View source for British Indians

{{Short description|British people of Indian descent}}
{{About|British people of Indian origin|Indian people of British origin|Anglo-Indian people|other uses|British Indian (disambiguation)}}

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{{EngvarB|date=November 2015}}  
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Indians in the United Kingdom<br/>{{small|(British Indians)}}
| image            = File:Counties of the UK Indian.svg
| image_caption    = Distribution by local authority in the 2011 census.
| native_name      = 
| native_name_lang = 
| population       = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} '''United Kingdom: 1,927,150 – 2.9% ([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021/22 Census]])'''<br/>{{Flag|England}}: 1,843,248 – 3.3% (2021)<ref name=2021census>{{cite web|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/bulletins/ethnicgroupenglandandwales/census2021|title=Ethnic group, England and Wales: Census 2021|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=29 November 2022}}</ref><br>{{Flag|Scotland}}: 52,951 – 1.0% (2022)<ref name="2022census_Scot">{{cite web |url=https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/media/trbdxzme/scotland-s-census-2022-ethnic-group-national-identity-language-and-religion-chart-data.xlsx |title=Scotland's Census 2022 - Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion - Chart data |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=21 May 2024 |website=Scotland's Census |publisher=[[National Records of Scotland]] |access-date=21 May 2024 }} [https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/search-the-census#/search-by Alternative URL] 'Search data by location' > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Ethnic Group'</ref><br>{{Flag|Wales}}: 21,070 – 0.7% (2021)<ref name=2021census/><br/>[[Northern Ireland]]: 9,881 – 0.5% (2021)<ref name=NICensus2021>{{cite web|url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-ms-b01.xlsx|title=MS-B01: Ethnic group|publisher=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency|date= 22 September 2022|accessdate=7 January 2023}}</ref>
| popplace         = <!-- The eight most populous local authorities (lower tier) based on the 2021 census, with the exception of local authorities (boroughs) in London which is treated as an overall area --> {{hlist|[[London]]|[[Leicester]]|[[Birmingham]]|[[Sandwell]]|[[Wolverhampton]]|[[Coventry]]|[[Borough of Slough|Slough]]|[[Metropolitan Borough of Bolton|Bolton]]}}
| langs            = {{hlist|[[English language|English]]|[[Hindustani language|Hindustani]]|[[Languages of India]]}}
| rels             = Predominantly [[Hinduism in the United Kingdom|Hinduism]] (42.8%) and [[Sikhism in the United Kingdom|Sikhism]] (20.6%); minority follows [[Islam in the United Kingdom|Islam]] (13.2%), [[History of Christianity in Britain|Christianity]] (12.3%) and [[Religion in the United Kingdom|other faiths]] (2.3%){{efn|Including [[Buddhism in the United Kingdom|Buddhism]] (0.2%), [[History of the Jews in the United Kingdom|Judaism]] (0.03%), [[Jainism in the United Kingdom|Jainism]], [[Ravidassia]], [[Baháʼí Faith in the United Kingdom|Baháʼí Faith]], [[Zoroastrianism]] and others.}} or are [[Irreligion in the United Kingdom|irreligious]] (4.6%)<br /><small>2021 census, NI, England and Wales only</small><ref name="ReligionNI2021">{{cite United Kingdom census |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?d=PEOPLE&v=ETHNIC_GROUP_INTERMEDIATE&v=RELIGION_BELONG_TO_AGG19 |table=DT-0036 - Ethnic group by religion |year=2021 |publisher= Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency |access-date=30 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="Religion_E&W21">{{cite web |title=RM031 Ethnic group by religion |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/RM031/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/217f1401-dab4-43d3-aa77-6c9382220c0c#summary |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=28 March 2023}}</ref>{{reflist|group=note}}
}}
{{Lists of British people}}
'''British Indians'''  are citizens of the [[United Kingdom]] (UK) whose ancestral roots are from [[India]]. 
Currently, the British Indian population exceeds 2 million people in the UK, making them the single largest [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|visible ethnic minority population in the country]]. They make up the largest subgroup of [[British Asian]]s and are one of the largest Indian communities in the [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Indian diaspora]], mainly due to the [[India–United Kingdom relations|Indian–British relations]] (including historical links such as [[British Raj|India having been part of the British Empire]] and still being part of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]]). The British Indian community is the [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|sixth largest in the Indian diaspora]], behind the Indian communities in the [[United States]], [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Malaysia]] and [[Nepal]]. The majority of British Indians are of [[Punjabis|Punjabi]] and [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] origin with various other smaller communities from different parts of India including [[Kerala]], [[West Bengal]], [[Bihar]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sharma |first1=Sheetal |title=Social and Political Participation of Indian Diaspora in the UK |journal= International Studies|date=2017 |volume= 51|issue=1–4 |pages=118–132 |doi=10.1177/0020881717719351 |s2cid=158114056 |url=https://doi.org/10.1177/0020881717719351|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Chanda">{{cite web|url=http://www.india-eu-migration.eu/media/CARIM-India-2013-08.pdf|title=The Punjabi Diaspora in the UK: An Overview of Characteristics and Contributions to India|first1=Rupa|last1=Chanda|first2=Sriparna|last2=Ghosh|work=CARIM-India Research Report|issue=2013/08|publisher=Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute|year=2013|access-date=22 July 2016|pages=2–3|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060809/http://www.india-eu-migration.eu/media/CARIM-India-2013-08.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>

==History==

Among the first Indians to travel to the United Kingdom was a young boy called ''[[Peter Pope (translator)|Peter Pope]]''.<ref name=Connor2012>{{cite book |last1=O'Connor |first1=Daniel |title=Chaplains of the East India Company, 1601-1858 |date=2012 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9781441175342 |pages=41–42 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nZXBeF0wpV8C&dq=peter+pope+india&pg=PA42}}</ref> The boy was given by a commander of a Dutch ship on its way to [[Myanmar]] to the British sailor, Thomas Best in 1612. The boy was brought to England in 1614 where he was placed under the care of Patrick Copland who was a chaplain and who subsequently taught him to read and write in English. His education in England was paid for by the [[East India Company]].<ref name= Connor2012 />

Under Patrick Copland's recommendation, the boy was baptised on 22 December 1616 and given the name of "Peter" which was given by [[James VI and I|King James I]]. A few months after his baptism, he returned to India with Copland to "convert some of his own nation".<ref name= Connor2012 />

=== 18th&ndash;19th centuries ===

People from India have been travelling to Great Britain since the [[British East India Company|East India Company]] (EIC) recruited [[lascar]]s to replace vacancies in their crews on [[East Indiaman|East Indiamen]] whilst on voyages in India. Initially, these were men from the [[Indo-Portuguese]] or Luso-Asian communities of the subcontinent, including men from [[Bombay]], [[Goa]], [[Cochin]], [[Madras]] and the [[Hugli River]] in [[Bengal]].  Later men from [[Ratnagiri]] were hired.  Some of them were then unable to obtain passage back due to the price and had no alternative than to settle in [[London]].  There were also some ''[[Amah (occupation)|ayahs]]'', [[domestic servants]] and [[Nanny|nannies]] of wealthy British families, who accompanied their employers back to Britain when their stay in South Asia came to an end.  British soldiers would also sometimes marry Indian women and send their children back to Britain, although the wife often did not accompany them.  Indian wives of British soldiers would sometimes ask for passage home after being divorced or widowed if they did accompany their children. In 1835, the husband (a British soldier serving in His Majesty's 1st Foot Regiment) of Bridget Peter, a native of [[Madras]], died.  She petitioned the Directors from Chelsea Hospital 'in a state of destitution' to pay for her return to India. They agreed to pay to return her and her three children.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Counterflows to Colonialism: Indian Travellers and Settlers in Britain, 1600-1857|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=iPHqigUD6FUC|publisher = Orient Blackswan|date = 2006-01-01|isbn = 9788178241548|language = en|first = Michael H.|last = Fisher}}</ref>

The [[Navigation Act 1660]] restricted the employment of non-English sailors to a quarter of the crew on returning East India Company ships.  Baptism records in [[Greenwich|East Greenwich]] suggest that a small number of young Indians from the [[Malabar Coast]] were being recruited as house servants at the end of the 17th century, and records of the EIC also suggest that Indo-Portuguese cooks from [[Goa]] were retained by captains from voyage to voyage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/ConNarrative.50/chapterId/739/The-Goan-community-of-London.html|title=The Goan community of London|access-date=18 March 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924080151/http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/ConNarrative.50/chapterId/739/The-Goan-community-of-London.html|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref> In 1797, 13 were buried in the parish of [[St Nicholas]] at [[Deptford]].

During the 19th century, the East India Company brought thousands of Indian ''[[lascar]]s'', [[Education in India|scholars]] and workers to Britain largely to work on ships and in ports.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Counterflows to Colonialism: Indian Traveller and Settler in Britain 1600-1857|first=Michael Herbert|last=Fisher|year=2006|publisher=Orient Blackswan|isbn=81-7824-154-4|pages=111–9, 129–30, 140, 154–6, 160–8, 172, 181}}</ref> It is estimated 8,000 Indians (a proportion being lascar sailors) lived in Britain permanently prior to the 1950s.<ref>{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=oy67XQk5cukC&q=8%2C000&pg=PA114|title = Coolies, Capital and Colonialism: Studies in Indian Labour History|isbn = 9780521699747|last1 = Behal|first1 = Rana P.|last2 = Linden|first2 = Marcel van der|year = 2006| publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title = Asians in Britain|last = Visram|year = 2002|pages = 254–269}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title = Routledge Handbook of the South Asian Diaspora|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-xCUAgAAQBAJ&q=8%252C000%2520indians%2520lascar&pg=PA121|publisher = Routledge|date = 2014-01-03|isbn = 9781136018244|language = en|first1 = Joya|last1 = Chatterji|first2 = David|last2 = Washbrook}}</ref> Due to the majority of early Asian immigrants being ''lascar'' seamen, the earliest Indian communities were found in port towns. Naval cooks also accompanied them.

The first Western-educated Indian to travel to Europe and live in Britain was [[I'tisam-ud-Din]], a [[Bengali Muslim]] cleric, [[munshi]] and diplomat to the [[Mughal Empire]] who arrived in 1765 with his servant Muhammad Muqim during the reign of King [[George III]].<ref name=buckland>C.E. Buckland, Dictionary of Indian Biography, Haskell House Publishers Ltd, 1968, p.217</ref> He wrote of his experiences and travels in his [[Farsi|Persian]] book, ''Shigurf-nama-i-Wilayat'' (or 'Wonder Book of Europe').<ref>{{cite news|title=For casual reader and connoisseur alike|last=Alam|first=Shahid|newspaper=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]]|date=12 May 2012|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-233759}}</ref> This is also the earliest record of literature by a British Indian. Also during the reign of George III, the ''hookah-bardar'' (hookah servant/preparer) of [[James Achilles Kirkpatrick]] was said to have robbed and cheated Kirkpatrick, making his way to England and stylising himself as the ''Prince of [[Sylhet]]''. The man was waited upon by the [[Prime Minister of Great Britain|prime minister of Great Britain]] [[William Pitt the Younger]], and then dined with the [[Duke of York]] before presenting himself in front of the King.<ref>{{cite book|title=Life of the Honourable Mountstuart Elphinstone|first=Thomas Edward|last=Colebrooke|pages=34–35|year=1884|author-link=Sir Edward Colebrooke, 4th Baronet|chapter=First Start in Diplomacy|publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781108097222|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tSoMEJ-_Nx0C&q=hookah&pg=PA34}}</ref>

[[File:Sake Dean Mahomed.jpg|thumb|[[Sake Dean Mahomed]], one of the early Indians to settle in the United Kingdom]]
One of the most famous early Indian immigrants to Britain was [[Sake Dean Mahomet]], a captain of the British East India Company and a native of [[Patna]] in the Indian state of [[Bihar]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Narain |first1=Mona |title=Dean Mahomet's "Travels", Border Crossings, and the Narrative of Alterity |journal=Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 |date=2009 |volume=49 |issue=3 |pages=693–716|doi=10.1353/sel.0.0070 |jstor=40467318 |s2cid=162301711 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40467318|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1810, he founded London's first [[Indian restaurant]], the [[Hindoostane Coffee House|Hindoostanee Coffee House]]. He is also valued for introducing [[shampoo]] and therapeutic massage to the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|title=Curry house founder is honoured|date=29 September 2005|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4290124.stm|access-date=2008-10-09|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801010324/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4290124.stm|archive-date=1 August 2017}}</ref> 
Another early Indian to settle in the United Kingdom was the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] noblewoman of [[Purnea]] in [[Bihar]], [[Elizabeth Sharaf un-Nisa]], who married into the aristocratic Ducarel family and moved to the United Kingdom in 1784 where she lived until 1822 when she died in [[Newland, Gloucestershire]].<ref name=Robb2023>{{cite journal |last1=Robb |first1=Megan |title=Becoming Elizabeth: The Transformation of a Bihari Mughal into an English Lady, 1758–1822 |journal=The American Historical Review |date=2023 |volume=128 |issue=1 |pages=144–176 |doi=10.1093/ahr/rhad008 |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/rhad008|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In July 1841, [[David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre]], an [[Anglo-Indian]] born in [[India]], became the first person of Indian descent to be elected to [[British Parliament]]. He was the member of Parliament for [[Sudbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Sudbury]] but was later removed in April 1842 due to allegations of bribery.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fisher |first1=Michael |title=The Inordinately Strange Life of Dyce Sombre: Victorian Anglo-Indian MP and 'chancery Lunatic' |date=2010 |publisher=C. Hurst |isbn=9781849040006 |pages=12–15 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fE8qAQAAMAAJ&q=dyce+sombre}}</ref> 
[[File:Dyce-sombre.jpg|thumbnail|[[David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre]], the first member of [[British Parliament]] of Indian descent]]

Between 1600 and 1857, some 20-40,000 Indian men and women of all social classes had travelled to Britain, the majority of them being seamen working on ships.<ref name="Fisher-2007">{{Cite journal|title=Excluding and Including 'Natives of India': Early-Nineteenth-Century British-Indian Race Relations in Britain|first=Michael H.|last=Fisher|journal=[[Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East]]|volume=27|issue=2|year=2007|pages=303–314 [304–5]|doi=10.1215/1089201x-2007-007|s2cid=146613125 }}</ref> Lascars lodged in British ports in between voyages.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/lr/2003/01/05/stories/2003010500200300.htm|title=The lascars' lot|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107035325/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/lr/2003/01/05/stories/2003010500200300.htm|archive-date=7 November 2015|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=5 January 2003}}</ref> Most Indians during this period would visit or reside in Britain temporarily, returning to India after months or several years, bringing back knowledge about Britain in the process.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iPHqigUD6FUC&q=settled|title=Counterflows to Colonialism: Indian Travellers and Settlers in Britain, 1600 ...|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902230738/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iPHqigUD6FUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Counterflows+to+Colonialism:+Indian+Traveller+and+Settler+in+Britain+1600-1857.+Orient+Blackswan.&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib1biOuITWAhUsKMAKHVVmCCgQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=settled&f=false|archive-date=2 September 2017|isbn=9788178241548|year=2006|last1=Fisher|first1=Michael Herbert|publisher=Orient Blackswan }}</ref>

=== 20th century ===
In the early twentieth century, some Indian nationalists, such as [[Sukhsagar Datta]] came to Britain because they feared arrest in India itself and hoped to propagate the cause of Indian Independence.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/bha070/page/14/mode/2up Rohit Barot, ''Bristol and the Indian Independence Movement'' (Bristol Historical Association pamphlets, no. 70, 1988), pp. 15-17]</ref> This group went on to found the [[India League]] in England in 1928, under the leadership of [[V. K. Krishna Menon]].

The 1931 Census of India estimated that there were at least 2,000 Indian students in English and Scottish Universities at the time, from an estimated, and overwhelmingly male population of 9,243 South Asians on the British mainland, of which 7,128 resided in England and [[Wales]], two thousand in [[Scotland]], with a thousand in Northern Ireland, and 1 on the Isle of Man. Their origins were recorded as:

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:1em"
|-
|+ '''Indian population of [[Great Britain]] by region of birth, 1931'''<ref name="Cen1931">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/CensusOfIndia1931/Census%20of%20India%201931#page/n97/mode/1up|title=Census of India |year=1931|publisher=Government of India|editor-first1=J.H|editor-last1=Hutton|page=78}}</ref>
! !! colspan=3 | England and Wales !! colspan=3 | Northern Ireland !!colspan=3 | Scotland
|-
! '''Region of birth''' !! '''Total''' !! '''Male''' !! '''Female''' !! '''Total''' !! '''Male''' !! '''Female''' !! '''Total''' !! '''Male''' !! '''Female'''
|-
| Bengal || 2,229 || 2,189 || 40 || - || - || - || 615 || 614 || 1
|-
| Bombay || 929 || 851 || 78 || - || - || - || 261 || 257 || 4
|-
| Madras || 382 || 342 || 40 || - || - || - || 84 || 79 || 5
|-
| Punjab || 1,088 || 1,062 || 26 || - || - || - || 374 || 374 || -
|-
| Other provinces || 1,867 || 1,779 || 88 || - || - || - || 357 || 353 || 4
|-
| Unspecified || 634 || 621 || 13 || 1,003 || 485 || 518|| 312 || 309 || 3
|-
| '''India''' || '''7,179''' || '''6,844''' || '''285''' || '''1,003''' || '''485''' || '''518''' || '''2,003''' || '''1986''' || '''17'''
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:1em"
|-
! Year || British Indian<br>Population<ref>{{Cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=GDMTeC_WB0oC&pg=PA23 | title = Muslim Britain: Communities under pressure | isbn = 978-1-84277-449-6 | last1 = Abbas | first1 = Tahir | year = 2005| publisher = Zed Books }}</ref>
|-
|1931 {{small|(estimate)}}||10,186<ref name=Cen1931 />
|-
|1932 <small>(estimate)</small>
|7,128<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-5pGCgAAQBAJ&q=estimated+that+there&pg=PT138|title=Ayahs, Lascars and Princes: The Story of Indians in Britain 1700-1947|date=30 July 2015|isbn=9781317415336|last1=Visram|first1=Rozina|publisher=Routledge }}</ref>
|-
| 1951 {{small|(estimate)}}|| 31,000
|-
| 1961 {{small|(estimate)}}|| 81,000
|-
| 1971 {{small|(estimate)}}|| 375,000
|-
| 1981 {{small|(estimate)}}|| 676,000
|-
| [[United Kingdom Census 1991|1991]] {{small|(census)}}|| 840,000
|-
| [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001]] {{small|(census)}}|| 1,053,411 <small>(1.79%)</small>
|-
| [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011]] {{small|(census)}}|| 1,451,862 <small>(2.30%)</small>
|-
|2021 <small>(census)</small>
|1,843,248
|}

In 1932, the Indian National Congress survey of "all Indians outside India" (which included modern Pakistani and Bangladeshi territories) estimated that there were 7,128 Indians living in the United Kingdom, which included students, lascars, and professionals such as doctors. The resident Indian population of Birmingham was recorded at 100 by 1939. By 1945 it was 1,000.<ref>{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-5pGCgAAQBAJ&q=estimated+that+there&pg=PT138|title = Ayahs, Lascars and Princes: The Story of Indians in Britain 1700-1947|date = 30 July 2015|isbn = 9781317415336|last1 = Visram|first1 = Rozina| publisher=Routledge }}</ref>

Following the [[Second World War]] and the breakup of the [[British Empire]], Indian migration to the UK increased through the 1950s and 1960s. This was partly due to the [[British Nationality Act 1948]], which enabled migration from the Commonwealth with very few limits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship/brave_new_world/immigration.htm|title=The National Archives {{!}} Exhibitions {{!}} Citizenship {{!}} Brave new world|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|access-date=2018-03-01|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121165123/http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship/brave_new_world/immigration.htm|archive-date=21 November 2017}}</ref> In 1950 there were probably fewer than 20,000 non-white residents in Britain, almost all born overseas.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Demographic Characteristics of Immigrant Populations|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=mmaRpUa1oSoC|publisher = Council of Europe Publishing|date = 2002-01-01|isbn = 9789287149749|language = en|first1 = Werner|last1 = Haug|first2 = Paul|last2 = Compton|first3 = Youssef|last3 = Courbage}}</ref> The [[Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962]] and [[Immigration Act 1971]] largely restricted any further [[primary immigration]], although family members of already-settled migrants were still allowed. In addition, much of the subsequent growth in the British Indian community has come from the births of second- and third-generation Indian Britons.

Although post-war immigration was continuous, several distinct phases can be identified:

* Workers were recruited to fulfill the labour shortage that resulted from [[World War II]]. These included [[Anglo-Indian]]s who were recruited to work on the railways as they had done in India.
*Workers mainly from the [[West Bengal|Bengal]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] and [[Gujarat]] regions arrived from India in the late 1950s and 1960s. Many worked in the foundries of the [[English Midlands]]. Large numbers of [[Gujarati people|Gujaratis]] worked in the textile manufacturing sector in the northwest industrial towns of [[Blackburn]], [[Dewsbury]], [[Bolton]], [[Lancaster, Lancashire|Lancaster]], [[Manchester]] and [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]]. Sikhs coming to London either migrated to the East to set up businesses where the wholesale, retail and manufacturing elements of the textile industry were located. Many Sikhs also moved to West London and took up employment at Heathrow airport and the associated industries and in the plants and factories of major brands such as Nestle around it.
*During the same period, medical staff from India were recruited for the newly formed [[National Health Service]]. These people were targeted as the British had established medical schools in the Indian subcontinent which conformed to the British standards of medical training.
*During the 1960s and 1970s, large numbers of [[Indian diaspora in East Africa|East African Indians]], predominantly [[Gujarati people|Gujaratis]] but also sizeable numbers of [[Punjabi people|Punjabis]] who already held British passports, entered the UK after they were expelled from [[Kenya]], [[Uganda]] and [[Zanzibar]]. Many of these people had been store-keepers and wholesale retailers in Africa and opened shops when they arrived in the UK. In 2001 East African Indians made up 16% of the total British Indian population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2001censusandearlier|title=2001 Census and earlier - Office for National Statistics|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|access-date=2018-03-02|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304055059/https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2001censusandearlier|archive-date=4 March 2018}}</ref>
*After [[Brexit]], EU nationals working in the health and social care sector were replaced by migrants from non-EU countries such as India.<ref>{{cite news |title=Net migration drops to 685,000 after hitting record levels, as even more arrived in UK last year than previously thought |url=https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/net-migration-drops-to-685-000/ |date=23 May 2024 |work=[[LBC]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Europeans are almost not coming to the UK any more' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/9/europeans-are-almost-not-coming-to-the-uk-any-more |work=Al Jazeera |date=9 June 2023}}</ref> About 250,000 people came from India in 2023.<ref>{{cite news |title=Migration: How many people come to the UK and how are the salary rules changing? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48785695 |work=BBC News |date=23 May 2024}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%; margin:auto;" 
|+ British Indians by region and country
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Regions of England|Region]] / [[Countries of the United Kingdom|Country]]
! colspan="2" |[[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]]{{refn|2021/22: England and Wales,<ref name=2021regionethnic>{{cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/87c867f1-15bc-4f2a-a1ec-51f5a0c2d410 |title= Ethnic group - England and Wales regions |publisher=Office for National Statistics |date=29 November 2022 |access-date=30 November 2022}}</ref> Scotland,<ref name="2022census_Scot"/> and Northern Ireland<ref name=NICensus2021/>}}
! colspan="2" |[[2011 United Kingdom census|2011]]{{refn|2011: England and Wales,<ref name="QS201EW">{{cite web |title=QS201EW: Ethnic Group |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/qs201ew |publisher=Nomis: Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |access-date=30 January 2013}}</ref> Scotland,<ref name="2011census_Scot">{{cite United Kingdom census|url=https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/censusresults/release2a/scotland/KS201SC.pdf|table=Table KS201SC - Ethnic group|publisher=National Records of Scotland|year=2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704124858/https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/censusresults/release2a/scotland/KS201SC.pdf|archive-date=4 July 2018}}</ref> and Northern Ireland<ref name="NI_2011">{{cite web |title=Ethnic Group - Full Detail: QS201NI |url=http://www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/Download/Census%202011_Excel/2011/QS201NI.xls|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023054518/https://www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/Download/Census%202011_Excel/2011/QS201NI.xls|archive-date=23 October 2014 |access-date=22 July 2014}}</ref>}}
! colspan="2" |[[2001 United Kingdom census|2001]]{{refn|2001: England and Wales,<ref name="KS006">{{cite web |title=KS006: Ethnic group |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2001/ks006 |publisher=Nomis: Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |access-date=30 June 2003}}</ref> Scotland,<ref name="2001census_Scot">{{cite web|title=Analysis of Ethnicity in the 2001 Census - Summary Report |url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/02/18876/32939|access-date=6 September 2014}}</ref> and Northern Ireland<ref name="NI_2001">{{cite web |title=Ethnic Group: KS06 (statistical geographies) |url=http://www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/Download/Census%202001_Excel/2001/KS06%20%20(st).xls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730020427/http://www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/Download/Census%202001_Excel/2001/KS06%20%20(st).xls|archive-date=30 July 2014 |access-date=22 July 2014}}</ref>}}
! colspan="2" |[[1991 United Kingdom census|1991]]{{refn|1991: Great Britain.<ref name="GB_LBS91_1991">{{cite web |title=1991 census - local base statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/lbs91 |publisher=Nomis: Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |access-date=14 June 2023}} ''Tables L01 to L18: Demographic and economic characteristics > L06 Ethnic group''</ref> Northern Ireland did not record ethnic group data in the 1991 census.<ref>{{cite web |title=1991 Census - Tables |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/publications/1991-census-tables |publisher=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency |access-date=2 March 2006}}</ref>}}
|-
!Number
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!Number
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!Number
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!Number
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
|-
|'''{{flag|England}}'''
| '''1,843,248'''
| '''3.26%'''
| '''1,395,702'''
| '''2.63%'''
| '''1,028,546'''
| '''2.09%'''
| '''823,821'''
| '''1.75%'''
|-
| —[[Greater London]]
| 656,272
| 7.46%
| 542,857
| 6.64%
| 436,993
| 6.09%
| 347,091
| 5.20%
|-
| —[[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]]
| 276,030
| 4.64%
| 218,439
| 3.90%
| 178,691
| 3.39%
| 158,731
| 3.08%
|-
| —[[South East England|South East]]
| 241,537
| 2.60%
| 152,132
| 1.76%
| 89,219
| 1.12%
| 64,888
| 0.87%
|-
| —[[East Midlands]]
| 229,831
| 4.71%
| 168,928
| 3.73%
| 122,346
| 2.93%
| 98,859
| 2.50%
|-
| —[[North West England|North West]]
| 140,413
| 1.89%
| 107,353
| 1.52%
| 72,219
| 1.07%
| 55,823
| 0.83%
|-
| —[[East of England]]
| 136,974
| 2.16%
| 86,736
| 1.48%
| 51,035
| 0.95%
| 39,292
| 0.78%
|-
| —[[Yorkshire and the Humber]]
| 81,322
| 1.48%
| 69,252
| 1.31%
| 51,493
| 1.04%
| 40,752
| 0.84%
|-
|—[[South West England|South West]]
| 58,847
| 1.03%
| 34,188
| 0.65%
| 16,394
| 0.33%
| 10,915
| 0.24%
|-
|—[[North East England|North East]]
| 22,021
| 0.83%
| 15,817
| 0.61%
| 10,156
| 0.40%
| 7,470
| 0.29%
|-
|'''{{flag|Scotland}}'''
| '''52,951'''{{efn-lg|name=Census2021/22|Scotland held [[2021 United Kingdom census#2022 census for Scotland|its census a year later]] after the rest of the United Kingdom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, data shown is for 2022 as opposed to 2021.}}
| '''0.97%'''
| '''32,706'''
| '''0.62%'''
| '''15,037'''
| '''0.30%'''
| '''10,050'''
| '''0.20%'''
|-
|'''{{flag|Wales}}'''
| '''21,070'''
| '''0.68%'''
| '''17,256'''
| '''0.56%'''
| '''8,261'''
| '''0.28%'''
| '''6,384'''
| '''0.23%'''
|-
| '''[[Northern Ireland]]'''
| '''9,881'''
| '''0.52%'''
| '''6,198'''
| '''0.34%'''
| '''1,567'''
| '''0.09%'''
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
|-
!'''{{flag|United Kingdom}}'''
! '''1,927,150'''
! '''2.88%'''
! '''1,452,156'''
! '''2.30%'''
! '''1,053,411'''
! '''1.79%'''
! '''840,255'''{{efn-lg|name=fn2|Figures are for [[Great Britain]] only, i.e. excludes Northern Ireland}}
! '''1.53%'''
|-
|}
===Population===
[[File:British Indians, 2021 UK Census.png|thumb|Distribution of British Indians by local authority, 2021 census]]
[[File:Asian Indian population pyramid 2021.svg|thumb|Population pyramid of Asian or Asian British Indians in 2021 (in England and Wales)]]
In the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 Census]], 1,864,318 people in England and Wales were recorded as having Indian ethnicity, accounting for 3.1% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/bulletins/ethnicgroupenglandandwales/census2021 |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref> In Northern Ireland, the equivalent figure was 9,881, or 0.5% of the population.<ref name=NICensus2021/> The census in Scotland was delayed for a year and took place in 2022, with a population of 52,951 representing 1.0% of the population.<ref name="2022census_Scot"/>

The city or district with the largest population by 'Indian' ethnicity outside the capital, according to the 2021 census in England and Wales, was Leicester (pop. 126,421), followed by Birmingham (66,519), [[Sandwell]] (44,378), Wolverhampton (42,052), Coventry (32,096), Slough (30,209), Bolton (26,238), [[Blackburn with Darwen]] (24,389), Buckinghamshire (24,181) and [[Kirklees]] (22,739).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/bulletins/ethnicgroupenglandandwales/census2021 |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref> Many of these are however outnumbered by nine London boroughs, namely Harrow, Brent, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Ealing, Redbridge, Newham, Barnet and Croydon.<ref name=":0" /> On a proportion basis, the top ten local authorities were: [[Leicester]] (34.30%), [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]] (28.62%), [[Oadby and Wigston]] (21.11%), [[London Borough of Hounslow|Hounslow]]	(21.11%), [[London Borough of Brent|Brent]]	(19.47%), [[Borough of Slough|Slough]] (19.06%)
[[London Borough of Hillingdon|Hillingdon]]	(18.74%), [[London Borough of Redbridge|Redbridge]]	(16.50%), [[Wolverhampton]] (15.95%) and Blackburn with Darwen (15.76%). In Scotland, the highest proportion was in [[East Renfrewshire]] at 2.44%; in Wales, the highest concentration was in [[Cardiff]] at 2.44%; and in Northern Ireland, the highest concentration was in [[Belfast]] at 1.26%.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/24422250-263c-4b84-8dd4-6159ee18b8e6#get-data |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref>

The [[2011 United Kingdom census]] recorded 1,451,862 residents of Indian ethnicity, accounting for 2.3 per cent of the total UK population (not including those of mixed ethnic backgrounds).<ref name=2011census>{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-and-quick-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-the-united-kingdom---part-1/rft-ks201uk.xls|title=2011 Census: Ethnic group, local authorities in the United Kingdom|publisher=Office for National Statistics|date=11 October 2013|access-date=28 February 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021150149/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-and-quick-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-the-united-kingdom---part-1/rft-ks201uk.xls|archive-date=21 October 2013}}</ref> The equivalent figure from the [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 Census]] was 1,053,411 (1.8 per cent of the total UK population).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ethnicity/focus-on-ethnicity-and-identity/focus-on-ethnicity-and-identity-summary-report/focus-on---ethnicity-and-identity-summary-report.pdf|title=Focus on Ethnicity & Identity|publisher=for National Statistics|date=March 2005|access-date=19 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924122140/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ethnicity/focus-on-ethnicity-and-identity/focus-on-ethnicity-and-identity-summary-report/focus-on---ethnicity-and-identity-summary-report.pdf|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref>

People born in India are the UK's largest foreign-born population, totalling an estimated 880,000 in 2020.<ref>{{ONSCoB2020|access-date=2 November 2021}}</ref> According to the 2011 census,<ref name="2011CensusEngWal">{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/quick-statistics-for-england-and-wales-on-national-identity--passports-held-and-country-of-birth/rft-qs213ew.xls|title=2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales|publisher=Office for National Statistics|date=26 March 2013|access-date=6 October 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/quick-statistics-for-england-and-wales-on-national-identity--passports-held-and-country-of-birth/rft-qs213ew.xls|archive-date=5 January 2016}}</ref> the cities with the most Indian-born residents are London (262,247), Leicester (37,224), Birmingham (27,206) and Wolverhampton (14,955).

===Ethnicity===
[[File:British Indians by Country of Birth.png|thumb|Country of birth (2021 census, England and Wales)<ref>{{cite web |title=Country of birth (extended) and ethnic group |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/c46d0f9f-619b-4e0c-8caf-291d76ccb995#get-data |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=28 March 2023}}</ref>]]
{{Pie chart|thumb=right|caption=Year of arrival (2021 census, England and Wales)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group and year of arrival in the uk - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/3b1e01ff-adfa-4048-ad0a-9a305cde51d6 |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref>|label1=Born in the UK|value1=43.8|color1=DodgerBlue|label2=Before 1950|value2=0.1|color2=Gray|label3=1951 to 1960|value3=0.7|color3=Green|label4=1961 to 1970|value4=6.0|color4=DarkOrange|label5=1971 to 1980|value5=7.2|color5=DarkKhaki|label6=1981 to 1990|value6=3.3|label7=1991 to 2000|value7=4.3|color7=Gold|label8=2001 to 2010|value8=13.5|color8=Chartreuse|label9=2011 to 2021|value9=21|color9=DarkRed}}
In the 2001 UK Census, Indians in the UK were most likely to have responded to [[United Kingdom Census 2001 Ethnic Codes|code 41]] - Indian or Indian British. Indian was one of only five sub categories in the UK census which represents a nation (along with [[Irish British|Irish]], [[Pakistani British|Pakistani]], [[Bangladeshi British|Bangladeshi]], [[Chinese British|Chinese]], [[Vietnamese British|Vietnamese]]).

India is a diverse nation composed of many ethnic groups.  This is reflected in the British Indian community although there are several ethnic groups that number considerably more than others. [[Gujaratis]] account for 45 percent<ref>{{cite web|title= Gujaratis in the UK|website=[[Times Now]] |date=21 April 2022 |url= https://www.timesnownews.com/india/uk-prime-minister-boris-johnson-gujarat-visit-gujaratis-contribution-to-uk-economy-article-90975668/amp}}</ref> of Indians living in the UK while the [[Punjabi people#Indian Punjabis|Indian Punjabi]] account for another 45 per cent of Indians living in the UK, based on data for [[England and Wales]].<ref name=Chanda/> There is a large community of [[Goans]] in [[Swindon]], with smaller communities in [[Hayes, Bromley|Hayes]], [[Romford]] and [[Cranford, London|Cranford]].<ref>
{{cite news 
|last= Sonwalkar |first= Prasun |date= 12 July 2015 |title= Goans go British, thanks to Portugal citizenship law 
|url= http://m.hindustantimes.com/world/goans-go-british-thanks-to-portugal-citizenship-law/story-YX7rbze1B8HVrghR3KRCzM.html 
|work= [[Hindustan Times]] 
|location= India
|access-date= 12 September 2017 
}}
</ref> There are significant numbers of British Indians originating from [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]], [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Odisha]].<ref name=Chanda/>

===Population distribution===
The table below shows the distribution of British Indians people in the United Kingdom. The figures for all countries, regions, cities and boroughs are based on the 2011 census.<ref>[http://www.crer.org.uk/Census/Census2011LA.pdf Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights Census 2011 Data Ethnicity by Local Authority Area ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304215917/http://www.crer.org.uk/Census/Census2011LA.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }}. Retrieved 30 January 2015</ref><ref>[http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rft-table-ks201ew.xls 2011 Census: KS201EW Ethnic group: local authorities in England and Wales] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224143452/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rft-table-ks201ew.xls |date=24 February 2016 }}. Retrieved 30 January 2015</ref><ref>[http://www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/Download/Census%202011/KS201NI%20(a).xlsxEthnic Group: KS201NI (administrative geographies) Census 2011 NISRA]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Retrieved 30 January 2015</ref> 42.9% of people from the Indian ethnic group were born in the UK. 41.9% were born in Southern Asia and 11.1% were born in South and Eastern Africa (for example, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania). Indian people born in South and Eastern Africa were more clustered than those born in the UK or Southern Asia, with 11.0% living in Harrow and 10.6% living in Leicester.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian ethnic group: facts and figures|url=https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/summaries/indian-ethnic-group|access-date=2021-07-18|website=www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Indian population in the United Kingdom countries and regions
|-
! Region
! Population<br>of region
! Indian<br>population
! Percentage of<br>total population
! Significant<br>communities
|-
| [[Greater London|London]]
| {{center|8,799,725}}
| {{center|[[Indian community of London|656,272]]}}
| {{center|7.5%}}
| [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]] - 28.6%<br>[[London Borough of Hounslow|Hounslow]] - 21.1%<br>[[London Borough of Brent|Brent]] - 19.5%
[[London Borough of Hillingdon|Hillingdon]] - 18.7%<br>[[London Borough of Redbridge|Redbridge]] - 16.5%<br>[[London Borough of Ealing|Ealing]] - 14.9%<br>[[London Borough of Newham|Newham]] - 11.0%
|-
| [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]]
| {{center|5,950,757}}
| {{center|276,030}}
| {{center|4.6%}}
| [[Wolverhampton]] - 15.9%<br>[[Sandwell]] - 13.0%<br>[[Coventry]] - 9.3%<br>[[Walsall]] - 8.0%<br>[[Birmingham]] - 5.8%
[[Solihull]] - 5.2%<br>[[Warwickshire]] - 4.9%
|-
| [[South East England|South East]]
| {{center|9,278,063}}
| {{center|241,537}}
| {{center|2.6%}}
| [[Slough]] - 19.1%<br>[[Wokingham]] - 7.0%
[[Slough|Windsor and Maidenhead]] - 6.4%<br>[[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] - 6.2%<br>[[Milton Keynes]] - 3.2%<br>[[Buckinghamshire]] - 4.4%
|-
| [[East Midlands]]
| {{center|4,880,054}}
| {{center|229,831}}
| {{center|4.7%}}
| [[Leicester]] - 34.3%<br>[[Leicestershire]] - 5.9%
[[Derby]] - 4.8%<br>[[Nottingham]] - 3.6%<br>[[West Northamptonshire]] - 2.3%<br>[[North Northamptonshire]] - 2.0%
|-
| [[East of England|East]]
| {{center|6,335,068}}
| {{center|136,974}}
| {{center|2.2%}}
| [[Bedford]] - 5.4%<br>[[Luton]] - 5.4%<br>[[Hertfordshire]] - 4.0%<br>[[Peterborough]] - 3.3%<br>[[Thurrock]] - 2.3%
|-
| [[North West England|North West]]
| {{center|7,417,398}}
| {{center|140,413}}
| {{center|1.9%}}
| [[Blackburn with Darwen]] - 15.8%<br>[[Bolton]] - 8.9%<br>[[Trafford]] - 4.3%<br>[[Manchester]] - 2.7%
[[Lancashire]] - 2.0%
|-
| [[Yorkshire and the Humber]]
| {{center|5,480,774}}
| {{center|81,322}}
| {{center|1.5%}}
| [[Kirklees]] - 5.2%<br>[[Bradford]] - 2.6%<br>[[Leeds]] - 2.6%<br>[[Sheffield]] - 1.2%
|-
| [[South West England|South West]]
| {{center|5,701,186}}
| {{center|58,847}}
| {{center|1.0%}}
| [[Swindon]] - 7.6%<br>[[Bristol]] - 1.8%
[[South Gloucestershire]] - 1.7%
|-
| [[North East England|North East]]
| {{center|2,647,014}}
| {{center|22,021}}
| {{center|0.8%}}
| [[Newcastle Upon Tyne]] - 2.4%
[[Middlesbrough]] - 1.9%<br>[[Darlington]] - 1.0%
|-
| [[Scotland]]
| {{center|5,295,403}}
| {{center|32,706}}
| {{center|0.6%}}
| [[Glasgow]] - 1.5%<br>[[Aberdeen]] - 1.5%<br>[[Edinburgh]] - 1.4%
|-
| [[Wales]]
| {{center|3,107,494}}
| {{center|21,070}}
| {{center|0.7%}}
| [[Cardiff]] - 2.4%
[[Newport, Wales|Newport]] - 1.3%<br>[[Swansea]] - 0.9%
|-
| [[Northern Ireland]]
| {{center|1,810,863}}
| {{center|6,198}}
| {{center|0.1%}}
| [[Belfast]] - 0.8%
|}

===Communities===
[[File:London Temple.jpg|thumb|The [[BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London]] is one of the largest Hindu temples in the world outside India]]
[[File:PM Modi at Wembley 4.jpg|thumb|Indian prime minister [[Narendra Modi]] meets British Indian children in London in 2015]]

==== London ====
{{Main|Indian community of London}}

Indians number over half a million in Greater London, which is the county's single largest non-white ethnic group. Indians have a significant impact on the culture of the British capital.{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} Within London, [[Southall]], [[Hounslow]], [[London Borough of Brent|Brent]], [[Croydon]], [[Ealing]], [[Chipping Barnet|Barnet]], [[Tooting]], [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]] and [[Wembley]], the latter of which is one of the few places outside India where Indians make up the largest ethnic group (almost 4 times larger than the [[White British]] population). There are more Indians in the British capital than in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Portugal combined. The Indian Overseas Congress UK is an organisation of the [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Indian diaspora]] in the UK, affiliated to the [[Indian National Congress]] (Congress (I)), and formed in 1969.

==== Leicester ====
As of 2021, [[Leicester]] is now one of the UK's ethnic and religious [[minority-majority]] cities and Indians make up by far the largest ethnic group besides the White British, others include [[Birmingham]] and [[Luton]]. At 18.7% of the local population in 2009, Leicester has one of the highest percentages of Indians per head of the population of any local authority in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276827&c=leicester&d=13&e=13&g=394575&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1243613683858&enc=1&dsFamilyId=1812|title=Check Browser Settings|access-date=18 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112857/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276827&c=leicester&d=13&e=13&g=394575&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1243613683858&enc=1&dsFamilyId=1812|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref> According to the 2001 UK Census, 14.74% of Leicester's population were Hindu and 4.21% Sikh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276827&c=leicester&d=13&e=15&g=394575&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1243613614983&enc=1&dsFamilyId=17|title=Check Browser Settings|access-date=18 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402101214/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276827&c=leicester&d=13&e=15&g=394575&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1243613614983&enc=1&dsFamilyId=17|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref> [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] is the primary language of 16% of the city's residents, 3% [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] and 2% [[Urdu language|Urdu]]. Other smaller but common language groups include [[Hindi language|Hindi]] and [[Bengali language|Bengali]].<ref name="DiversityOfLeicesterMay2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.leicesterpartnership.org.uk/EasySite/lib/serveDocument.asp?doc=111607&pgid=113861 |title=The Diversity of Leicester May 2008, A Demographic Profile |publisher=[[Leicester City Council]] |access-date=2009-05-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108034740/http://www.leicesterpartnership.org.uk/EasySite/lib/serveDocument.asp?doc=111607&pgid=113861 |archive-date=8 January 2009}}</ref>

==== Birmingham ====
Most Indians live in west Birmingham in areas such as [[Handsworth, West Midlands|Handsworth]]. [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] is the most spoken Indian language in Birmingham with some [[Urdu]] and [[Bengali language|Bengali]] speakers.

==== Slough ====
Slough has the largest [[Sikh]] community in the UK as a borough, with about 11 percent of the people in Slough being Sikhs. There is also has a large [[Hindus|Hindu]] population, (7 percent) and a significant Muslim population from India. The most common non-English languages in Slough are [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] and [[Polish language|Polish]] (with both at 6 percent), followed by [[Urdu language|Urdu]] with a bit of [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]].

==== Wolverhampton ====
[[Wolverhampton]] is home to the second largest Sikh community after Slough - 9.1 percent of the population are Sikhs. Hindu communities can be found; 3.0 percent are Hindus. The most spoken language among Indians in Wolverhampton is Punjabi, followed by Gujarati. The majority of the Indians in the city live in South Wolverhampton but are scattered almost everywhere.

====Overseas territories====
There are Indian communities in the UK's [[BOTs|overseas territories]], such as the communities in [[Gibraltar]], the [[Cayman Islands]], [[British Virgin Islands|Virgin Islands]], [[Anguilla]] and [[Montserrat]]. The majority of the community in Gibraltar originated in [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]] in Sindh, and came as merchants after the opening of the [[Suez Canal]] in 1870; many others migrated as workers after the closure of the frontier with Spain in 1969 to replace Spanish ones.<ref>Archer, Edward G.: [https://books.google.com/books?id=2ip0C6odET4C&dq=archer+identity+empire+gibraltar&pg=PP1 ''Gibraltar, identity and empire''], page 45. Routledge Advances in European Politics.</ref>

===Religion===
{{see also|List of Gurdwaras in the United Kingdom|List of Hindu temples in the United Kingdom}}
Although the plurality of British Indians are Hindu, the UK is home to the second largest Sikh community outside India.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/318934.stm|title=British Sikhs mark 300 years|work=BBC News|date=14 April 1999|access-date=18 March 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040106075818/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/318934.stm|archive-date=6 January 2004}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=May 2017}} Notable Hindu temples include [[BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London]], [[Bhaktivedanta Manor]], [[Shree Jalaram Prarthana Mandal]], [[Skanda Vale]], [[Sree Ganapathy Temple, Wimbledon]] and [[Tividale Tirupathy Balaji Temple]]. Notable Gurdwaras in the country include: [[Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha]], [[Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick]] and [[Guru Nanak Nishkam Sevak Jatha]]. There are also significant numbers of Muslim and Christian British Indians as well as [[Ravidassia]] community with their main temple (Bhawan) in Handsworth, Birmingham. One of the largest Christian British Indian community is that of Catholic Goans, mainly from East Africa, but also directly from [[Goa]], and from [[Aden]], Pakistan and the countries of the Persian Gulf. The UK is also home to one of the largest [[Ravidassia religion|Ravidassia]] communities outside India; this was first recognised by 2011 Census.
According to the 2021 census of England and Wales, there were close to 800,000 Indians who identified as Hindus and just over 385,000 who identified as Sikh.<ref name="2021Religion"/>

{| class="sortable wikitable"
! rowspan="3" |Religion
! colspan="4" |England and Wales
|-
! colspan="2" |2011<ref name=religion>{{cite web |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/business-transparency/freedom-of-information/what-can-i-request/previous-foi-requests/population/ethnicity-and-religion-by-age/dc2201ew---ethnic-group-and-religion.xls |title=DC2201EW - Ethnic group and religion |format=Spreadsheet |publisher=ONS |date=15 September 2015 |access-date=14 January 2016}} Size: 21Kb.</ref>
! colspan="2" |2021<ref name="2021Religion">{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group by religion - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/RM031/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/217f1401-dab4-43d3-aa77-6c9382220c0c#summary |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref>
|-
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
|-
| [[File:Om.svg|20px]] [[Hinduism]]
|621,983
|44.02%
|797,684
|42.79%
|-
| [[File:Khanda.svg|20px]] [[Sikhism]]
|312,965
|22.15%
|386,825
|20.75%
|-
| [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|20px]] [[Islam]]
|197,161
|13.95%
|246,968
|13.25%
|-
| [[File:Gold Christian Cross no Red.svg|20px]] [[Christianity]]
|135,988
|9.62%
|225,935
|12.12%
|-
| No religion
|44,281
|3.13%
|84,574
|4.54%
|-
| [[File:Star of David.svg|20px]] [[Judaism]]
|819
|0.06%
|557
|0.03%
|-
| [[File:Dharma Wheel.svg|20px]] [[Buddhism]]
|3,637
|0.26%
|3,587
|0.19%
|-
| Other religions
|33,003
|2.34%
|38,274
|2.05%
|-
| Not Stated
|63,121
|4.47%
|79,913
|4.29%
|-
!Total
!1,412,958
!100%
!1,864,317
!100%
|}

==Culture==
The British Council, Indian High Commission and UK government named 2017 the ‘UK India Year of Culture’, which was launched by the Queen.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-02-27|title=The Queen launches the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture|url=https://www.royal.uk/queen-launches-2017-uk-india-year-culture|access-date=2021-07-26|website=The Royal Family|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Prime Minister announces 2017 UK-India Year of Culture|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-announces-2017-uk-india-year-of-culture|access-date=2021-07-26|website=GOV.UK|language=en}}</ref> The year it was held was significant as it marked 70 years of Indian Independence from the British Raj. Its aim was to celebrate the relationship between the two nations through cultural events, exhibitions and activities organised in both countries throughout the year. The Nehru Centre is the cultural wing of the High Commission of India in the UK which was established in 1992.

===Cuisine===
{{See also|Anglo-Indian cuisine}}
[[File:Chicken tikka masala.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Chicken tikka masala]] is regarded as a British national dish.]]

[[Indian cuisine]] is extremely popular in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|title=How Britain got the hots for curry|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8370054.stm|work=BBC News|first=Rumeana|last=Jahangir|date=26 November 2009}}</ref> The first exclusively Indian restaurant was the [[Hindoostanee Coffee House]] which opened in 1810.<ref name=curry1>{{cite web|title=The British Curry|url=https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-British-Curry/|first=Debabrata|last=Mukherjee}}</ref> Curry gained popularity in the UK in the 1940s and 1950s.<ref name=curry1 />

There are around 9,000 Indian restaurants located across the UK, which equates to approximately one per 7,000 people.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} 

Over 2 million Britons eat at Indian restaurants in the UK every week, with a further 3 million cooking at least one Indian based meal at home during the week.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.punjab.co.uk/content/view/6/8/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304015015/http://punjab.co.uk/content/view/6/8/|url-status=dead|title=Title|archive-date=4 March 2009|website=punjab.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.j-tull.com/musicians/iananderson/indian.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214180937/http://www.j-tull.com/musicians/iananderson/indian.html|url-status=dead|title=Indian cuisine and eating in the UK|archive-date=14 February 2009}}</ref> [[Veeraswamy]], located on [[Regent Street]] in [[London]], is the oldest surviving Indian restaurant in the UK, having opened in 1926.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 20 new places you can get Michelin-starred meals - including one with NO menu|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/18-new-places-you-can-8971484|newspaper=Daily Mirror|last=Jones|first=Dion|date=3 October 2019}}</ref> Veeraswamy is believed to be the origin of combining a curry and a pint of beer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Veeraswamy: A Michelin star for duck vindaloo|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-38081965|website=BBC News|date=24 November 2016}}</ref>

Seven Indian restaurants have a Michelin Star - six of which are located in London including Veeraswamey, with the only Michelin rated restaurant outside of London based in Birmingham - [https://www.Opheem.com Opheem].<ref>{{Cite web|title=MICHELIN Restaurants – the MICHELIN Guide|url=https://guide.michelin.com/en/restaurants/1-star-michelin/2-stars-michelin/indian|access-date=2021-07-26|website=MICHELIN Guide|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Film===
[[File:Param Singh MBE British Indian Awards 2019.jpg|thumb|[[Param Singh (executive)|Param Singh]] at the British Indian Awards in 2019]]

Notable British Indian films include ''[[Bend It Like Beckham]]'', whose story revolves around British Indian life, and ''[[Slumdog Millionaire]]'', a British drama film set in [[Mumbai]] starring British Indian actor [[Dev Patel]] in the lead role. The latter has won four [[66th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globes]], seven [[62nd British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Awards]] and [[81st Academy Awards nominees and winners|eight Academy Awards]]. ''[[The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel]]'', a British film set in India, was nominated for two [[70th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globes]] and one [[66th British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA]], grossing US$31 million at the end of the UK run.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Gritten|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/best-exotic-marigold-hotel-from-a-pleasant-surprise-to-a-phenomenon?page=2#blogPostHeaderPanel/|title='Best Exotic Marigold Hotel': From Pleasant Surprise to Box Office Phenomenon|work=Indiewire|date=2 May 2012|access-date=28 May 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404193834/http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/best-exotic-marigold-hotel-from-a-pleasant-surprise-to-a-phenomenon?page=2#blogPostHeaderPanel/|archive-date=4 April 2015}}</ref> Besides British-produced Indian-based films, there are many [[Bollywood]] productions which have been filmed in the UK, including ''[[Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge]]'', ''[[Yaadein (2001 film)|Yaadein]]'', ''[[Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham]]'' and ''[[Jab Tak Hai Jaan]]''. The following is a partial list of films based on British Indian life, British films shot in India or with an Indian theme or has British Indian actors:

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* ''[[Autobiography of a Princess]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' (1982) - With British Indian actor [[Ben Kingsley]] as Gandhi 
* ''[[A Passage to India (film)|A Passage to India]]'' (1984) - Film set during the early 20th century India
* ''[[The Jewel in the Crown (TV series)|The Jewel in the Crown]]'' (1984) - TV series set during the 1940s [[British Raj]] era
* ''[[Sammy and Rosie Get Laid]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Bhaji on the Beach]]'' (1993) -  A film by [[Gurinder Chadha]] depicts life of a group of West London Asian women.
* ''[[The Buddha of Suburbia (TV serial)|The Buddha of Suburbia]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love]]'' (1996)
* ''[[My Son the Fanatic (film)|My Son the Fanatic]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Such a Long Journey (film)|Such a Long Journey]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Bend It Like Beckham]]'' (2002) - A film by [[Gurinder Chadha]] depicts life of a London Sikh family.
* ''[[The Guru (2002 film)|The Guru]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Bride and Prejudice]]'' (2004) - A [[Gurinder Chadha]] take on [[Jane Austen]]'s Pride and prejudice with an International setting of locations and cast.
* '' [[Namastey London]]      '' (2007)
* ''[[Before the Rains]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Slumdog Millionaire]]'' (2008) - Film set in Mumbai with Londoner [[Dev Patel]] in the title role.
* ''[[The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel]]'' (2012) - Film set in Rajasthan with Londoner [[Dev Patel]] in an important role.
* ''[[The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel]]'' (2015) - Film set in Jaipur with Londoner [[Dev Patel]] in an important role.
* ''[[The Man Who Knew Infinity (film)|The Man Who Knew Infinity]]'' (2015) - depicting the life of the Indian mathematical prodigy [[Ramanujan]], with Londoner [[Dev Patel]] in the lead role.
}}

===Music===
[[File:Jay Sean.jpg|thumb|Singer, [[Jay Sean]]]]
{{See also|Asian Underground|Bhangra (music)|Indian pop|Raga rock}}

Indian influence on [[British popular music]] dates back to the development of [[raga rock]] by British [[rock band]]s such as [[The Beatles]] and [[The Rolling Stones]]; several Beatles songs (such as "[[Within You Without You]]") also featured London-based Indian musicians.<ref name=diary>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_TBkf1ttNBYC&q=Mike+Leander++sgt+pepper&pg=PA259 |title=The Beatles Diary: The Beatles years|author=Barry Miles, Keith Badman |year=2001|page=259 |publisher=Omnibus Press, 2001 |isbn=9780711983083|access-date=9 February 2011 }}</ref> Today, British Indian musicians exist in almost every field and genre. Notable British Indian Bhangra acts include [[Panjabi MC]], [[Rishi Rich]], [[Juggy D]], [[Jay Sean]], [[DCS (band)|DCS]], [[Bally Sagoo]] and [[Sukshinder Shinda]]. World-famous award-winning singer-songwriter [[Freddie Mercury]] (a former member of the rock band [[Queen (band)|Queen]]) was born on the island of [[Zanzibar]] to [[Parsi]] parents, originally from the [[Gujarat]] area of India. Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) and his family fled when he was 17 years old due to the [[Zanzibar Revolution]]; he remains not only one of the most famous British Indian musicians of all time, but one of the most famous British musicians. Other world-famous British Indian musicians include [[Biddu]], who produced a number of worldwide [[disco]] hits such as "[[Kung Fu Fighting]]", one of the [[List of best-selling singles|best-selling singles]] of all time having sold eleven million records worldwide,<ref name="metro_biddu">{{cite web|title=Biddu|author=James Ellis|work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]|date=27 October 2009|url=http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/interviews/412-biddu|access-date=2011-04-17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902182831/http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/interviews/412-biddu|archive-date=2 September 2011}}</ref><ref name="times_2004">{{cite news|date=20 August 2004|title=It's a big step from disco to Sanskrit chants, but Biddu has made it|author=Malika Browne|work=[[The Sunday Times]]|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article471655.ece|access-date=2011-05-30|location=London}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and [[Apache Indian (musician)|Apache Indian]], who also had worldwide hits such as "[[Boom Shack-A-Lak]]". Jay Sean, whose parents immigrated to the United Kingdom from the Punjab region, is the first solo British Asian artist to reach the #1 spot on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] with his single "[[Down (Jay Sean song)|Down]]" selling more than four million copies in the United States,<ref name="riaa">{{cite web|title=Searchable Database |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |access-date=21 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |archive-date=26 June 2007}}</ref><ref name=Caulfield>{{cite magazine|title=Taylor Swift Edges Susan Boyle For 2009's Top-Selling Album|author=Keith Caulfield|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=6 January 2010|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/960801/taylor-swift-edges-susan-boyle-for-2009s-top-selling-album|access-date=2009-01-07|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427000452/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/960801/taylor-swift-edges-susan-boyle-for-2009s-top-selling-album|archive-date=27 April 2014}}</ref> making him "the most successful male UK urban artist in US chart history."<ref>{{cite news |last=Youngs |first=Ian |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8269400.stm |title=British R&B star conquers America |work=BBC News |date=2009-09-23 |access-date=2009-10-08 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926060623/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8269400.stm |archive-date=26 September 2009}}</ref> Other contemporary British Indian singers include S-Endz and [[BRIT Awards|BRIT Award]]-nominated [[Nerina Pallot]].

=== Literature ===
British Indians have also contributed to British literature. Well known examples include author [[Salman Rushdie]] who won the [[Booker Prize]] in 1981. More contemporary contributions come from authors including [[Nikesh Shukla]] who is the editor of the 2016 collection of essays ''[[The Good Immigrant]]'', which explores the experience of immigrant and ethnic minority life in the United Kingdom from their perspective, including contributions from other British Indians [[Nish Kumar]] and [[Himesh Patel]]. The [[Harry potter series|Harry Potter series]], by British author [[J. K. Rowling|JK Rowling]], also features two notable characters who are presumed to be of Indian Marathi descent - Padma and Parvati Patil.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-20|title=How Harry Potter's only Indian characters, Parvati and Padma Patil were cast from amid scores of contenders|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/hollywood/how-harry-potter-s-only-indian-characters-parvati-and-padma-patil-were-cast-from-amid-scores-of-contenders/story-PbdrziJkqEF673GTQTppKP.html|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

=== Art ===
British Artist [[F. N. Souza]] was one of the first Indian artists to work in Britain after the war. Together with [[Avinash Chandra]] they were the first British Indian artists to be included in the national collection at the Tate. In 1962, the <nowiki>''</nowiki>Festival of India<nowiki>''</nowiki> - a six-month celebration of Indian culture and art - was held across a number of prestigious galleries and museums in London and was called "most comprehensive collection of Indian painting and sculpture ever assembled anywhere" by the New York Times.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Borders|first1=William|date=1982-03-27|title=London Sees 'Festival of India' Art|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/27/arts/london-sees-festival-of-india-art.html|access-date=2021-07-26|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The Indian Painters Collective (IPC) was formed in London in 1963. They created the first artistic body of its kind outside of India and achieve the first group showing of Indian artists in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The roots of the Indian artists' collectives in Britain {{!}} Art UK|url=https://artuk.org/discover/stories/the-roots-of-the-indian-artists-collectives-in-britain|access-date=2021-07-26|website=artuk.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Roots of the Indian Artists' Collectives {{!}} 11 July - 9 August 2019 - Overview|url=https://www.grosvenorgallery.com/exhibitions/235-the-roots-of-the-indian-artists-collectives/overview/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Grosvenor Gallery|language=en}}</ref> In 1978 IPC was renamed Indian Artists UK (IAUK) with the desire to establish an Indian Academy of Visual Arts in Britain. Sir [[Anish Kapoor]] is a British sculptor who came to prominence in the 1980s and later went onto win the [[Turner Prize]] in 2002.

=== Fashion ===
[[Neelam Gill]] is the first British Indian model to feature as a high fashion model.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Butter|first=Susannah|date=2015-10-01|title=Neelam Gill, the first British Indian to break into the modelling|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/neelam-gill-the-first-british-indian-to-break-into-the-modelling-alist-a2959081.html|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.standard.co.uk|language=en}}</ref> [[Supriya Lele]] is a British Indian fashion designer who blends her heritage into her work.<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=Condé Nast|date=2018-09-14|title=The British Designer Blending Her Indian Heritage With Lo-Fi Luxury|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/supriya-lele-interview|access-date=2021-07-27|website=British Vogue|language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Priya Ahluwalia]] is a British designer of Nigerian and Indian descent and the founder of menswear brand Ahluwalia and was given the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-14 |title="We Are Business Owners, You Can't Be A Wallflower": Priya Ahluwalia, Tolu Coker & Torishéju Dumi Are Leading The Charge For Sustainable British Design |url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/british-vogue-sustainable-fashion-designers-cover |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=British Vogue |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Indo-British designer receives Queen Elizabeth II Award for design - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/fashion/designers/indo-british-designer-receives-queen-elizabeth-ii-award-for-design/articleshow/81205210.cms|access-date=2021-07-27|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> In March 2020, Ahluwalia was featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 European Arts and Culture list.<ref>{{Cite web|title=London Fashion Week - AHLUWALIA|url=https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/designers/ahluwalia|access-date=2021-07-27|website=London Fashion Week}}</ref> Mandeep and Hardeep Chohan, twin sisters of Indian origin jointly own fashion label, Nom de Mode, which draws inspiration from their roots.<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=Condé Nast|date=2014-07-11|title=Designer name to know: Nom de Mode|url=https://www.vogue.in/content/designer-name-know-nom-de-mode|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Vogue India|language=en-IN}}</ref>

=== Sports ===
{{See also|Kabaddi in the United Kingdom|Kho kho in the United Kingdom}}
[[Cricket]] is one of the main sports played by British Indians, due to its prominent heritage in both the UK and India.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-09-02 |title='A cultural thing': Cricket defines British-Indian identity |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/india-in-england/a-cultural-thing-cricket-defines-british-indian-identity/articleshow/85873407.cms |access-date=2024-12-18 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Over twice as many British South Asians play football rather than cricket, however.<ref>{{Cite news |title=British South Asians in football: Investigation into why there are so few players and how to solve the problem |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13140618/british-south-asians-in-football-investigation-into-why-there-are-so-few-players-and-how-to-solve-the-problem |work=Sky Sports}}</ref> There is also a minor presence of [[Traditional games of India|traditional Indian games]] in the community.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-01-30 |title=British Indians fall in love with 'Kho Kho', reconnect with roots |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/british-indians-fall-in-love-with-kho-reconnect-with-roots-4498120/ |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

===Television===
Long-running British soap operas such as ''[[Coronation Street]]'', ''[[EastEnders]]'', ''[[Emmerdale]]'' and ''[[Hollyoaks]]'' have all had significant numbers of Indian characters, while shorter British series such as ''[[The Jewel in the Crown (TV series)|The Jewel in the Crown]]'' and ''[[Skins (UK TV series)|Skins]]'' also feature British Indian characters. By far the most notable British Indian television shows are ''[[Goodness Gracious Me (BBC)|Goodness Gracious Me]]'' and ''[[The Kumars at No. 42]]'', a talk show that stars many famous British Indian actors including [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]], [[Meera Syal]], Indira Joshi and [[Vincent Ebrahim]] which originally aired on the BBC. British Indian actors not only have a strong presence in the UK, but also in the [[United States]], where [[Parminder Nagra]], [[Naveen Andrews]] and [[Kunal Nayyar]] (who are all Britons of Indian origin) have found fame in ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'', ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'', ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'' and ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'' respectively, though Nagra is the only one to portray an actual British citizen of Indian descent. [[Ranj Singh|Dr Ranj]] is a British Indian TV host best known as a celebrity dancer on ''[[Strictly Come Dancing]]'', and co-creating and presenting the CBeebies show ''Get Well Soon''.

There are dozens of TV channels aimed at the British Indian community available on Satellite and Cable, which include:
{| class="wikitable"  style="float:left; margin-right:1em"
|-
! Indian owned
! [[British Sky Broadcasting|Sky]] channel
! [[Virgin Media]] channel
! Other
|-
| [[Sony Entertainment Television Asia|Sony TV Asia]]
| 782
| 806
| N/A
|-
| [[STAR One]]
| 783
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[STAR Plus]]
| 784
| 803
| N/A
|-
| [[Zee TV]]
| 788
| 809
| Channel 555 ([[TalkTalk TV]])
|-
| [[Zee Music]]
| 789
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[Zee Cinema]]
| 617
| 810
| N/A
|-
| [[Alpha ETC Punjabi]]
| 798
| 812
| N/A
|-
| [[SET Max]]
| 800
| 806
| N/A
|-
| [[Aastha TV]]
| 807
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[STAR News]]
| 808
| 802
| N/A
|-
| [[STAR Gold]]
| 809
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[Zee Entertainment Enterprises|Zee Gujarati]]
| 811
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[SAB TV]]
| 816
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[Sahara One]]
| 817
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[Aaj Tak]]
| 818
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[Peace TV]]
| 820
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[Zee Entertainment Enterprises|Zee Jaagran]]
| 838
| N/A
| N/A
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Joint owned
! [[British Sky Broadcasting|Sky]] channel
! [[Virgin Media]] channel
! Other
|-
| [[B4U Movies]]
| 780
| 815
| N/A
|-
| [[B4U Music]]
| 781
| 816
| Channel 504 ([[Freesat]])
|-
| [[9X (TV channel)|9X]]
| 828
| N/A
| Channel 662 (Freesat)
|-
| [[9X (TV channel)|9X]]M
| 829
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[NDTV Imagine]]
| 831
| N/A
| N/A
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! British owned
! [[British Sky Broadcasting|Sky]] channel
! [[Virgin Media]] channel
! Other
|-
| [[Midlands Asian Television|MATV]]
| 793
| 823
| N/A
|}
{{Clear}}

===Radio===
The [[BBC Asian Network]] is a radio station available across the United Kingdom which is aimed predominantly at Britons of [[South Asian]] origin under 35 years of age. Besides this popular station there are only a few other national radio stations for or run by the British Indian community&nbsp;— including [[Sunrise Radio|Sunrise]] and [[Yarr Radio]]s. Regional British Indian stations include [[Asian Sound]] of Manchester, [[Hindu Sanskar Radio|Hindu Sanskar]] and [[Sabras Radio]]s of Leicester, [[Kismat Radio]] of London, [[Radio XL]] of Birmingham and [[Sunrise Radio (Yorkshire)|Sunrise Radio Yorkshire]] based in Bradford (which itself has a much larger Pakistani than Indian community).

==British Indians achievements in other fields==

===Politics===
[[File:Official Portrait of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.jpg|alt=Rishi Sunak|thumb|[[Rishi Sunak]], the first British Indian [[Leader of the Conservative Party (UK)|leader of the Conservative Party]] and [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister]] (October 2022 to July 2024)]]
[[David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre]] was the first British politician of Indian descent to win a seat in parliament; he was elected to represent the Sudbury constituency in July 1841, but was removed in April 1842 due to [[bribery]] in the election.<ref>{{Cite book
  | last = Fisher
  | first = Michael H.
  | title = Counterflows to Colonialism: Indian Travellers and Settlers in Britain, 1600–1857
  | publisher = Orient Blackswan
  | year = 2006
  | location = 
  | pages = 318
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=iPHqigUD6FUC
  | doi = 
  | id = 
  | isbn = 81-7824-154-4}}</ref> [[Dadabhai Naoroji]] was the second British Indian politician to win a seat in parliament; he was elected as a Liberal MP for Finsbury in 1892.

British Indians have historically tended to vote for the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], due to strong links with local party branches and a degree of community voting, but it has been argued that the assimilation of younger British Indians and the consequent weakening of community bonds and parental political ties, this relationship has started to break down. The [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]'s modernisation and efforts to attract British Indian voters have also contributed to changing political affiliations.<ref name="TheHindu" />

The [[British Election Study|Ethnic Minority British Election Study]] estimated that 61 per cent of British Indians voted Labour in the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]], 24 per cent Conservative and 13 per cent [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/EMBESbriefingFINALx.pdf|title=Ethnic Minority British Election Study – Key Findings|publisher=Runnymede Trust|first1=Anthony|last1=Heath|first2=Omar|last2=Khan|date=February 2012|access-date=16 June 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601050142/http://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/EMBESbriefingFINALx.pdf|archive-date=1 June 2017}}</ref> A 2019 analysis by the [[Runnymede Trust]] estimated that, in the 2010 general election, 57 per cent of British Indians voted for the Labour Party and 30 per cent voted for the Conservative Party. Academic research in the build-up to the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]] indicated that 69 per cent of British Indians supported Labour and 24 per cent the Conservatives.<ref name="TheHindu">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/will-british-indians-remain-with-labour/article18226242.ece|title=Will British Indians remain with Labour?|first=Vidya|last=Ram|work=The Hindu|date=26 April 2017|access-date=16 June 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514150201/http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/will-british-indians-remain-with-labour/article18226242.ece|archive-date=14 May 2018}}</ref>

First elected as a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] MP in 2015, [[Rishi Sunak]] became the first UK Prime Minister from a British Indian background in October 2022, holding the position until the Conservatives' July 2024 general election loss.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c100mep38g4o|title=Who is Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak?|publisher=BBC News|date=3 June 2024|accessdate=5 July 2024}}</ref> [[Shami Chakrabarti]], who was born to Indian immigrant parents, is one of a few British Indian life peers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Baroness Shami Chakrabarti (LLB, 1994) |url=https://www.lse.ac.uk/law/centenary/people/shami-chakrabarti.aspx |access-date=2021-07-26 |website=London School of Economics and Political Science |language=en-GB}}</ref> Others include [[Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai|Lord Desai]] who is of Gujarati descent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact information for Lord Desai - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2699/contact |access-date=2021-07-26 |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>

In the 2015 general election, approximately 57.5 per cent of British Indians voted for Labour and 31 per cent voted for the Conservatives. In the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]], approximately 58 per cent of British Indians voted for Labour, while 40 per cent of British Indians voted for the Conservatives.<ref>Martin N, Khan O. "Ethnic Minorities at the 2017 British General Election" ([https://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/2017%20Election%20Briefing.pdf PDF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121010457/https://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/2017%20Election%20Briefing.pdf |date=21 January 2022 }}), ''Runnymede Trust'', February 2019.</ref> According to the same report, British Indians were more likely than most other ethnic minorities to vote for [[Brexit]], although 65 per cent to 67 per cent of British Indians voted to remain in the European Union.

During the [[2019 United Kingdom general election]], The ''[[Times of India]]'' reported that supporters of [[Narendra Modi]]'s ruling [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) were actively campaigning for the Tories in 48 marginal seats,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/bjp-supporters-start-campaign-for-tories-in-uk-general-election/articleshow/71911496.cms |title=BJP support group bats for Tories in 48 key UK seats |date=5 November 2019 |newspaper=The Times of India |access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref> and the ''[[Today (BBC Radio 4)|Today]]'' programme reported that it had seen [[WhatsApp]] messages sent to Hindus across the country urging them to vote Conservative.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2019/11/whats-behind-labour-partys-rift-hindu-voters |title=What's behind the Labour Party's rift with Hindu voters? |date=27 November 2019 |newspaper=New Statesman |access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="BBCHindu">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2019-50382791 |title=General election 2019: Labour seeks to calm Hindu voters' anger |date=12 November 2019 |work=BBC News |access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref> Some British Indians spoke out against what they saw as the BJP's meddling in the UK election.<ref name="HS">{{cite news |first=Haroon |last=Siddique |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/11/british-indians-warn-hindu-party-not-to-meddle-in-uk-elections |title=British Indians warn Hindu nationalist party not to meddle in UK elections |date=11 November 2019 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hardline Hindus are pushing the Indian government's agenda on British voters |date=26 November 2019 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/25/uk/bjp-kashmir-tory-uk-election-ge19-intl-gbr/index.html |access-date=2023-08-15}}</ref>

The [[Hindu Council UK]] was strongly critical of Labour under the leadership of [[Jeremy Corbyn]], going as far as to say that Labour was "anti-Hindu"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/labour-party/jeremy-corbyn/news/108229/fresh-blow-labour-hindu-council |title=Fresh blow for Labour as Hindu Council claims party discriminates against community |date=27 November 2019 |website=Politics Home |access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref> and objected to the party's condemnation of the [[Government of India|Indian government]]'s [[Revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir|actions in the disputed territory of Kashmir]].<ref name= "BBCHindu" />[[File:1910-Sophia-Suffragette-Duleep-Singh-fixed.jpg|thumb|Sophia Duleep Singh - British Indian suffragette sells newspapers]]

Research conducted by [[UK in a Changing Europe]] in 2023 has suggested that British Indian and [[British Chinese]] voters held more economically right-wing views, but held the most socially liberal attitudes, in particular towards the [[LGBT community]], compared to other ethnic minorities in the UK. Survey data indicated Conservatives (45 per cent) led Labour (35 per cent) by 10 points amongst Hindus in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kanagasooriam |first1=James |title=Non-white Britain is more diverse than ever |url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/non-white-britain-is-more-diverse-than-ever-db3bf6bcl |access-date=17 January 2024 |work=The Times |date=3 January 2024}}</ref>

==== Political activism ====
[[Sophia Duleep Singh]] was a suffragette of Indian origin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The campaign for women's suffrage: key figures|url=https://www.bl.uk/votes-for-women/articles/womens-suffrage-key-figures|access-date=2021-07-26|website=The British Library}}</ref> A number of organisations exist that have been established by British Indians to promote and advocate for issues important to Indian Britons. These include the [[India League]] (formally established in 1928), which was a Britain-based organisation whose aim was to campaign for the full independence and self-governance of India.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www5.open.ac.uk/research-projects/making-britain/content/india-league|title=India League|work=
Making Britain: Discover how South Asians shaped the nation, 1870-1950|publisher=Open University|accessdate=15 April 2024}}</ref> The [[Indian Workers' Association]] (IWA) is a political organisation in Great Britain consisting of Indian immigrants to Britain and their descendants. IWA branches are organised in some major cities such as Birmingham and London. It fought  for better working and living standards, it also lobbied for Indian independence and campaigned on issues such as racism and on civil liberties.

===Caste system===
A number of British Hindus still adhere to the [[caste system in India|caste system]] and still seek marriage with individuals who are of similar caste categories. There have been several incidents involving abuse of low caste British Hindus, known as [[Dalit]]s, by higher caste individuals in schools and workplaces.<ref name="caste?">{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7156139.stm | work=BBC News | title=British Hindus divided by caste | date=2007-12-21 | access-date=2010-04-27 | first=Naresh | last=Puri | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223151940/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7156139.stm | archive-date=23 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7150000/newsid_7155200/7155240.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&ms3=6&ms_javascript=true&nol_storyid=7155240&bbcws=2 | work=BBC News | title=Low caste Hindus 'abused' | date=2007-12-21 | access-date=2010-04-27 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923140448/http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7150000/newsid_7155200/7155240.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&ms3=6&ms_javascript=true&nol_storyid=7155240&bbcws=2 | archive-date=23 September 2011}}</ref>

===Female foeticide===
According to a study published by Oxford University 1500 girls are missing from birth records in England and Wales over a 15-year period from 1990 to 2005. The vast majority of the abortions are carried out in India reports suggest that abortions rejected on the NHS would force some British Indians to travel to India for the procedure. There have also been cases where British Indian doctors who would pass on details to their patients about clinics abroad which offer sex selective screening and abortion for women who have passed the 24-week abortion limit in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7123753.stm | work=BBC News | title=UK Indian women 'aborting girls' | date=2007-12-03 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217223234/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7123753.stm | archive-date=17 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jan/22/india.uk|title=Desperate British Asians fly to India to abort baby girls|first=Dan|last=McDougall|date=21 January 2006|newspaper=The Guardian|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202083217/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jan/22/india.uk|archive-date=2 February 2017}}</ref>

===Discrimination===
{{See also|Stereotypes of South Asians|Racism in the United Kingdom}}
[[File:Rock Against Racism 1978.jpg|thumb|Rock Against Racism marches were commonplace in the United Kingdom in response to racist attacks on racial minorities]]
Discrimination against people of Indian origin in the United Kingdom has a long history.<ref>{{cite book|title=Indians in Britain Anglo-Indian Encounters, Race and Identity, 1880-1930|author=Shompa Lahiri|year=2013|pages=109, 219}}</ref>

Starting in the late 1960s<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ashe |first1=Stephen |last2=Virdee |first2=Satnam |last3=Brown |first3=Laurence |title=Striking back against racist violence in the East End of London, 1968–1970 |journal=[[Race & Class]] |date=2016 |volume=58 |issue=1 |pages=34–54 |doi=10.1177/0306396816642997 |pmid=28479657 |pmc=5327924 |issn=0306-3968}}</ref> and peaked during the 1970s and 1980s, Indians and other racial minority groups living in the United Kingdom were the victims of racist violence and they were often subjected to physical violence by supporters of far-right, anti-immigration and racist political parties such as the [[National Front (UK)|National Front]] (NF) and the [[British National Party]] (BNP).<ref>{{cite web|title=They came from south Asia to help rebuild Britain. The racism they saw then is back|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/20/south-asia-racism-testimonies-hostility|newspaper=The Guardian|last=Puri|first=Kavita|date=20 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=How London's Southall became 'Little Punjab'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/apr/04/how-london-southall-became-little-punjab-|newspaper=The Guardian|last=Chaudhary|first=Vivek|date=4 April 2018}}</ref> The political organisation [[Indian Workers' Association]] was one of many organisations which helped to oppose racist attacks.<ref>{{cite book|title=The National Front in English Politics|author=Stan Taylor|year=1982|page=139}}</ref> In 1976 the [[Rock Against Racism]] political and cultural movement was formed as a reaction to racist attacks that were happening on the streets of the United Kingdom.

Verbal discrimination has become somewhat more common after the [[9/11]] and [[7/7]] attacks,{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} even though extremists who committed these atrocities have little to nothing to do with the British Indian community.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/77-bombings-london-anniversary-live-profiles-of-the-four-bombers-who-killed-52-people-in-london-10369984.html|title=Profiles of the 4 bombers who killed 52 people in London on 7/7|date=6 July 2015|website=The Independent|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180329061327/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/77-bombings-london-anniversary-live-profiles-of-the-four-bombers-who-killed-52-people-in-london-10369984.html|archive-date=29 March 2018}}</ref> A notable example of anti-Indian sentiment in the UK is the 2007 [[Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy]] which received significant media coverage. Contestants [[Jade Goody]] (who was [[mixed race]]), [[Danielle Lloyd]] and [[Jo O'Meara]] were all seen to have been mocking Bollywood actress [[Shilpa Shetty]] because of her accent. They also persisted in making fun of general parts of Indian culture. [[Channel 4]] screened the arguments between the contestants, which received over 50,000 complaints. The controversy generated over 300 newspaper articles in Britain, 1,200 in [[English language]] newspapers around the globe, 3,900 foreign language news articles, and 22,000 blog postings on the internet.<ref>{{cite news|title=Racial Subplot on British 'Big Brother' Grabs Nation and Ratings|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/world/europe/21brother.html?ref=europe|author=Alan Cowell|work=The New York Times|date=2007-01-21|access-date=2007-01-21|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416021847/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/world/europe/21brother.html?ref=europe|archive-date=16 April 2009}}</ref>

Another example of discrimination is the [[Expulsion of Asians in Uganda in 1972]] (a decision made by the President of Uganda to [[ethnically cleanse]] the country) which led to tens of thousands of East African Indians coming to the UK to start a new life, the majority of them already had British passports, due to Uganda at that time being part of the [[British Empire]].

Other examples of discrimination towards British Indians in the mainstream population include the case of 27-year-old Chetankumar Meshram, a call centre trainer from [[Northampton]] who was compensated [[£]]5,000 after his boss told him he was to be replaced by a better English speaker.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/british-indian-call-centre-worker-wins-racial-discrimination-case_1006945.html|title=British-Indian call centre worker wins racial discrimination case|work=Thaindian News|access-date=18 March 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164106/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/british-indian-call-centre-worker-wins-racial-discrimination-case_1006945.html|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref> Also Meena Sagoo, 42 is demanding over £100,000 after she and a fellow employee of the [[ING Bank]] of [[Sri Lanka]]n heritage were called The Kumars at No. 42 (after the popular TV comedy show of the same name). The same bank has been noted to have paid out £20,000 to a worker of Chinese origin who also claimed racial harassment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://card.wordpress.com/2006/12/01/british-indian-woman-slams-racism-case-against-ing-bank/|title=British Indian woman slams racism case against ING bank|work=C.A.R.D|access-date=18 March 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718091927/http://card.wordpress.com/2006/12/01/british-indian-woman-slams-racism-case-against-ing-bank/|archive-date=18 July 2011|date=December 2006}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=March 2023}}

Another form of discrimination towards British Indians is stereotyping, one example is British Asians stereotyped as being the majority of [[newsagent]] and [[convenience store]] shopkeepers, the stereotype "Paki shop".<ref>{{cite web|title=Asians denounce media myth of the corner shop: One in five driven to seek self-employment|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/asians-denounce-media-myth-of-the-corner-shop-one-in-five-driven-to-seek-selfemployment-1422080.html|newspaper=The Independent|author=Kenan Malik|date=11 June 1994}}</ref> This stereotype was made fun of in the television and radio sketches of [[Goodness Gracious Me (TV & radio)|Goodness Gracious Me]] by four British Indian comedy actors. In the comedy sketch [[Little Britain (sketch show)|Little Britain]], a British Indian character called Meera continuously receives racist comments from weight loss advisor [[Marjorie Dawes]] who always makes it known that she does not understand a word of what Meera says, although it is completely obvious to the surrounding people and the viewer.

=== Economic status ===

[[File:Indian wedding Nottingham.jpg|thumb|A traditional [[Indian wedding]] in [[Nottingham]], 2006]]

A study by the [[Joseph Rowntree Foundation]] in 2007 found that British Indians have among the lowest poverty rates among different ethnic groups in Britain, second only to white British. Of the different ethnic groups, Bangladeshis (65%), Pakistanis (55%) and black Africans (45%) had the highest poverty rates; black Caribbeans (30%), Indians (25%), white Other (25%) and white British (20%) had the lowest rates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/poverty-rates-among-ethnic-groups-great-britain|title=Poverty rates among ethnic groups in Great Britain|publisher=[[Joseph Rowntree Foundation]]|date=April 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121101819/http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/poverty-rates-among-ethnic-groups-great-britain|archive-date=21 November 2010}}</ref>

According to official UK Government figures from 2018, British Indians had the highest employment rate of all ethnic minorities at 76%; the overall employment rate in the UK is 75%, with the employment rate for White British people also standing at 76%.<ref>UK Government, [https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/employment/employment/latest "Ethnicity Facts and Figures: Work, pay and benefits: Employment"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213145600/https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/employment/employment/latest |date=13 February 2020 }}. Retrieved 13 February 2020.</ref> The unemployment rate of British Indians was 4% in 2018, the lowest of all ethnic minorities. The overall unemployment rate in the UK in 2018 was 4%, with the unemployment rate for White British people also standing at 4%.<ref>UK Government,[https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity/unemployment/latest "Ethnicity Facts and Figures: Work, pay and benefits: Unemployment"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213150019/https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity/unemployment/latest |date=13 February 2020 }}. Retrieved 13 February 2020.</ref>

Research from the Resolution Foundation published in 2020 has found that British Indians hold the highest median total household net wealth among major British ethnic groups at £347,400.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bangham |first=George |date=December 2020 |title=A gap that won't close |url=https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/app/uploads/2020/12/A-gap-that-wont-close.pdf |access-date=21 May 2023}}</ref> 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ethnic group || Median total household net wealth (2016–18)
|-
|Indian || £347,400
|-
|White British || £324,100
|-
|Pakistani || £232,200
|-
|Black Caribbean || £125,400
|-
|Bangladeshi || £124,700
|-
|Other White || £122,800
|-
|Chinese
|£73,500
|-
|Black African || £28,400
|}

Among the working-age population, with pensions thus excluded, British Indians have the highest median total wealth at £178,980:<ref>Rowlingson K. [https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/research/SocialSciences/Key-Facts-Background-Paper-BPCIV.pdf "Wealth inequality: key facts"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808083550/http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/research/SocialSciences/Key-Facts-Background-Paper-BPCIV.pdf |date=8 August 2017 }}, ''Policy Commission on the Distribution of Wealth'', December 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2018.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ethnic group || Median total household wealth (excluding pensions) (2006/8)
|-
|Indian || £178,980
|-
|White British || £174,007
|-
|Black Caribbean || £62,702
|-
|Other minority ethnic groups || £41,500
|}

According to official figures, British Indians have the third highest average pay levels in the UK among all ethnic groups:<ref name="PayGap22">{{cite web |title=Ethnicity pay gaps, UK: 2012 to 2022 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/articles/ethnicitypaygapsingreatbritain/2012to2022 |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ethnic group || Median hourly pay (2022)
|-
|White Irish || £20.20
|-
|Chinese || £17.73
|-
|Indian || £17.29
|-
|Mixed White and Asian || £16.93
|-
|White British || £14.42
|}

UK Government figures also demonstrate that British Indians have the highest proportion of workers in professional and managerial occupations, out of all ethnic groups in the UK:<ref name="auto">UK Government, [https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/employment/employment-by-occupation/latest "Ethnicity Facts and Figures: Work, Pay and Benefits: Employment by Occupation"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420203019/https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/employment/employment-by-occupation/latest|date=20 April 2018}}. Retrieved 20 April 2018.</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Ethnic group || Percentage of workers in professional and managerial occupations
|-
|Indian || 43%
|-
|Other || 34%
|-
|White || 31%
|-
|Mixed || 30%
|-
|Pakistani/Bangladeshi || 27%
|-
|Black || 25%
|}

The 2021 census for England and Wales found that British Indians were least likely to live in [[Public housing in the United Kingdom|social housing]] and had some of the highest rates of home ownership and  amongst all ethnic groups:<ref>{{cite web |title=RM134: Tenure by ethnic group - Household Reference Persons |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/RM134/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/189e5b6d-edce-47e5-b5f7-b92c7d7f0db9#get-data |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=28 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Impacts of the Housing Crisis on People of Different Ethnicities: An analysis of the latest data from England & Wales |url=https://tfl.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media/documents/Positive-Money-Housing-Demographics-Report-April-2023-2.pdf |publisher=Positive Money |access-date=30 April 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Tenure by ethnicity in England and Wales
|-
! Ethnic group !! Social rented !! Privately rented !! Own with mortgage !! Own outright
|-
| Indian || 6% || 25% || 43% || 26%
|-
| Chinese || 8% || 31% || 32% || 29%
|-
| Pakistani || 14% || 26% || 37% || 23%
|-
| White British || 16% || 16% || 30% || 37%
|-
| White Irish || 18% || 19% || 27% || 37%
|-
| Arab || 27% || 48% || 15% || 10%
|-
| Mixed || 27% || 33% || 28% || 12%
|-
| Bangladeshi || 34% || 27% || 30% || 9%
|-
| Black || 43% || 27% || 21% || 9%
|-
| Irish Traveller/White Gypsy || 44% || 28% || 9% || 19%
|-
|}

=== Academic performance ===

According to official UK Government statistics, British Indian pupils have a high average level of academic performance. 77% of British Indian pupils attained A* to C grades in English and Maths in the 2015–16 academic year, second only to Chinese pupils, of whom 83% attained A* to C grades in English and Maths.<ref>UK Government, [https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/11-to-16-years-old/a-to-c-in-english-and-maths-gcse-attainment-for-children-aged-14-to-16-key-stage-4/latest "Ethnicity Facts and Figures: Education, skills and training: A* to C in English and Maths GCSE attainment for children aged 14 to 16 (Key Stage 4)"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421030933/https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/11-to-16-years-old/a-to-c-in-english-and-maths-gcse-attainment-for-children-aged-14-to-16-key-stage-4/latest |date=21 April 2018 }}. Retrieved 20 April 2018.</ref> At A-Level, in the 2016–17 academic year, 15.3% of British Indian pupils achieved at least 3 'A' grades at A-Level, with only the [[British Chinese]] ethnic group (24.8%) achieving the same benchmark at a higher rate.<ref>UK Government, [https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/a-levels/students-aged-16-to-18-achieving-3-a-grades-or-better-at-a-level/latest "Ethnicity Facts and Figures: Education, skills and training: Students aged 16 to 18 achieving 3 A grades or better at A Level"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015195121/https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/a-levels/students-aged-16-to-18-achieving-3-a-grades-or-better-at-a-level/latest|date=15 October 2018 }}. Retrieved 15 October 2018.</ref>

According to [[Department for Education]] statistics for the 2021–22 academic year, British Indian pupils in England attained the second highest level of academic performance at both [[A-Level]] and [[GCSE]], behind only Chinese pupils. 28.4% of British Indian pupils achieved at least 3 As at A Level<ref name="DfE_ALevels">{{cite web |title=Students getting 3 A grades or better at A level |url=https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/a-levels-apprenticeships-further-education/students-aged-16-to-18-achieving-3-a-grades-or-better-at-a-level/latest#by-ethnicity |website=gov.uk |date=23 November 2023 |publisher=[[Department for Education]] |access-date=26 May 2022}}</ref> and an average score of 61.3 was achieved in [[Attainment 8]] scoring at GCSE level.<ref name="DfE_GCSEs">{{cite web |title=GCSE results (Attainment 8) |url=https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/11-to-16-years-old/gcse-results-attainment-8-for-children-aged-14-to-16-key-stage-4/latest#by-ethnicity |website=gov.uk |date=17 October 2023 |publisher=[[Department for Education]] |access-date=4 December 2023}}</ref> According to the National Equality Panel, Indian Hindu and Sikh pupils were found to achieve better academic results than Indian Muslim pupils.<ref>{{cite web |title=An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK |url=http://www.equalities.gov.uk/pdf/NEP%20Report%20b |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008003212/http://www.equalities.gov.uk/pdf/NEP%20Report%20bookmarked.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 October 2010 |access-date=25 October 2023|website=equalities.gov.uk |publisher=National Equality Panel}}</ref> [[Trevor Phillips]], former chairman of the [[Equality and Human Rights Commission]], has argued that Chinese and Indian-heritage pupils achieve high standards of academic attainment regardless of the school attended or poverty levels.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Phillips |first1=Trevor |title=Being afraid to ask why Indian and Chinese heritage pupils excel at school helps no one |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/28/afraid-ask-indian-chinese-heritage-pupils-excel-school-helps/ |work=The Telegraph |date=28 January 2018}}</ref>

{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-break}} 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! colspan="3" | Percentage of students getting at least 3 A grades at A level (2021/22)<ref name="DfE_ALevels"/>
|-
! Ethnic Group !! %
|-
|[[British Chinese|Chinese]]
|36.8
|-
|'''Indian'''
|'''28.4'''
|-
|All ethnic groups (average)
|23.1
|-
|[[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]
|21.1
|-
|[[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
|20.7
|-
|[[British Bangladeshi|Bangladeshi]]
|16.5
|-
|[[British Pakistanis|Pakistani]]
|15.8
|-
|[[Black British people|Black]]
|12.3
|-
|[[Romani people in the United Kingdom|Gypsy/Roma]]
|2.2
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! colspan="3" |Average GCSE Attainment 8 score (out of 90.0) (2021/22)<ref name="DfE_GCSEs"/>
|-
! Ethnic group!!Score
|-
|Chinese
|66.1
|-
|'''Indian'''
|'''61.3'''
|-
|Bangladeshi
|54.4
|-
|Mixed
|49.4
|-
|Pakistani
|49.1
|-
|All ethnic groups (average)
|48.8
|-
|Black
|48.6
|-
|White
|47.8
|-
|Gypsy/Roma
|21.0
|-
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! colspan="3" |Percentage of pupils getting a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE (2021/22)<ref name="DfE_EngMaths">{{cite web |title=GCSE English and maths results |url=https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/11-to-16-years-old/a-to-c-in-english-and-maths-gcse-attainment-for-children-aged-14-to-16-key-stage-4/latest#by-ethnicity |website=gov.uk |date=17 October 2023 |publisher=[[Department for Education]] |access-date=4 December 2023}}</ref>
|-
! Ethnic group!!%
|-
|Chinese
|80.0
|-
|'''Indian'''
|'''73.0'''
|-
|Bangladeshi
|62.1
|-
|Pakistani
|51.2
|-
|Mixed
|49.9
|-
|All ethnic groups (average)
|49.8
|-
|Black
|49.4
|-
|White
|47.9
|-
|Gypsy/Roma
|8.5
|-
|}
{{col-end}}

==Notable individuals==
{{Main|List of British Indians}}

==See also==
{{Portal|United Kingdom|India}}
* [[Indian community of London]]
* [[Immigration to the United Kingdom since 1922]]
* [[British India]]
* [[British Pakistani]]
* [[British Bangladeshi]]
* [[Romani people in the United Kingdom]]
* [[India–United Kingdom relations]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|group=lower-greek}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book|last=Fisher|first=Michael H.|year=2006|title=Counterflows To Colonialism: Indian Travellers and Settlers In Britain 1600-1857|location=New Delhi|publisher=Permanent Black|isbn=978-81-7824-154-8}}

==External links==
* [https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/summaries/indian-ethnic-group Indian ethnic group: facts and figures] (Race Disparity Unit, gov.uk)

{{Indian diaspora}}
{{AsiansinUK}}
{{UK census ethnic groups}}

[[Category:Indian diaspora in the United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:British people of Indian descent| ]]