PM Modi’s Melbourne visit
For most people, a community reception lasts just a few hours. For the organising committee behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed upcoming Melbourne visit, it represents months of planning, countless meetings and the dedication of hundreds of volunteers working towards one common goal.
Leading much of that effort is the Australia India Foundation’s Jay Shah, who has been involved in the organisation of the previous two community receptions for Prime Minister Modi in Australia. While the two Sydney events in 2014 and 2023 drew enormous crowds and international attention, Jay says Melbourne’s event is shaping up to be even bigger.
“There is tremendous excitement,” he says. “Not just in Melbourne, but right across Australia. People genuinely want to be part of this historic occasion.”
(Preparations for the event are in full swing even as reports emerge that Iran has invited Mr Modi to attend the state funeral of its second Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in February. The three-day mourning period coincides with Mr Modi’s proposed visit to Australia and, at the time of publication, India had not responded to the invitation.)
The enthusiasm in Melbourne has surprised even the organisers. Registrations have flowed in from every corner of the country, with people planning to travel from Perth, Darwin, Adelaide, Brisbane and beyond. The interest has even extended overseas.
“One gentleman contacted me to say his 80-year-old mother is visiting from Fiji and is hoping to attend,” Jay recalls. “Those are the stories that tell you how much this visit means to people.”
According to Jay, the excitement comes down to one simple factor.
“Whenever Prime Minister Modi speaks, he connects with people,” he says. “Whether you’re sitting in Los Angeles, Paris, Auckland or Sydney, he has an ability to make every person feel like he is speaking directly to them. That’s a rare quality.”
Behind the scenes, however, turning that excitement into a successful event is no small task.
Some 300 volunteers are expected to contribute to the project, supporting in registration teams, logistics coordinators and technology specialists working across multiple cities. More than 400 community organisations have also joined as ‘welcome partners’, reflecting the extraordinary diversity of Australia’s Indian diaspora.
“We’re fortunate to have an incredible team,” Jay says. “People are giving their evenings, weekends and holidays because they want to contribute. Technology has also helped us enormously. We don’t always need to be in the same room to keep everything moving.”
The committee has spent months meeting with community organisations across Melbourne’s northern, western, eastern and south-eastern suburbs, ensuring every part of the community has an opportunity to participate.
Yet despite the scale of the operation, Jay believes the biggest challenge is not logistics.
“The biggest challenge is managing expectations,” he admits. “Everyone wants to meet the Prime Minister, shake his hand, take a selfie or present a portrait they made. We completely understand these emotions because people genuinely feel a personal connection with him.”
The organisers have worked hard to streamline registrations and communicate regularly with attendees, ensuring the process remains transparent while balancing the security and operational requirements that accompany a visit by a world leader.
Having helped organise the two previous receptions, Jay says each event has become progressively larger and more complex.
“It hasn’t necessarily become more difficult,” he says with a smile. “It’s simply become bigger.”
Despite spending as many as 12 hours a day on preparations, Jay is quick to deflect any personal recognition.
“This is never about one individual,” he insists. “It’s always about the team.”
He points to volunteers such as Gurpreet Varma, Amit Karand and Dr Anil Asthana (who, after completing surgery during the day, still dedicates his evenings to planning the event), as examples of the commitment driving the project.
“Our souvenir will actually include the names of every volunteer,” Jay says. “Everyone deserves recognition because every contribution matters.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s invitation to the Indian Prime Minister to attend the funeral of the late Iranian leader has sparked discussion about its potential impact on his proposed visit to Australia and New Zealand. Given the significance of the funeral and India’s strategic relationship with Iran, there may be diplomatic pressure for the Prime Minister to adjust his travel plans. However, cancelling or postponing a high-profile visit to Australia and New Zealand could affect important bilateral engagements, trade discussions, and regional cooperation initiatives. Any decision would require balancing diplomatic sensitivities, international commitments, and India’s broader foreign policy priorities in a rapidly evolving situation.
Nonetheless, as anticipation builds ahead of the Prime Minister’s arrival, Jay hopes the event will leave the same lasting impression as the celebrated Sydney community reception.
“This will be one of those memorable moments for our community,” he says. “Our job is simply to create the platform. Once the Prime Minister steps onto the stage, the rest will take care of itself.”
If the months of planning remain invisible to the thousands of people attending, Jay and his volunteer team will know they have achieved exactly what they set out to do.
For more details of the community reception for Prime Minister Modi in Melbourne, head here
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