A new consulate will provide one of the "most needed" diplomat services in Queensland, reigniting calls for non-stop flights between India and Brisbane.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told crowds on Wednesday his government would "soon" establish a new Indian consulate in Brisbane after years of lobbying from community leaders.
Federation of India Communities of Queensland president Anoop Nannuru said a new consulate would make obtaining emergency visas "much easier" for Brisbane's rapidly growing Indian community.
The Brisbane-Indian diaspora rely on consulates to obtain emergency visas should a family member abroad become suddenly ill, or to attend the funeral of someone who has died.
But Indian visas can only be issued at consulates in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth, or at the Canberra embassy, forcing prospective travellers to fly interstate.
Mr Nannuru said Brisbane had an honorary consul, Archana Singh, who could assist with visas but could not issue them.
"She answers [her] phone at midnight and she tries to help, but then still [the] visa needs to be processed at [the] Canberra office," he said.
"So somebody has to travel to Canberra overnight and pick up the visa when the office opens at 10 o'clock in the morning."
“Then book a flight, come back to Brisbane or go fly from Brisbane to India or Canberra to India.”
More calls for direct flights
Brisbane Tamil Association founding president Palani Thevar welcomed the new consulate, but said the lack of direct flights between India and Brisbane was troublesome for travellers.
"My elderly mother is aging and has been here [to Brisbane] and wanted to visit us again," Mr Thevar said.
"But she's so reluctant because of the travel time and the difficulties of changing a flight from Singapore and Malaysia to come here."
Mr Thevar said there was "very high" demand for direct flights between Brisbane and India.
"Indians are the second largest migrants, skill migrants and students, we're a great crowd, peace loving, friendly, hassle-free," he said.
It comes as India overtakes China as Brisbane's biggest inbound migration market with 50 passengers arriving each day.
"It [direct flights] will improve the economy in both sites and it will boost the economy for Queensland and it is a great opportunity to see a better future," Mr Thevar said.
"Business communities are still struggling and that would be good to see them have more business [with India and Australia] directly and indirectly helping one another."
'There's a demand for it'
Brisbane Airport spokesperson Peter Doherty said there was enough demand for non-stop flights between Brisbane and India.
"Before COVID, India was the seventh largest inbound market [but] India has now risen to be the fourth biggest inbound market into Brisbane," he said.
"That's a huge turn around to what Queensland traditionally experienced in terms of where our tourists came from."
India has now overtaken the UK as the Brisbane's third biggest outbound market, behind Indonesia and New Zealand.
In 2019, India was the sixth most popular market for the same period.
Mr Doherty said it was an unexpected post-pandemic trend emerging within the past year.
"Lots of those tourists are coming via Singapore but there's enough demand, enough travellers between India and Brisbane to warrant direct flight," he said.
"We do hope to see non-stop flights in the future."
