With Australia’s Indian-born population projected to reach 1.7 million by 2041, Navani says businesses and government organisations must move beyond token multicultural campaigns and build genuine cultural engagement
Australia is entering a major demographic and cultural shift, with Indian-born residents now becoming the country’s largest migrant group for the first time in history. According to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 971,000 Indian-born people now live in Australia, overtaking migrants born in England.
For Ronnie Navani, Founder and CEO of Multicultural Outdoor, the milestone reflects more than changing migration patterns. He believes it marks a new chapter in Australia’s economic and social identity.
-
Indian Australians are playing a growing role across industries including healthcare, technology, education, hospitality and small business
-
Research also shows Indian-born migrants are significantly more likely to start businesses than the average Australian, contributing to innovation, jobs and long-term economic growth
Navani says many brands and advertisers, however, still fail to recognise how much modern Australia has changed.
Reflecting on his own experience after moving to Australia in 2000, he recalls travelling with his grandmother to a distant Indian grocery store in Melbourne. What seemed like a simple shopping trip at the time was, in reality, about staying connected to community, culture and familiar voices from home.
That understanding later shaped his business approach. Navani believes multicultural communities build trust in everyday spaces such as local shops, cafés, sporting clubs and community events — not only through digital advertising or translated campaigns.
He warns that many companies still assume English-speaking migrant communities can be reached solely through mainstream media. But language fluency, he says, does not replace cultural identity or community connection.
“The future of mainstream Australia is already multicultural,” he says. “The industry now needs to catch up.”
