1 in 5 Londoners has South Asian roots

1 in 5 residents of London are of South Asian ancestry. While most are Hindu, many are Muslim,
Sikh, Christians as well as other religious minorities. West London near Heathrow airport is
home to a large Indian community while Pakistani communities are more common in East
London. One may encounter Gujaratis in Wembley, Punjabis in Southall, or Bangladeshis in
Tower Hamlets. Londoners with South Asian backgrounds have migrated from India, Pakistan,
and Bangladesh, as well as East Africa or the Caribbean.

South Asian communities in England are so prominent that while shopping in the British section
of an international super market in the United States, Tikka Masala or various Indian curries are
included among British stables. It is virtually impossible to imagine a missionary working in London who does not encounter South Asian diaspora communities.

For church planters considering London, learning at least the basics of South Asian cultures &
worldviews should be on their to-do list. For missionaries with a heart for making disciples of
Jesus among Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi peoples, London should be on the list of cities to
pray about it as a potential. mission field.

London is among the leading global cities on the planet, and it is also a global hub for South
Asian communities around the world. As India emerges as the largest nation on the planet and continues to host the largest concentration of unreached peopel groups and represents one of the largest globally scattered diasporas around the world, London is a strategic hub for participating in God’s global mission.