| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Tehran,Zahidan,Abadan | |
| Languages | |
| Malayalam,Hindi,Kannada,Gujarati,Persian,Telugu | |
| Religion | |
| Baháʼí · Buddhism · Christianity · Hinduism · Islam · Sikhism · Zoroastrianism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Desi,Indian diaspora |
There have been several waves of migration fromIndia toIran since the 1800s.
Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many wealthyParsis in India began to travel to Iran from Bombay and Gujarat, to revive theZoroastrian faith and traditions among the stagnating Zoroastrian community in Iran at the time, with prominent personalities such as civil rights activistManekji Limji Hateria[1] ofSurat[2] gaining local renown.
In the 1920s, about 180 Indian families went toZahidan. Following this initial influx, some of them started settling down in the nearby towns ofBirijand,Zabol andMashhad. In the 1950s, more Indians migrated to Iran and settled primarily inTehran. They consisted primarily ofPunjabis andGujaratis. In the 1960s and early 1970s, about 10,000 Indian doctors, engineers, and teachers moved to Iran as a response to the open policies initiated by theShah of Iran, but most of them left Iran after theIranian revolution.
Today, over 4,000non-resident Indians reside in Iran.[3]