The City of Melbourne and the Australia India Youth Dialogue (AIYD) welcomed guests to the Portico Room at Melbourne Town Hall for the launch of AIYD 2025.
Framed around this year’s theme, The future of leadership, the evening brought together senior dignitaries, young change makers and alumni to set the scene for the full dialogue in Mumbai and Delhi this September.
As the guests arrived for a casual welcome reception, MC Tim Dwyer opened the formal proceedings with an acknowledgement of country, noting Wurundjeri elders past and present, before introducing Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece.
Mayor Reece spoke of Melbourne’s deep ties with India, highlighting recent trade and cultural partnerships, and underlining the council’s commitment to supporting young leaders in the Indo-Pacific region.
He promised during his election campaign last year that a visit to India would be within the first year of his term, which is happening this November, subject to Melbourne City Council’s approval.
However, the news that got loud cheers was his announcement that a ‘Little India Precinct’ is a very real possibility, with some money allocated in the recent city budget for primary location hunting.
Dr Sushil Kumar, India’s Consul General in Melbourne, followed with remarks on bilateral cooperation. “AIYD gives our next generation a unique opportunity to work across sectors,” he said.
“By bringing young people together, we are building a resilient network to navigate tomorrow’s challenges.”
Michelle Jasper, AIYD co-chair, outlined the dialogue’s objectives for 2025. “Our region faces rapid change—from shifting economic centres to new media landscapes,” she told the audience.
“This year, we will examine what leadership must look like in politics, entrepreneurship, arts and sport.
We want to equip our delegates with the skills and connections to lead with confidence.”
The panel discussion was moderated by AIYD steering committee member Puja Ganguli, and titled “The future of leadership: shaping Australia India collaboration”, the conversation featured:
- Tim Watts MP, Special Envoy for Indian Ocean Affairs and AIYD alum, who spoke on political leadership and policy innovation
- Film-maker and festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM, who shared her experience building cultural bridges through the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne
- Dr Bodean Hedwards, director of international network enablement at Monash University and former AIYD co-chair, who discussed the role of higher education in fostering transnational collaboration
Each panellist was prompted by Ganguli with sector-specific questions on business and entrepreneurship, the knowledge economy, arts and media, and the growing role of sports diplomacy.
Dr Hedwards pointed to emerging start-up hubs in India and Australia, while Lange highlighted the power of storytelling to shape public opinion.
AIYD alumna Urvi Majumdar, with a capital ‘U’, took to the stage with a short stand-up comedy set that blended humour with reflections on her life experience in Australia.
Listening to her was a treat but at the same time painful being reminded that she also faced school ‘ugly bitches’ like my daughter. The good thing is that after all these years, we can laugh as Urvi’s performance drew laughter and applause, offering a light-hearted pause before the evening’s close.
Oh yes, one suggestion from Indian Australian U for ‘Uncle ji’ (me), please speak a little slowly, remember half
As the formal program wrapped, the guests moved into a networking session with light refreshments.
Two members of the 2025 cohort: Dickie Currer, Victorian Startup Ecosystem Hero of the Year 2025, and another emerging leader working on clean-tech solutions. Both delegates shared insights into their projects and their expectations for the Mumbai and Delhi meetings scheduled for 15–18 September.
Who is Dickie Currer: He embodies AIYD’s spirit of boundary-breaking leadership. As founder of Hype Man Media, the man champions Australian tech and innovation on the world stage while importing global ideas back home, using storytelling, events and advisory work to educate a growing community.
Through Future Connected—his global startup advisory—he forges cross-border partnerships among governments, investors and entrepreneurs in India, China and Southeast Asia. A recognised ecosystem builder, Dickie serves as Mentor in Residence for ACS Labs, Co-National Lead of Tech Australia Advocates, Entrepreneur in Residence at the Wade Institute, International Growth Advisor at Young Change Agents and ambassador for several related initiatives.
Named the 2025 Victorian Startup Ecosystem Hero of the Year, he is on a personal mission to inspire one million entrepreneurs worldwide to think and act globally for greater impact, deeper collaboration and a more equitable future—drawing on insights from visits to 69 countries and counting.
AIYD 2025 will convene 30 delegates—15 from each country—in Mumbai from 15–17 September, before moving to Delhi on 18 September for a final day of workshops and policy roundtables. Over four days, participants will draft joint position papers on leadership models suited to the Indo-Pacific, meet with senior policymakers and explore mentorship opportunities with alumni networks.
Since its founding in 2012, AIYD has built a strong alumni community of more than 250 young professionals across politics, business, academia and the arts. Past delegates include federal and state MPs, start-up founders and cultural ambassadors. AIYD co-chairs Michelle Jasper and Damian Thompson said they look forward to seeing this year’s group carry forward new ideas into their fields and Australia-India relations more broadly.
The Melbourne launch set a clear agenda: to understand how leadership must adapt in an era of rapid change, and to strengthen the people-to-people ties that underpin the Australia-India partnership. With the groundwork now laid, attention turns to the delegates themselves—and the next chapter of dialogue in Mumbai and Delhi.
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