Chats Over Chai

With Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi's visit to Australia this week, CEO Lisa Singh joins Australian parliamentarian Tim Watts MP, Special Envoy for Indian Ocean Affairs, for the latest episode of Chats Over Chai.  The pair unpack the opportunities in the bilateral relationship, six years into the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the role of the Indian diaspora for Australia Indi...

CEO Lisa Singh joins Melbourne-born chef and MasterChef Australia finalist Kishwar Chowdhury to delve into the cultural stories behind her new book 'Smoke, Rice, Water', for this episode of Chats Over Chai. Drawing on her experience as a second-generation migrant, Kishwar shares stories of cooking Bengali dishes combined with local produce and methods. Her personal approach to Bengali cu...

The Australia India Institute hosted ‘Transforming Lives Through Education: In Conversation with Asha Founder Dr Kiran Martin' at the University of Melbourne on Wednesday, May 13.  Meaning ‘hope’ in Hindi, Asha has helped more than a million people living in slum communities in Delhi through its healthcare services, education and community development programmes since Dr Kiran Martin began wo...

In the latest episode of Chats over Chai, Head of Cultural Diplomacy Sudip Chakraborty sits down with the artists behind the Indo Jazz-Fusion band The Three Seas - a dynamic collaboration between Indian folk musicians and Australian Jazz musicians - to explore how music can bridge cultures and create new soundscapes. Artists Matt Keegan, Raju Das Baul, Gaurab Chatterjee, Deo Ashish Mothey and Amy...

In the latest episode of Chats Over Chai, Research Fellow Dr Alice Garner is joined by Helene Rooks, CEO of the Vocational and Applied Learning Association and Jaynifer Iqbal, teacher at Delhi Public School to discuss how teachers can learn from each other to deliver more practical, skills-based education. Drawing on a bilateral collaboration between India and Australia, the conversation reflects...

In the latest episode of Chats Over Chai, CEO Lisa Singh sits down with Dr Preeti Mudliar, CAIR Maitri Fellow, to explore how digital infrastructure is reshaping welfare systems, food security and concepts of citizenship. Lisa and Preeti unpack India’s biometric-mediated food security system, examine the growing role of technology in governance, and discuss how digital infrastructure is redefining...

The Institute hosted an panel discussion on ‘Two Decades of Australia-India Relations: Insights from High Commissioners Past and Present’ in Delhi on Thursday, 5 March. Moderated by CEO Lisa Singh, the panel featured current Australian High Commissioner to India, His Excellency Philip Green OAM (2023 – present) and former Australian High Commissioner’s to India, Mr Patrick Suckling (2013-2016) and...

In the latest episode of Chats over Chai, Research Fellow Alice Garner sits down with Piyali Somaia, founder of Kahini, for a conversation on culture, community and creative pathways to wellbeing.  Piyali reflects on her family’s migration journey to Australia and how it has shaped her work through Kahini, an organisation that brings together art, health, community and collaboration to deliver inn...

In the first episode of Chats over Chai for 2026, CEO Lisa Singh sat down with Victorian Member for Mulgrave, Eden Foster MP, for a thoughtful and timely conversation about cultural diversity in Australia’s democracy. As the first woman of Indian heritage elected to Victoria’s Legislative Assembly, Eden shares her personal journey into public life and reflects on what meaningful representation loo...

Ahead of the 10th edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, CEO Lisa Singh sits down with Melbourne based artists, Nuala Furtado, CEO of The Substation, and Vijay Thillaimuthu, a Tamil-Australian audio-visual and laser artist to discuss their practice. In this episode, Lisa explores how their work is shaping global conversations on art and inclusivity. Together, they delve into what is need...

Cricket isn’t just a game; it is a powerful cultural bridge between Australia and India.  In our latest episode of Chats Over Chai, we asked author and technologist Nikhil Kulkarni what inspired his debut book ' My Summer of Cricket' , and how the stories and memories in it capture the joy, humour and emotion of being a fan. Tune in to hear why cricket continues to resonate across both c...

In the lead-up to Australia Sports Innovation Week 2025 and the Australia India T20 cricket match, Andrew Walton, Managing Director of Sports Tech World Series, joins Head of Cultural Diplomacy Sudip Chakraborty to explore how technology is transforming the global sports landscape.  In this episode, Andrew shares insights on Victoria's vibrant sports ecosystem and discusses the exciting oppor...

In this new episode of Chats Over Chai, Dr Alice Garner sits down with genealogist and record agent Rachel Croucher to explore the fascinating world of tracing Indian and South Asian heritage in Australia. Rachel brings over 20 years of experience in historical research and genealogy, specialising in helping families uncover their ancestral stories. Her personal journey of discovering her own Punj...

Indian-born, Melbourne-based chef Helly Raichura and author of The Food of Bharat sits down with CEO of the Australia India Institute, Lisa Singh to discuss her passion for cooking authentic Indian regional cuisine with Australian produce which led to her opening her restaurant, Enter via Laundry.  In this episode Helly shares her migrant story from India to Australia, and how food diplomacy serve...

How is AFL bringing together Australian and Indian communities and how can sports can be used as a powerful tool for cultural diplomacy, identity and stronger bilateral ties? CEO Lisa Singh joins incoming Head of Cultural Diplomacy at the Australia India Institute, Sudip Chakraborty, to discuss the impact of AFL on his journey to Australia, from founding the national governing body of AFL India to...

In this new episode of Chats Over Chai, Research Fellow and Director of Security and Geopolitics, Dr Samuel Bashfield, sits down with Dr. Robert Mizo, a visiting Japan Foundation Fellow from the University of Delhi, to discuss the critical intersection of maritime security and climate change.  The pair explored how climate-related challenges reshape security paradigms in the Indo-Pacific region, t...

In this new episode of Chats Over Chai, Aii’s defence researcher, Dr Samuel Bashfield, sits down with Rajat Kulshrestha, CEO of Space Machines Company, who has held various roles as an investor, advisor, founder, director and executive across technology-driven sectors and has trained as an aerospace engineer.  The pair delve into the evolving space domain, the key opportunities and challenges face...

The Australia India Institute hosted a webinar on ‘Democracy Decoded: Australia's Election and the Indo-Pacific' on Wednesday, April 30 2025 at 5pm AEDT. As geopolitical tensions rise with US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy and current trade wars, the result of the Australian election in May will have consequences far beyond Australia’s borders. This timely webinar...

In a special live recording of Chats Over Chai, CEO Lisa Singh sits down with the authors of the Institute's landmark defence report, "Building a Resilient Australia India Defence Relationship: Options for the next decade", Mr Kim Heriot-Darragh and Dr Gaurav Saini, to discuss the future of the Australia India defence relationship, amidst the geopolitical uncertainty facing the Indo...

In the first 2025 episode of Chats Over Chai , CEO Lisa Singh is joined by India’s Consul General in Sydney, Dr S Janakiraman, a career diplomat, who shares insights on the growing business ties between India and Australia. From the surge in trade to the rise of Indian tech startups, and the strategic role of the Indian diaspora, there's plenty to look forward to in 2025. The pair deep dive i...

With the election of Donald Trump to the White House, the Quad stands at a critical juncture as the incoming US administration presents significant geopolitical shifts for US engagement in the Indo-Pacific. In this webinar, leading experts in foreign policy examined how these shifts in US foreign policy could reshape one of the region's most consequential multilateral groupings. Drawing on th...

In this episode of Chats Over Chai , CEO Lisa Singh is joined with Professor T.V. Paul, an expert on international security and South Asian geopolitics at McGill University, Canada to discuss India’s rise as a major global power.  Drawing on his recent book The Unfinished Quest: India’s Search for Major Power Status from Nehru to Modi , Professor Paul offers a nuanced analysis of India's traj...

Recorded live at the University of Melbourne, CEO Lisa Singh hosted award-winning author, diplomat, and politician Dr Shashi Tharoor on November 13. They delve into Dr Tharoor's political views, leaders who have influenced him, India and its place in the world, the current global geopolitical shifts and impact of the US election outcome, and the growing significance of the Australia-India rel...

Recorded in Chennai, India, Lisa Singh visits Dr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR), Tamil Nadu's Minister of Information Technology and Digital Services. Dr Rajan brings deep insights into Tamil Nadu’s impressive growth story and its growing connections with key states of Australia.  They dive deep into Tamil Nadu’s transformation into becoming India’s top investment hub, its leadership in renewa...

CEO Lisa Singh was joined by stalwarts of foreign policy and the Australia-India relationship, Ambassador Anil Wadhwa, Mr Peter Varghese AO, and Dr Pradeep Taneja at a panel event at the University of Melbourne on September 4, 2024, exploring the burgeoning partnership between the two nations amidst the evolving strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific.   They delved into how both nations navigate...