An Indian man says he was beaten like an animal in an unprovoked racial attack in Ballarat earlier this week.

Sumeet Anand, 43, who runs an Indian restaurant, said he had stopped to get some takeaway beers from a bottle shop in the Ballarat CBD about 10:30pm on Monday when he was attacked

"The person, he just came in, and he was abusing [me] and things like that," he told the Statewide Drive program.

"So I said, what's your problem?

"And then they start: 'You Indians come from different country, you take our jobs' and things like that; 'You go back to your country'.

"Then he started bashing me straight away.

"They were beating me like animals. I'm still in shock."

Victoria Police are investigating the assault and released an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident.

Mr Anand, who has lived in Australia for 35 years, was with his 10-year-old son and wife at the time, who were trying to get help.

He suffered facial injuries in the attack and said he was still in shock over the attack.

Mr Anand decided it was time to take a stand.

"We do our job and help community to provide good Indian food and things like that, that's what we do," he said.

"It's not right, what they have done to me.

"It can happen to anybody. Now I am standing up, trying to show people."