Italo-indiani (Italian) | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 15,000[1] - 20,000[2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Delhi · Bangalore · Mumbai · Hyderabad · Chennai | |
| Languages | |
| Indian English · Italian andItalian dialects · Languages of India | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism · Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Italians,Italian Emiratis,Italian Lebanese,Italian Levantine |
There is a smallItalian community in India (Italian:italo-indiani, also calledItalian Indians) consisting mainly ofIndian citizens ofItalian heritage as well with expatriates and migrants fromItaly who reside inIndia.
SinceRoman times, people from the Italian peninsula moved to India mainly as merchants.[3] During theMiddle Ages, the first Italians to arrive in India wereJesuits andChristian missionaries.
Since the 16th century, many of these Italian Jesuits came toSouth India, mainlyGoa,Kerala andTamil Nadu. Some of the most well known Jesuits in India includeAntonio Moscheni,Constanzo Beschi,Roberto de Nobili andRodolfo Acquaviva
In the 1940s, duringWorld War II, the British brought Italianprisoners of war, who were captured in eitherEurope orNorth Africa, toBangalore andMadras. They were put up at the Garrison Grounds, today's Parade Grounds-Cubbon Road area.[4] In February 1941, about 2,200 Italian prisoners of war arrived in Bangalore by a special train and marched to internment camps at Byramangala, 20 miles from Bangalore.[5]
In recent years, many Italians have been coming to India for business purposes. Today, Italy is India's fifth largest trading partner in theEuropean Union. The Italian government has already identified India as a priority country and, in particular, as the Focus Country for 2007 and there are several Italian companies currently doing business in India.[6] Many Italian expatriates in India therefore tend to be entrepreneurs from multi-national companies.[2] In addition, there are some students. Italy also maintains an active diplomatic presence in India; apart from an embassy in Delhi, it has consulates in Goa, Mumbai andKolkata.
There are currently between 15,000 to 20,000 Italian nationals in India[1] based mostly inSouth India.[2] The city of Mumbai itself has a sizeable number of Italians and some inChennai.[7]
Sonia Gandhinée Maino is an Indian politician born inLusiana nearVeneto (northern Italy) and served as the President of theIndian National Congress.[8] Sonia Gandhi married into the influentialNehru-Gandhi family and is the daughter-in-law of formerPrime Minister of IndiaIndira Gandhi and the widow of former Prime MinisterRajiv Gandhi. After theassassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, she initially shunned politics, only to be elected as the leader of the INC in 1998. In September 2010, on being re-elected for the fourth time, she became the longest serving president in the 125-year history of the Congress.[9]
Other notable Indians of Italian birth or descent include:
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