CleanupBot II at 07:18, 14 August 2023

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{{short description|Ethnic group}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
|group=Italians in India
|image =
|caption =
|population= 15,000<ref name="it">[http://www.italplanet.it/interna.asp?sez=303&info=7406 Sonia Gandhi, an Italian lady at the head of the Indian government] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005081714/http://www.italplanet.it/interna.asp?sez=303&info=7406 |date=2011-10-05 }}</ref> - 20,000<ref name="italo"/>
|regions= [[Delhi]]{{·}}[[Bangalore]]{{·}}[[Mumbai]]{{·}}[[Chennai]]
|langs= [[English language|English]]{{·}}[[Italian language|Italian]]{{·}}[[Languages in India|Indian languages]]{{·}}[[Tamil language|Tamil]]
|rels= [[Roman Catholicism]]{{·}}[[Hinduism]]
|related= [[Italian people]]
}}
There is a small '''Italian community in India''' consisting mainly of [[India]]n citizens of [[Italian people|Italian]] heritage as well with expatriates and migrants from [[Italy]] who reside in [[India]].

==Migration History==

Since [[Roman Empire|Roman times]], people from the Italian peninsula moved to India mainly as merchants.<ref>[http://www.ambnewdelhi.esteri.it/Ambasciata_NewDelhi/Menu/I_rapporti_bilaterali/Cooperazione_politica/Storia/ History of Italians in India]</ref> During the [[Middle Ages]], the first Italians to arrive in India were [[Jesuits]] and [[Christian missionaries]].

Since the 16th century, many of these Italian Jesuits came to [[South India]], mainly [[Goa]], [[Kerala]] and [[Tamil Nadu]]. Some of the most well known Jesuits in India include [[Antonio Moscheni]], [[Constanzo Beschi]], [[Roberto de Nobili]] and [[Rodolfo Acquaviva]]

In the 1940s, during [[World War II]], the British brought Italian [[prisoners of war]], who were captured in either [[Europe]] or [[North Africa]], to [[Bangalore]] and [[Madras]]. They were put up at the Garrison Grounds, today's Parade Grounds-Cubbon Road area.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/times-of-india-the/mi_8012/is_20100614/enduring-passion-bangalore/ai_n54063816/ : Enduring passion - Bangalore]</ref> In February 1941, about 2,200 Italian prisoners of war arrived in Bangalore by a special train and marched to internment camps at Byramangala, 20 miles from Bangalore.<ref>[http://bangalorebuzz.blogspot.com/2005/10/bangalore-played-significant-role-in.html : Bangalore played a significant role in both the World Wars ]</ref>

In recent years, many Italians have been coming to India for business purposes. Today, Italy is India's fifth largest trading partner in the [[European Union]]. The Italian government has already identified India as a priority country and, in particular, as the Focus Country for 2007 and there are several Italian companies currently doing business in India.<ref>[http://www.ibef.org/artdisplay.aspx?cat_id=391&art_id=14793 : Italian companies in India]</ref> Many Italian expatriates in India therefore tend to be entrepreneurs from multi-national companies.<ref name="italo"/> In addition, there are some students. Italy also maintains an active diplomatic presence in India; apart from an embassy in Delhi, it has consulates in Goa, Mumbai and [[Kolkata]].

There are currently between 15,000 to 20,000 Italian nationals in India<ref name="it"/> based mostly in [[South India]].<ref name="italo">{{Cite web |url=http://www.italoeuropeo.com/interviews-/interviews-/an-interview-with-counsul-of-italy-sarah-eti-castellani:-from-the-pearl-of-the-empire-to-the-capital-of-the-empire.---/ |title=An interview with Counsul of Italy Sarah Eti Castellani: from the pearl of the Empire to the capital of the Empire |access-date=2011-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524021807/http://www.italoeuropeo.com/interviews-/interviews-/an-interview-with-counsul-of-italy-sarah-eti-castellani:-from-the-pearl-of-the-empire-to-the-capital-of-the-empire.---/ |archive-date=2011-05-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city of Mumbai itself has a sizeable number of Italians and some in [[Chennai]].<ref>[http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_italians-praise-mumbai-and-its-curious-denizens_1204186 Italians praise Mumbai & its curious denizens], DNA India</ref>

==Notable people==
The most famous Italian in India is [[Sonia Gandhi]], born in [[Lusiana]] near [[Veneto]] (northern Italy) as Antonia Maino and now President of the [[Indian National Congress]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3714047.stm|title=Italy heralds 'first woman PM'|date=14 May 2004}}</ref> Sonia Gandhi married into the influential [[Nehru-Gandhi family]] and is the daughter-in-law of former [[Prime Minister of India]] [[Indira Gandhi]] and the widow of former Prime Minister of India [[Rajiv Gandhi]]. After the [[assassination of Rajiv Gandhi]] in 1991, she initially shunned politics, only to be elected as the leader of the INC in 1998. In September 2010, on being re-elected for the fourth time, she became the longest serving president in the 125-year history of the Congress.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Fourth-time-in-a-row-Sonia-Gandhi-is-Congress-chief/articleshow/6487821.cms|title = Fourth time in a row, Sonia Gandhi is Congress chief | India News - Times of India}}</ref>

Other notable Indians of Italian birth or descent include:
* [[Rahul Gandhi]] - Indian politician, member of the [[Parliament of India]] and son of Sonia Gandhi
* [[Priyanka Vadra|Priyanka Vadra-Gandhi]] - Indian politician and daughter of Sonia Gandhi
* [[Swami Yogananda Giri]] - Hindu religious figure and Founder of the [[Unione Induista Italia]]
* [[Shiva Keshavan]] - Indian luger
* [[Dino Morea]] - Indian actor
* [[Lekha Washington]] - Indian film actress and model
* [[Alessia Dipol]] - Italian-born naturalized Togolese alpine skier who formerly represented India (2011-2013)

==See also==
* [[India–Italy relations]]
* [[Enrica Lexie case]]
* [[Indians in Italy]]
* [[Hinduism in Italy]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.iicnewdelhi.esteri.it/IIC_Newdelhi Italian Cultural Institute in New Delhi]
* [http://www.consmumbai.esteri.it/Consolato_Mumbai Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110627130346/http://www.cr-india.it/ita/ Centro Risorse India]
* [http://italiaindia.com/ Italian Trade Commission India]

{{Immigration to India}}
{{Italian diaspora}}

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

Italians in India - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 07:18, 14 August 2023