions of Indian-origin New Zealanders across public life, reflecting their impact on community development, social inclusion, cultural preservation and public service throughout the country.
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