His Saturday morning donation of plasma marked his 26^th trip to a blood donation centre.

Mr Gupta, the general secretary of the Wagga Indian Community, was one of a dozen people taking part in the group’s first mass donation.

The donors were a mix of first-timers and more experienced blood donors, but Mr Gupta said all were happy to be doing something to help the community.

“We are planning to make this a regular event, held every six months,” he said.

"With each mass donations, we are hoping more members of our community will come along.”

Mr Gupta’s past donations have included a blend of whole blood and plasma.

Angie Gerlach, the session leader at the Wagga Blood Donation Centre, described the Indian community’s mass donation as absolutely fantastic.

“There is an ongoing need for donations, particularly at the weekends,” Ms Gerlach said.

She said some of the products obtained from blood donations had only a short lifespan.

“Platelets, for example, only last for about five days,” she said.

“So we really do need constant new donations.”

Australian Blood Service spokesperson Jennifer Campbell Case said many people did not realise that blood products had such short lifespans, the longest being 42 days.

In March the service launched a campaign to find an additional 8000 Australians to donate blood each month.

Mr Gupta said the Wagga Indian Community was very happy to step up and do its part.

The mass blood drive is just the latest in a series of activities being held by the group.

Earlier this month, the group brought a touch of Bollywood to the Wagga Marketplace, with shoppers being treated to a performance of traditional dances, while also increasing their awareness of breast cancer.

But, Mr Gupta said, there is even more Bollywood coming Wagga’s way.

The Indian community is planning to hold a big Bollywood night in July, with funds raised going to the Cancer Council.

Mr Gupta said Wagga’s Indian community was steadily growing in size.

He estimates it now numbers about 1200 people.

“We want to give back to the wider community as well as increasing people’s awareness of us,” he said.

In March, the Indian community created a spectacle of fun and colour when it celebrated Holi, the festival of colours for the first time.

Holi is aimed at spreading community unity.

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