# Pawan Luthra

Pawan Luthra (born 30 November 1962) is an Australian journalist, media executive and financial advisor. He is the CEO of the Indian Link Media Group, one of the oldest India-focused media organisations in Australia, and Principal Advisor at Wealth Creation Advisors. Pawan has been listed as one of the top 25 most influential Indian-Australians in New South Wales. His newspaper Indian Link has won over 30 media awards and has an estimated readership of over 160,000 per edition.

## Early life

Pawan was born 30 November 1962 in New Delhi, India. He was actively involved in media in his youth, presenting a weekly half-hour youth program on Indian public service broadcaster Doordarshan between 1979 and 1985. In 1985, he moved to Sydney, Australia.

## Career

Pawan started Indian Link in 1994 with Rajni Luthra. Rajni is the Editor of Indian Link. Pawan started the newspaper as a means of connecting the Indian community and to help the diaspora integrate into Australian life. Initially launched as a Sydney-focused publication, Pawan and Rajni expanded Indian Link to Melbourne in 1998.
In 2002, they started Indian Link Radio, the radio arm of the Indian Link Media Group and the first 24/7 Indian radio station to broadcast in Sydney and Melbourne. It receives over 20,000 listeners. For a long period of time, the newspaper ran fortnightly in Sydney, and a monthly in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. Indian Link's weekly e-newsletter reaches over 48,000 subscribers. In 2016, Shayne Mallard, former member of the NSW Legislative Council of New South Wales, described Indian Link as "more than a voice for the community, it's a vehicle for change and a voyage of discovery." He also stated "It is not uncommon to walk through streets in the suburbs of Sydney such as Liverpool and Parramatta where every newsagent and Indian-associated shop has on its doorstop copies of the magazines and newspapers of their community. Indian Link is the most popular."
Pawan continues to produce regular stories for Indian Link. On the Colours of Australia Podcast, he described some of his most memorable experiences with the paper as "keeping someone alive" and "saving a marriage".
Indian Link celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019 and its 30th anniversary in 2024. On its 25th anniversary, then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote to Pawan extending his "warmest congratulations to the staff and readers of Indian Link as you celebrate your 25th anniversary year." In 2024, Pawan hosted Indian Link's 30th anniversary celebration in Parliament House, Sydney.
He is also the host of the Pawan Luthra podcast, which he started in 2024. He has featured Australian politician Jodi McKay, former Australian cricketers Mark Waugh and Brett Lee, and Barry O'Farrell on his podcast.

## Awards and recognition

In 2011, Pawan won the Community Harmony Award at the inaugural Premier's Indian Subcontinent Community Awards. The award was given to him by then NSW Premier Kristina Keneally.
In 2012, Pawan won three awards at the Premier's Multicultural Communications Awards: Multicultural Journalist of the Year, the award for Editorial/News Reporting, and Online Innovation in News Blog or News Website Design.
In the 2013 edition of the awards, he and Rajni won Best News Report of the Year for their story titled 'Literature of Anguish' and Best Image of the Year. He shared the latter with Rajni Luthra; both won Best Publication of the Year for Indian Link.
In the 2014 edition, he won Best Print Report.
In the 2015 edition, he won the News Reporting Award. Indian Link won Best Publication.
In 2022, Pawan won a NSW Premier's Multicultural Media Award for Best Text Report. He shared the award with Rajni Luthra.

## Other endeavours

Pawan is a board member of 2RPH, an Australian radio reading service that reads newspapers and magazines.
He is a multicultural ambassador for Cricket Australia. He was a 'Champion" of the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup and 2022 Men's T20 World Cup, a position appointed by the International Cricket Council designed to promote diversity and inclusion in the context of the World Cup.
He is a member of Independent Multicultural Media Australia. He was a community representative of the NSW Migration Heritage Centre.
Through his financial advisory practice, he is a financial advisor to the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
In 2019, he and Rajni Luthra joined Sydney Festival's philanthropic program.
He was a regular guest on The Drum, produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation until its cancellation in December 2023, and often contributes to the Journos Forum, a segment on the Drive program on ABC Radio Sydney.
He was a foundation member of the Liberal Friends of India organisation.