Indian immigration to Colombia

There is a small community of Indians in Colombia who are mainly immigrants from India. It is estimated that are 5,000 people of Indian ancestry living in some cities such as Bogotá, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Manizales and Popayán. Hinduism was first introduced to Colombia with the arrival of Indian immigrants from the Indian subcontinent.

History
Indians had been migrating to Colombia since the early 20th century, Hindu Muslims settled in the intermediate region of the Cauca River Valley to engage in commercial activity demanded by the new salary of the nascent sugar industry. The immigrants brought diverse products to rural areas, granting credit and accepting barter.

Most of the immigrants were Sikhs from Punjab, India, when colonies in Asia were under the Portuguese Empire. In 1920, a small number of Indian migrants came from Goa, Calcutta, Bombay and Gujarat. Many of them were businessmen, priests and farmers.

Culture
According to the Embassy of India in Bogotá, the Javeriana University of Bogotá included Indian culture as a mandatory subjects in degree programs. As of 2015, the ICCR donated busts from the Mahatma Gandhi which was installed in the Colombia-India Cultural Center, managed by CINSET.