The former chief of Australia's defence force, Peter Cosgrove, has described the attacks on Indian students as racially motivated.

Speaking at the Australia Day Address in Sydney on Tuesday night, he said, "Violence was a major problem in which Australians were preying on these visitors. The problem for us is that the criminal incidents are cowardly and sly and it is easy to conclude that they are racially targeted."

He further went on to say that Australia could not look at higher rates of violence in India as an excuse for violence here.

"The only way to repair Australia's reputation was to apprehend and rigorously prosecute the people responsible," he added.