Inside this Week
Visa saga rolls on | $10M in Maitri Grants | Joe Speaks Hindi | The Railway Man
Just Wanted to Say
Been up early this morning?
Amazing how the FIFA World Cup has erased time zones. From the Southern Hemisphere, it means alarm clocks before dawn, fans spilling into cafés at 4.30am, sleepy households, and blankets wrapped around those watching from the couch. All for the chance to be part of one giant global moment.
In a world defined by conflict, division and othering, it's heartening that a game can still bring millions together - if only for 90 minutes.
That's reason enough to set the alarm.
Story of the Week
For thousands of Indian Australians waiting for an Indian visa, passport or OCI appointment through VFS Global, a serious disruption is unfolding and the reasons are far more complicated than many people realise.
So, how did we get here?
In Other News
VFS Global is out of contract, fresh tenders are a month away, and Canberra's (also Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Singapore’s) visa services sit in limbo. What actually went wrong inside the MEA's evaluation process?
Grants and scholarships span sport, clean energy, agribusiness and the arts, with diaspora engagement funded as a standalone priority for the first time.
Joe Freeman plays old Bollywood songs on piano, breaks down Hindi proverbs on Instagram, and somehow makes it look effortless. So how did a Northern Beaches kid end up so fluent in Hindi?
Dig dig, dig dig - that childhood sound of trains hooked Prof. Ravi Ravitharan for life. He has now signed a deal that could reshape how India moves 4.4 million tonnes of freight.
Shoutouts
Professor Nalini Joshi from University of Sydney, who was awarded the 2026 Moyal Medal by Macquarie University for her contributions to Mathematics
Actor Rani Mukerji, who will be awarded a Honorary Doctor of Letters by La Trobe University in recognition of her contributions to Indian cinema and her commitment to social advocacy
Theatre-maker Danish Sheikh, who was named as a finalist for the 2026 Griffin Theatre Award for his play Bureaucracy: A Love Story
Victoria University, on securing formal approval to commence teaching in India, becoming the first Victorian university to do so in Delhi.
What’s On
The carrier of a 600-year musical dynasty and one of the most powerful voices in the world, when Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan takes the stage in Sydney, it is not just a concert. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
For more head to our What’s On page.
Say it Again
Uranium has become more than a commodity (between India and Australia). It has become the ultimate symbol of trust. Australia does not sell uranium lightly. Doing so requires confidence not just in safeguards, but in the long-term character of the relationship itself. The fact that Canberra now sees India as a trusted destination for one of its most sensitive exports, speaks volumes about how far both nations have come.
Until next week,
Indian Link
