A man has been charged over an attack on a Indian taxi driver in Ballarat, in Victoria's west, early this morning.

Police say the man from Navigators, near Ballarat, racially abused and bashed the 24-year-old taxi driver at a Skipton Street service station about 2:00am (AEST).

The taxi driver was not badly hurt in the attack.

The 48-year-old Navigators man has been charged with two counts of unlawful assault, one count of making threats to kill, and one count of criminal damage.

He will appear in the Ballarat Magistrates Court later today.

The President of the Ballarat Indian Association, Khushi Maharaj, says media reports of other attacks may be fuelling copycats.

"It may have been because of the media blow-out in Melbourne and other cities that this sort of thing is creeping into Ballarat also," Mr Maharaj said.

"I think it's too much of the media exposure like that sometimes breeds jealousy also and it spreads."

Mr Maharaj says the bashing will damage Ballarat's reputation.

"I am really surprised about it because I have never heard of a taxi driver being bashed in Ballarat," he said.

"I am a bit disappointed because I thought Ballarat was a very friendly place and we never expected something to happen here."

The chairman of the Ballarat Taxi Co-operative, Stephen Armstrong, says he is grateful the driver was not badly hurt, but says he is disappointed by the attack.

"It's just sad that a guy's out there going about his business, providing a service for the patrons of Ballarat, and has to suffer that kind of verbal abuse and physical abuse just going about the course of his duties," Mr Armstrong said.