Indian New Zealanders

Indian New Zealanders, informally called Kiwi Indians, are people whose families come from India. They may be born in New Zealand or have moved there from places like Fiji, South Africa, Mauritius, or Seychelles. Some people with one Indian parent or grandparent also consider themselves Indian New Zealanders, though this can sometimes be a sensitive topic.

Indian New Zealanders make up the largest group of New Zealand Asians. Many of them come from Fiji, and Hindi is one of the most spoken languages in the country. Since 2011, many more people from India have moved to New Zealand, growing the community even larger. Most of the early Indian New Zealanders had families from Punjabi or Gujarati backgrounds.

History

Indians started arriving in New Zealand in the late 1700s, mostly as crew members on British ships. The first known Indians were Muslim sailors who came in 1769 on a French ship. Some of these sailors decided to stay and live with Māori families.

In the 1800s, more Indians arrived, many from places like Punjab and Gujarat. They often faced unfair rules and were not allowed to do certain jobs. Some became shop owners or worked in farming areas like Waikato. Over time, more Indians came to New Zealand, especially after rules about immigration changed in the 1980s.

Socioeconomics

Demographics

The 2018 New Zealand census showed that 239,193 people in New Zealand identified as Indian, making up 4.7% of the country’s population. This number grew by over 80,000 people since the 2013 census and more than doubled since the 2006 census. Much of this increase came from adding data from older records to fill in missing answers.

Most Indian New Zealanders live in the Auckland area, with the highest numbers in places like Ōtara-Papatoetoe, sometimes called “New Zealand’s little India.” Other areas with many Indian people include Puketāpapa and Whau. Outside Auckland, Hamilton City has the largest Indian community.

Religion

According to the 2018 New Zealand census, many Indian New Zealanders follow different religions. About 46.6% are Hindus, 21.4% are Sikhs, and 15.1% are Christians. Some also follow Islam, and a smaller group say they have no specific religion.

Notable individuals

Main category: New Zealand people of Indian descent

Business

• Ranjna Patel, businesswoman
• Nikhil Ravishankar, CEO of Air New Zealand

Entertainment

• Aaradhna Patel, R&B artist
• Shailesh Prajapati, New Zealand actor, best known for his role as Ernie in Power Rangers MegaForce
• Shirley Setia, New Zealand singer and actress
• Jacob Rajan, playwright and actor, whose most notable work is Krishnan's Dairy
• Madeleine Sami, New Zealand actor of Irish and Fiji Indian heritage, best known for her role as Tania in Sione's Wedding

Media

• Rohit Kumar Happy, editor of Bharat-Darshan, Hindi literary magazine
• Rebecca Singh, news presenter on the New Zealand television station TV3

Politics

• Gaurav Sharma, Member of Parliament (2020–2022)
• Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Member of Parliament since 2017 served as the 10th Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, 15th Minister for Youth and Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities in the Sixth Labour Government
• Kanwal Bakshi, Member of Parliament (2008–2020)
• Parmjeet Parmar, Member of Parliament (2014–2020) (2023–Present)
• Mahesh Bindra, Member of Parliament (2014–2017)
• Rajen Prasad, former Race Relations Commissioner and Families Commissioner, and Member of Parliament (2008–2014)
• Anand Satyanand, former Governor-General of New Zealand, appointed on 23 August 2006
• Ajit Swaran Singh, District Judge
• Dame Sukhi Turner, Mayor of Dunedin (1995–2004)

Sport

See also: New Zealand Sikh Games

• Sarpreet Singh, football player currently playing as a midfielder for Bayern Munich II in Germany.
• Rocky Khan, rugby union player
• Dipak Narshibhai Patel, cricket player who has played 37 Tests and 75 one-day internationals for the New Zealand cricket team
• Jeetan Patel, former spin bowler for the New Zealand cricket team
• Ish Sodhi, current spin bowler for the New Zealand cricket team
• Jeet Raval, current test batsman for the New Zealand cricket team
• Ajaz Patel, current spin bowler for the New Zealand cricket team
• Jakob Bhula, New Zealand domestic cricketer
• Jacob Fonseca, New Zealand 2023 Fishing Champion
• Roneel Hira, New Zealand domestic cricketer
• Tarun Nethula, New Zealand domestic cricketer
• Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand cricketer
• Adithya Ashok, India-born New Zealand cricketer

Media

TV

APNA Television

Newspapers

Some newspapers for Indian New Zealanders include:

• The Indian news
• Indian Weekender
• Indianz x-press
• Indian Newslink
• Multicultural Times
• Kuk Hindi samachar

Te Papa held an exhibition called AAINAA - Reflections through Indian Weddings about Indian communities in New Zealand. It was on display from September 21, 2002, to September 26, 2004.