Australians head to Kerala for ‘mind, body, soul’ experience

01/11/2008 0 Comments read Travel

Munnar is a hill station located in the Idukki district of the south-western Indian state of Kerala. Photo Credit: © Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Melbourne, 01.11.2008 (IANS): Australians, with their fondness for the outdoor and growing interest in yoga, meditation and ayurveda, are going all out to experience the beaches, backwaters, nature and culture of ‘god’s own country’ – Kerala.

With arrival figures from Australia in the last five years increasing by a staggering 160 percent, Australia has become the seventh largest tourism market for the south Indian state.

“The volume of tourists has doubled year after year with Kerala emerging as one of the most popular states. The Aussie tourist is now looking for exploring more than just the golden triangle – Delhi, Agra and Jaipur,” Andre Rasquinha of the Melbourne-based Travel Talk Holidays told IANS.

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‘India can offer cost-effective clinical trials to Australia’

29/10/2008 0 Comments read Health & Science

By Neena Bhandari

Melbourne, 29.10.2008 (IANS): Australia will need to look beyond the United States and Europe to translate its expertise in basic research into inventing drugs and a cost-effective India can help fill the gap especially in the current economic scenario, says the CEO of an Indian biotech firm.

“Australia has phenomenal strength in basic research in early drug discovery and identifying disease targets. My perception is to somehow translate this early drug discovery into identifying drug candidates for pre-clinical trials and clinical trials, wherein lies India’s strength,” Rashmi H. Barbhaiya, founder and CEO of Bangalore-based Advinus Therapeutics Pvt Ltd, told IANS.

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Indians celebrate Kali Puja in Sydney – for causes in India

28/10/2008 0 Comments read Diaspora

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 28.10.2008 (IANS): Kali Puja in Sydney has attained a deeper meaning for a group of young professional migrants, mainly Bengali, who have been celebrating the festival with much fanfare to raise funds for charitable projects in India.

“We have all shared a dream of helping the less privileged sections of society in and around Kolkata. We feel, in our own small way, we can make a difference. This year we have been able to raise A$ 4,000 (Rs.123,925), which will go towards funding higher education for disadvantaged students and a mental asylum in Kolkata”, says Aditi Coomar, a town planner who migrated here with her husband, Indranil, five years ago.

“Growing up in India, I could appreciate the difficulties people faced to survive; so when I migrated to Australia, I was determined to help the community back home. Instead of donating to an organisation, I wanted to get directly involved and Kali puja was a good platform to get as many people as possible involved in a good cause,” Coomar told IANS.

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