Bangalore, Pune: Akash Agarwal is worried about his younger brother Ajay, who is studying in Sydney.
Akash himself studied in Melbourne for 5 years, worked for an additional year and then returned home.
He sees the attacks as a reaction to the increasing number of Indians doing well in Australia.
But his father Krishen isn't as worried. "I am not worried at all. These are isolated incidents. Students need to be careful even in India. Indian students need to be alert to such incidents so that they can take care of themselves," he says.
A view mirrored to some extent in Pune by the Kulkarnis. Their son Karan is also a student in Australia.
Says Dr Sanjay Kulkarni: "It depends on the kind of company you keep. If you have a good number of Australian friends then you will be ok. My son tells me he has a good number of Australian friends both girls and boys. So he is ok."
Families like the Agarwals and the Kulkarnis are keeping an eye on the news and hoping for the safety of their loved ones.