PM Modi Announces New Consulate In Brisbane; Unveils Stone For ‘Little India’ In Sydney

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that a new consulate will be opened soon in Brisbane and thanked his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese for renaming Harris Park in Sydney as ‘Little India’.

“Friends, now that I am here with you, I want to make an announcement. The long-standing demand of the Indian community in Brisbane will now be fulfilled by opening up a new Indian consulate soon,” Modi said addressing the 20,000-plus strong Indian community gathered at the Qudos Bank Arena Stadium.

He highlighted the deepening engagement between India and Australia, and said that a Indian Consulate would be opened in Brisbane.

Modi also thanked Albanese for renaming Harris Park in Sydney as ‘Little India’. “Thank you my friend Anthony,” Modi told Albanese as the latter made the announcement to declare Harris Park as ‘Little India’ at the community event.

Both Prime Ministers jointly unveiled the foundation stone for a ‘Little India’ Gateway to be built in Harris Park in Parramatta, Western Sydney, which is home to a large Indian community.

Home to many popular Indian eateries and retailers, Harris Park is informally referred to as ‘Little India’ with 45 per cent of its 5,043 residents tracing their roots to India.

The diaspora community in the western Sydney suburb had renewed calls to officially declare their area as ‘Little India’.

The Indian business owners had first proposed officially naming the area Little India in 2015, believing that the title would benefit them.

In his address, Modi highlighted “Mutual Trust and Mutual Respect” as the foundation of the close historical ties between India and Australia, and underscored the numerous elements that bind the two countries. He lauded the contribution and success of the Indian community in Australia, calling them cultural and brand Ambassadors of India.

The Prime Minister outlined India’s growing achievements on a global scale, and noted that the world was increasingly interested in India’s success stories.