The New Face of Power, How Roshena Campbell and Melbourne’s Indian Diaspora Are Redefining a City
In the grand narrative of global migration, the story of the Indian diaspora has always been one of quiet perseverance and gradual integration. But in Melbourne, Australia, that story has reached a new chapter—one where a woman of Bengali heritage sits in the deputy lord mayor’s chambers, where Dosa Hut is as ubiquitous as McDonald’s, and where a “Little India Precinct” is set to join the city’s historic Chinatown and Little Italy. Roshena Campbell, the first Indian-Australian to hold the office of deputy lord mayor of Melbourne, is not just a symbol of this transformation; she is its embodiment.
Seated in her Town Hall chambers on one of Melbourne’s warmest January days, Campbell cuts a figure of understated authority. She wears her historic achievement lightly, much like the pale pink blazer she sports, but the weight of her journey—and the journey of the community she represents—is profound. As the only child of immigrant parents, her personal story mirrors the broader trajectory of the Indian diaspora in Australia: from tentative beginnings to a position of civic power and cultural embeddedness. In an era of rising anti-immigrant sentiment in parts of the Western world, Melbourne under leaders like Campbell is offering a different model—one of stability, welcome, and mutual growth.
From Kolkata to the Town Hall: A Personal Journey of Migration
Roshena Campbell’s story begins not in Melbourne, but with the ambitions of a young man who arrived in Australia in the 1970s as an international student. Her father, Swarup Dutta, came to study architecture, stepping into a country that was then only beginning to open its doors to non-European migration. He met his future wife, Sumatra Dutta, under serendipitous circumstances—she was visiting from Kolkata on holiday, staying with her sister. They married, built a life, and raised their family in their adopted homeland.
This is the classic migrant narrative, but its endpoint is anything but ordinary. Roshena, born of this union, would go on to become a barrister, a political figure, and ultimately, the deputy lord mayor of one of the world’s most liveable cities. She moved from Sydney to Melbourne at the age of 17 to pursue her education, a decision that set her on a path to public service. Now married to political editor James Campbell, she is raising four children of her own, aged between two and twelve, continuing the cycle of building a life in a new land.
“I’m personally invested in that journey,” she says, and the words carry the weight of lived experience. Her ascent is not an anomaly but a culmination—a testament to the possibilities that open up when a society embraces its migrant communities and when those communities, in turn, pour their energies into the fabric of their new home.
The Numbers Tell the Story: A Diaspora’s Exponential Growth
Campbell’s personal story is set against a backdrop of staggering demographic change. Indian student enrolments in Australia have grown exponentially over the past two decades. In 2025, the number of Indian students in Australia stood at 159,530—an increase of 31,000 from the pre-pandemic peak and nearly seven times higher than in 2005.
These are not just statistics; they are the lifeblood of Melbourne’s economy and cultural vitality. International education is one of Australia’s largest export sectors, and Indian students form a critical part of that ecosystem. But Campbell is keen to emphasize that the relationship has moved beyond the transactional model of “study and return.” The goal, she argues, is to create pathways for students to build careers and, if they choose, to make a life in Australia.
“Prospects for Indians in Melbourne remain strong,” she asserts, even as hiring slows across much of the Western world. This optimism is grounded in concrete economic developments. Major Indian IT companies have established their country headquarters in Melbourne, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of opportunity. Infosys, which has been present for over 25 years, serves as the digital partner for the Australian Open. Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, and Firstsource have also made significant commitments to expand their head offices in the city.
During her most recent visit to India in late 2024, Campbell, along with lord mayor Nicholas Reece, engaged with stakeholders to reinforce these ties. The result, she says, will be tangible: “There will be around a thousand new jobs in total across these companies in Melbourne.” For Indian students, this means a unique opportunity: to study in Melbourne and then find a career with an Indian tech company based there. “They can see where that takes them—whether that means they create a life for themselves here in Melbourne, or they decide to move back to India.”
This bidirectional flow—of talent, capital, and culture—represents a mature, sophisticated relationship between the diaspora and their country of origin. It is not a one-way street of brain drain, but a dynamic exchange that enriches both sides.
Stability in an Unstable World: Melbourne’s Competitive Advantage
In making the case for Melbourne as a premier destination for Indian students and migrants, Campbell draws a sharp contrast with the political climate in other parts of the Anglosphere. “Whether that is the UK, where some pretty fierce debates on immigration are happening, or the United States, where there is a real lack of certainty,” she notes, the environment elsewhere is increasingly fraught.
The UK has indeed witnessed heated political battles over immigration targets and student visa policies, creating an atmosphere of unpredictability for international students. The United States, under the spectre of potential policy swings, offers little guarantee of a stable pathway from student visa to permanent residency. In this context, Australia’s relative political stability becomes a powerful competitive advantage.
“We have a stable government here in Australia, and from a Melbourne perspective, we have the back of international students,” Campbell says with conviction. “We will always be making the case for them to not only study in this country, but also to be able to make a life here for themselves.”
This is not merely rhetorical. It reflects a conscious policy orientation at the city level, one that recognizes the immense value that international students bring—not just in tuition fees, but as future workers, entrepreneurs, taxpayers, and citizens. By offering a clear and welcoming pathway, Melbourne positions itself as a haven for global talent at a time when other destinations are erecting barriers.
A City of Precincts: Adding Little India to the Mosaic
Melbourne’s identity has long been forged in its multicultural precincts. It is home to the oldest continuous Chinatown in the Western world, dating back to the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s. It boasts a Little Italy, a Greek Precinct, and Koreatown—each a vibrant node of cultural and culinary life. To this mosaic, the City of Melbourne is now committed to adding a Little India Precinct during the current four-year council term.
For Campbell, this is more than an urban planning project; it is a declaration of belonging. “I’m excited for the opportunity to celebrate Diwali and Holi there,” she says. “The idea that if you want to buy a sari or a piece of jewellery, it can be done.” Crucially, she envisions the precinct as a space for all Melburnians, not just those of Indian origin. “That will not just be for our Indian community, it will be for every Melburnian to celebrate Indian culture.”
The establishment of a Little India Precinct is a formal recognition that the Indian diaspora is no longer a peripheral community but a central pillar of the city’s identity. It is a space where culture is not just preserved but performed and shared, enriching the broader civic fabric.
Beyond Butter Chicken: The Culinary Mainstreaming of India
No conversation about the Indian diaspora is complete without addressing food, and Campbell is quick to point out how far Australian understanding of Indian cuisine has evolved. For much of the Western world, Indian food was once reduced to a narrow lexicon of butter chicken, tikka masala, and naan. Melbourne, she argues, has long moved beyond that stereotype.
She points to the rapid expansion of Dosa Hut, an Australian Indian restaurant chain that has pioneered authentic South Indian cuisine in the region. “Dosa Hut is in people’s minds now in the way that McDonald’s was in the 90s,” she observes. The chain’s outlets are not confined to cosmopolitan Melbourne; they have spread to regional areas like Bendigo, a testament to the growing reach and acceptance of Indian culture.
“The fact that you not only have outlets in cities like Melbourne, but also in regional areas of Victoria, like Bendigo, that’s unsurprising because Melbourne has the largest and fastest-growing diaspora. Indian culture is now embedded in the DNA of this city.”
When asked to choose between dosa and butter chicken, Campbell, ever the diplomat, refuses to be pinned down. “As a Bengali, I do have a particular fondness for…” she trails off, but the implication is clear: the menu is too rich, too varied, to be reduced to a single choice. It is a fitting metaphor for the Indian-Australian experience itself—a rich, layered, and endlessly evolving fusion.
Conclusion: The Future is Multicultural
Roshena Campbell’s story is a powerful testament to the possibilities of multiculturalism when it is backed by stable policy, economic opportunity, and genuine civic inclusion. Her rise is not an isolated phenomenon but a reflection of Melbourne’s broader transformation into a truly global city. With its largest and fastest-growing diaspora, its commitment to welcoming international students, and its plans for a Little India Precinct, Melbourne is forging a model of integration that other Western cities would do well to study.
As anti-immigrant sentiment surges in parts of the world, Melbourne offers a counter-narrative: one where diversity is not a burden to be managed but an asset to be cultivated. And at the heart of that narrative sits a woman of Bengali heritage, in a pale pink blazer, making the case for a future where everyone is welcome at the table.
Q&A: Unpacking Roshena Campbell’s Melbourne
Q1: Why is Roshena Campbell’s position as deputy lord mayor significant for the Indian diaspora?
A: Her position is significant because it represents the transition from mere presence to political power. For decades, the Indian diaspora in Australia was largely visible in professional fields like medicine, IT, and small business. But holding high public office is a different order of influence. It means having a seat at the table where decisions are made about resource allocation, urban planning, and civic priorities. As the first Indian-Australian to hold this office, Campbell is both a symbol and an agent. She demonstrates to the broader community that Indian-Australians are integral to the city’s leadership, and she provides the diaspora with a direct voice in the corridors of power.
Q2: What is the significance of Indian IT companies expanding in Melbourne for Indian students?
A: It creates a virtuous cycle. Traditionally, international students faced a difficult choice: study abroad and then either struggle to find local work or return to an uncertain job market in India. The expansion of Indian IT giants like Infosys, HCL, and Tech Mahindra in Melbourne offers a “best of both worlds” scenario. Students can get a world-class Australian education and then walk into a job with an Indian company that understands their cultural context, values their skills, and offers global career trajectories. This blurs the line between “studying abroad” and “migrating,” making Melbourne an attractive destination for those who want international exposure without completely severing ties with the Indian corporate ecosystem.
Q3: How does Melbourne’s approach to immigration differ from that of the UK or the US?
A: The key difference, as Campbell highlights, is stability and predictability. In the UK, immigration policy has become a political football, with frequent changes to student visa rules and post-study work rights creating uncertainty for prospective students. In the US, the H-1B visa system is a lottery, and the path from student visa to green card is notoriously long and precarious. Melbourne, by contrast, offers a more settled policy environment. At the city level, there is explicit political support for international students, and the federal system provides clearer pathways to permanent residency for skilled graduates. This certainty is a major competitive advantage, allowing students to plan their lives and careers with confidence.
Q4: What does the proposed “Little India Precinct” represent for Melbourne’s identity?
A: It represents the formalization and celebration of Indian culture as a core component of Melbourne’s identity. Melbourne already has historic ethnic precincts like Chinatown and Little Italy, which are major tourist attractions and points of civic pride. Adding a Little India Precinct signals that the Indian community has achieved a similar level of permanence and influence. It provides a physical, geographical anchor for cultural celebration—a place where Diwali and Holi can be celebrated publicly, where Indian goods and cuisine are easily accessible, and where all Melburnians can experience the richness of Indian culture. It transforms the community from an invisible minority into a visible, celebrated part of the city’s fabric.
Q5: Why is the popularity of Dosa Hut in regional Victoria considered a significant cultural marker?
A: The spread of Dosa Hut to regional areas like Bendigo is significant because it indicates that Indian food—and by extension, Indian culture—has moved beyond the cosmopolitan capital cities and into the mainstream Australian consciousness. When a South Indian restaurant chain achieves the kind of brand recognition that Campbell compares to McDonald’s in the 90s, it means that dosas, idlis, and sambar are no longer exotic, niche items. They are becoming part of the standard Australian culinary vocabulary. This deep cultural penetration suggests that the Indian diaspora is not just present in Australia, but is actively shaping the country’s tastes, habits, and daily life, even in places far from the urban centres.
