Dubbed as Australia’s Intellectual Capital, Melbourne attracted a huge cohort of the 37,000 Indians in 2007. More than half or 54 per cent, ie, nearly 20,000 were enrolled in educational institutions in the south-eastern state of Victoria.
Till March 2007, enrolments increased by 8,277, compared to the same period in 2006 and this trend is likely to grow. But for Indian students, to cut the umbilical chord and begin life in a new country can be challenging. Gangireddy Rajashekar Reddy grew up in Hyderabad, where his father worked as a technician.  Reddy had a passion for fixing things. Being good at physics only helped and he joined Loyola Academy to pursue B Sc in electronics. “After graduation, I was a bit confused whether to work or continue further study. I sat various admission tests for post graduation, but couldn’t get into a university of my choice. ”  
Being the only son, the family wasn’t keen on him going overseas. “They were initially upset, but helped me financially.”
Out of the comfort zone and protective care of parents, on arrival in Melbourne, shelling out AUD200 for a taxi and one-night hotel stay in Melbourne came as a rude shock. “But, people at the university gave me clear instructions on how to go about thing.”“I worked in a chocolate factory on the outskirts of Melbourne, earning AUD60 for six hours, twice a week. It helped pay for my food and rent for shared accommodation. I got tutorship after the first semester and did other odd jobs to pay the tuition fee during the second and third semester. It was tough to work and study and do well”.
At the end of the three year IT Engineering course from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Reddy applied for permanent residence and joined the East Coburg Cricket Club. Finally, diligence and perseverance paid off and today Reddy is a Flying Officer with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Six weeks into the RAAF Initial Officers Course, Reddy says, “It is exciting to be working with one of the best technologies in the world. We are a class of 24 and have been abseiling recently. I find some of these activities challenging as in India, you grow up in such a protected environment. I am learning leadership and management skills, so very essential in our daily lives.” When he graduates from the Officers Training School in August, he will be posted to an operational base to take up his duties as an engineer. Reddy will complete a range of engineering specialist courses over the next two years. A confident person today, he says, “It has been worth the struggle. This is one of the best places to live and a career with the RAAF is more than I could hope for. Every RAAF base has a cricket team!” Wing Commander Anthony Dolin, who is Commanding Officer of the Officers’ Training School says, “Air Force is reflecting the cultural diversity of Australia. We have about 10 Indians in an annual batch of 300 students. It is a demanding course, but they bond quickly and build a sense of camaraderie.” He says Indian students adapt easily to the Australian way of life and values.
“On an average, they are a bit quieter than other students, but they excel in their studies and all look forward to serving our nation.”