Congress boosts NRI outreach in Australia as Manish Tewari chairs Indian Overseas Congress meet in Sydney
Babushahi Bureau
Sydney (Australia), May 20, 2026 — Senior Congress leader and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari chaired an important meeting of office bearers of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) in Sydney, Australia, as the party intensified its outreach among the Indian diaspora.
The meeting, held at Grand Bawarchi in Sydney, was attended by members of the Indian Overseas Congress (Australia), Indian Overseas Youth Congress and several community representatives. Addressing the gathering, Tewari thanked IOC Australia president Manoj Sheoran and other office bearers for attending the interaction despite it being a working day.
Recalling his long association with Australia, Tewari said he first visited the country in 1992 and highlighted the deep cultural and cricketing ties between India and Australia. He noted that the Indian community in Australia has witnessed rapid growth over the past two decades and now plays an important role in Australian society.
Tewari stated that over 10 lakh Indians are currently living in Australia and praised the diaspora for integrating into the country’s social and cultural fabric while maintaining strong roots with India. He also acknowledged that migration often brings challenges but said the contributions of overseas Indians significantly strengthen multicultural societies.
During the interaction, detailed discussions were held on expanding the organisational network of the Indian Overseas Congress and strengthening the Congress party’s engagement with NRIs in Australia. The deliberations focused on increasing membership drives, improving digital outreach and mobilising overseas Indians on issues related to democracy, federalism, unemployment and social harmony.
The Congress MP also urged overseas party workers to remain connected with grassroots workers in India and contribute policy feedback based on the experiences of the global Indian community.
Senior Congress leader Pawan Dewan, along with Roop Sharma, Gurdeep Singh Walia and Harsh Walia, also attended the meeting. The event was joined by Indian Overseas Youth Congress (Australia) president Gurjinder Singh Gavy, IOC Punjab Coordinator Preet Bal, Deepak Raj Gupta OAM, Abbas Alvi, Harinder Singh Bhatti and other IOC members.