CleanupBot II at 01:15, 14 August 2023

2023-08-14T01:15:39Z

New page

{{Refimprove|date=November 2008}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Indians in Italy
| total = 169,394
| total_year = January 1, 2016
| total_source =
| total_ref =
| poptime =
| popplace = [[Rome]], [[Milan]]
| langs = [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Indian English]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Hindi]], [[Languages of India]]
| rels = [[Sikhism]], [[Hinduism]], [[Religions of India]], [[Christianity]]
| related-c = [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin]], [[Desi]]
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| related_groups =
}}

Although [[Italy]] and [[India]] have maintained important relations since ancient times, significant Indian migration to Italy is a recent phenomenon. Many Indians began immigrating to Italy in the early 1990s, when the Italian government initiated programs to get Indian IT professionals and engineers to contribute to the technology sector in Italy. Most Indian immigrants came to Italy legally.

Many came from the [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]] as entrepreneurs who are incredibly active in the restaurant and retail fields associated with Italy's large tourism industry. About half of the total Indian migrant population in Italy live in the central and northern regions of the country, especially in the cities of [[Rome]] and [[Milan]]. [[Lombardy]] hosts the most important Indian community with 47,743 people.

As a high-achieving [[model minority]], the Indian community has integrated successfully into Italian life, and local authorities and people are impressed with their contributions to the Italian economy. They have been found to be generally industrious, business-minded, entrepreneurial and law-abiding.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/not_in_website/syndication/monitoring/media_reports/2193866.stm Italian Indians: the other side of migration</ref>

Most Indians have retained their religious practices, namely [[Hinduism]] and [[Sikhism]]. There are numerous temples and [[gurdwara]]s as well as [[ISKCON]] centres. There are also many Christians from [[Kerala]].

==Dairy Industry==

The production of many Italian cheeses, including [[Parmigiano-Reggiano]], [[Grana Padano]], and [[Buffalo mozzarella|mozzarella]], depends significantly on immigrant labour.<ref name="mitzman">{{cite news|last1=Mitzman|first1=Dany|title=The Sikhs who saved Parmesan|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33149580|access-date=1 February 2018|work=BBC News|date=25 June 2015}}</ref><ref name="quiet">[https://www.mea.gov.in/images/pdf/PatternsofMigrationfromPunjabtoItaly.pdf Migration from Punjab to Italy in the Dairy Sector: The Quiet Indian Revolution]</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Sikh migrants keeping Italy's mozzarella industry alive|url=http://www.newsweek.com/italymozzarellabuffalofarmcheesesikhshindupunjabindiapakistan-604906|access-date=1 February 2018|work=Newsweek|date=13 May 2015|language=en}}</ref> Starting in the 1990s, Indians have come to dominate the labour force of the Italian dairy industry in this niche.<ref name="quiet"/> Indeed, 60% of the workers in the Parmesan industry are [[Sikh]].<ref name="mitzman"/>

Most Indians in Italy settle in the north of the country and work in agriculture.<ref>{{cite news|title=Now, Indian agricultural workers flock to Italy|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/the-global-indian-takeover/now-indian-agricultural-workers-flock-to-italy/articleshow/3190373.cms|access-date=1 February 2018|work=The Economic Times|date=4 July 2008}}</ref><ref>[http://www.integrazionemigranti.gov.it/Areetematiche/PaesiComunitari-e-associazioniMigranti/Documents/ES_INDIA_en.pdf The Indian Community:Annual Report on the Presence of Migrants in Italy - Executive Summary] published by the [[Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (Italy)]]</ref> The [[Po Valley]] is similar in climate to the [[Punjab]], where most of these Sikh workers are from.<ref name="mitzman"/> Their first jobs tend to be directly with the cows and [[Italian Mediterranean buffalo|buffalos]], as many come from farming families, but some move on to become cheesemakers, which is better paying.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Duttagupta|first1=Ishani|title=Dairy workers from Punjab keep Italy's Parmesan industry going|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/working-abroad/dairy-workers-from-punjab-keep-italys-parmesan-industry-going/articleshow/11581550.cms|access-date=1 February 2018|work=The Economic Times|date=2012}}</ref>

[[:it:Coldiretti|it:Coldiretti]], which ''[[Politico Europe]]'' describes as Italy's most important farming union<ref>{{cite news|title=Italian farmers’ union flexes its political muscle|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/italian-farmers-union-flexes-its-political-muscle/|access-date=1 February 2018|work=POLITICO|date=23 November 2017}}</ref> and civic authorities in the region acknowledge that the immigrants are indispensable for agriculture in general and the dairy industry in particular.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Povoledo|first1=Elisabetta|title=In Italian Heartland, Indians Keep the Cheese Coming|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/world/europe/08iht-italy08.html|access-date=1 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=7 September 2011}}</ref> The dairy workers themselves (''bergamini'') tend to belong to the [[Italian General Confederation of Labour]].<ref name="quiet"/>

== Religion ==
In the years 2011 and 2012 the [[International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading|ISTAT]] made a survey regarding the religious affiliation among the immigrants in Italy, the religion of the Indian people in Italy were as follows:<ref name=ISTATreligion>{{Cite web|url=http://www.istat.it/it/archivio/169710|title=Appartenenza e pratica religiosa tra i cittadini stranieri|date=2014-10-30|website=www.istat.it|language=it|access-date=2020-03-01}}</ref>
* [[File:Khanda.svg|20px]] [[Sikhism in Italy|Sikhism]]: 64.4%
* [[File:Om symbol.svg|20px]] [[Hinduism in Italy|Hinduism]]: 22.0%
* [[File:Gold Christian Cross no Red.svg|20px]] [[Christianity in Italy|Christianity]]: 4.6% (of which [[Catholic Church in Italy|Catholicism]] 3.7% and [[Protestantism in Italy|Protestantism]] 0.9%)
* [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|20px]] [[Islam in Italy|Muslims]]: 3.4%
* [[File:Dharma Wheel.svg|20px]] [[Buddhism in Italy|Buddhism]]: 0.9%
* [[Non-religious|Non religious]]: 1.6%
* Other religions: 3.1%

==Notable individuals==
{{further information|:Category:Italian people of Indian descent}}

==See also==

* [[India-Italy relations]]
* [[Hinduism in Italy]]
* [[Sikhism in Italy]]
* [[Italians in India]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/not_in_website/syndication/monitoring/media_reports/2193866.stm Italian Indians: the other side of migration]

{{NRI-PIO}}
{{Immigration to Italy}}

[[Category:Indian diaspora by country]]
[[Category:Indian diaspora in Europe|Italy]]
[[Category:Italian people of Indian descent| ]]
[[Category:India–Italy relations]]

Indians in Italy - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 01:15, 14 August 2023