There is a particular kind of woman who arrives at a pageant stage not because she has always dreamed of it, but because she has run out of smaller platforms. Shruthi Ashwathappa is that woman. An IT consultant who spends her working days in the measured logic of systems and code, she did not grow up imagining a crown. She grew up watching talented girls go quiet.
“Growing up, I saw so many talented girls hold themselves back — not because they lacked ability, but because they lacked confidence, support, or a safe space to express themselves,” she says. “That really stayed with me.”
Ashwathappa is originally from Bangalore and completed her Master’s in Information Technology at Swinburne University of Technology before settling into a consulting career in Melbourne. On paper, it is a tidy story of migration and professional ambition. In practice, her life has been considerably more layered. Alongside her IT work, she mentors early-career graduates, trains in yoga and fitness through Aswath International Academy in Bangalore, represents Victoria in the traditional Indian team sport Kho Kho, and advocates for youth mental health through the organisation batyr. She is also, as of this year, a national finalist in the Australia Galaxy Pageants, representing Victoria on the national stage.
She entered the competition on a whim, she says — out of curiosity. But curiosity, for Ashwathappa, tends to become conviction. “My pageant journey began with curiosity and quickly became aligned with what I wanted to achieve — using this platform to empower others and make a meaningful impact.” The frivolous version of this story did not last long.
Much of what drives her can be traced to her late father, whose dedication to supporting underprivileged children in education left a deep impression. It is a thread that runs quietly through everything she does — the belief that opportunities, when they exist, carry an obligation. “Representing Victoria is an honour,” she says. “It means showcasing the state’s diversity and values on a national stage, while using this platform to inspire and make a positive impact.”
The initiative she has built around that conviction is called Project VoiceOut. Founded by Ashwathappa herself, it is focused on helping young girls and women find what she describes, simply and without flourish, as their voice. “Through this project, I aim to create platforms — whether through workshops, mentorship, or community engagement — where young women can speak up, share their stories, and realise their full potential.” The emphasis, she is careful to say, is on action rather than abstraction. “It’s not just about empowerment as a concept. It’s about helping one girl at a time believe in herself enough to create change — not just in her own life, but in her community.”
The work is early. Ashwathappa is candid about that. She has led online meditation sessions focused on self-love and self-expression in collaboration with Aswath International Academy, and conducted a yoga session for around fifteen women through Kritha for Women — a session she describes as creating “a safe space for connection and growth.” She has run a 5K to encourage women in her circle to step outside their comfort zones. The numbers are modest for now, but the shape of something larger is visible in her plans.
Shruthi Ashwathappa came to pageantry the long way around — through grief, sport, and a quiet conviction that confidence is something that can be taught
Mental health sits close to the centre of it all. Ashwathappa supports batyr, an Australian organisation that works to shift the way young people think and talk about mental health. Her involvement is primarily through advocacy — using her platform to normalise the conversation, particularly among young people who, as she puts it, “silently struggle.” “I believe early support, open dialogue, and breaking stigma can truly change lives,” she says. “Through my platform, I want to empower young people to prioritise their mental wellbeing and feel confident asking for help.”
Sport, unexpectedly, has been one of the more grounding parts of this journey. Kho Kho — a fast-paced tag sport with roots in ancient India — is not widely known in Australia, and that, for Ashwathappa, is part of the point. “It’s about bringing a traditional Indian game to Australia and creating cultural awareness,” she says. “It has given me a strong sense of purpose and confidence, knowing I’m contributing to something bigger than myself.” There is something characteristic in the way she describes it: the sport as both personal and communal, a means of being seen while also making space for something broader.
Her cultural background, she says, has been less a constraint than a lens. Growing up between Indian tradition and the particular textures of Australian life has given her, in her words, “a unique perspective — blending tradition with modern values.” Her roots, she insists, are not background noise. “My culture isn’t just a background — it’s my strength, my story, and the driving force behind everything I do.”
‘My culture isn’t just a background — it’s my strength, my story, and the driving force behind everything I do’
The challenges have been real. Ashwathappa is measured when she talks about them, but direct. Much of the journey has been navigated independently — the preparation, the initiative, the financial demands of competitive pageantry. Sponsorship, she notes, has been difficult to secure. “Genuine support is rare,” she says. What has kept her moving is something less dramatic than triumph: resilience, she says, and clarity of purpose. “Every challenge has made me stronger, more independent, and even more committed to creating meaningful impact.”
For the young women she hopes Project VoiceOut will reach, her message has the quality of something hard-won rather than rehearsed. “Your voice, your story, and your uniqueness matter,” she says. “Confidence isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being unapologetically you.”
If she wins the national title, she intends to grow the project into a formal organisation. She also wants to support the expansion of Aswath International Academy into a global platform — a space where students across countries can learn, showcase their talents, and engage with both cultural and educational exchange. The ambitions are large. But then, she has never seemed particularly interested in small ones.
What she wants, at its simplest, is the thing she did not always see growing up: a room where girls feel certain that what they have to say is worth saying. She is building it, one session at a time.
Shruthi Ashwathappa is a national finalist in the Australia Galaxy Pageants 2026, representing Victoria
Support independent community journalism. Support The Indian Sun.
Follow The Indian Sun on X | Instagram | Facebook
Support Independent Community Journalism
Dear Reader,The Indian Sun exists for one reason: to tell stories that might otherwise go unheard.
We report on local councils, state politics, small businesses and cultural festivals. We focus on the Indian diaspora and the wider multicultural community with care, balance and accountability. We publish in print and online, send regular newsletters and produce video content. We also run media training programs to help community organisations share their own stories.
We operate independently.
Community journalism does not have the backing of large media corporations. Advertising revenue fluctuates. Platform algorithms change. Costs continue to rise. Yet the need for credible, grounded reporting in a multicultural Australia has never been greater.
When you support The Indian Sun, you support:
• Independent reporting on issues affecting migrant communities
• Coverage of local and state decisions that shape daily life
• A platform for small businesses and community groups
• Media training that builds skills within the community
• Journalism accountable to readers
We cannot cover everything, but we work to cover what matters.
If you value thoughtful reporting that reflects Australia’s diversity, we invite you to contribute. Every donation helps us maintain the quality and consistency of our work.
Please consider making a contribution today.
Thank you for your support.
The Indian Sun Team
