Indians are 'by and large most welcome in Australia', Krishna observed, according to the ABC Online.

Krishna, who is on a five-day visit to Down Under, said he did not believe that Australia was a racist nation, adding that he was satisfied with the reassurance he received and will return to India with the premier's message.

'Indian students are going to be safe in Australia,' he said.

At least 19 Indian students have been brutally attacked in Melbourne and Sydney, with the first attack in the recent spurt taking place May 9. Nearly 100,000 Indian students are studying in Australia, contributing around $2 billion annually to the host country.

Besides the attacks, an education and migration scam has been exposed and a college, where many students are Indian, has shut down, putting a question mark on their future.

Krishna will meet his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith and call on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to discuss a range of issues, including the attacks on Indian students that has put the growing bilateral relationship under strain.

Besides Sydney, he will also go to Melbourne to hear first-hand about the problems faced by Indian students and will discuss their safety and security with the state leadership.

He will later participate in the Annual Post Forum Dialogue Meeting of the 16-nation Pacific Island Forum (PIF), at which India is a dialogue partner, in Cairns in northeast Australia.