India’s picturesque west coast, cradled between the shimmering Arabian Sea and the majestic Western Ghats, has historically been a vibrant crossroads for diverse human populations. For centuries, this region has welcomed various West Eurasian groups, including the Portuguese, Middle Easterners, Jews, Parsees, and Christian missionaries, all contributing to its rich cultural and genetic tapestry.
In a fascinating new study, scientists from the CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB) have unveiled a remarkable finding: Sindhi communities residing on India’s west coast exhibit a unique genetic profile that distinguishes them from Sindhis in Pakistan. Dr. Kumarasamy Thangaraj, a CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow, explained in a press release that these Indian Sindhis show genetic ties to groups like the Burusho and Hazara from Pakistan, alongside evidence of recent genetic integration with indigenous populations such as the Konkanis.
The research, a collaborative effort with Lomous Kumar, a postdoctoral researcher at the DST-Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) in Lucknow, specifically identified a distinct East Asian genetic component present in west coast Sindhis, which is notably absent in their Pakistani counterparts. This intriguing genetic signature suggests ancient influences, possibly introduced through smaller-scale admixtures from Mongolian migrations or indirectly through interactions with Burusho and Hazara-like communities in what is now Pakistan.
The Burusho and Hazara are populations characterized by their Mongoloid features, primarily located in northern Pakistan. Dr. Thangaraj noted that given the historical proximity of the Sindh region, migrations to western India have been a continuous process over many centuries, with a particularly significant influx occurring during the partition of India.
While extensive genetic research has been conducted on Pakistani Sindhis, there has been a scarcity of data concerning Sindhis living along the Konkan coast, a group known for its distinct socio-cultural identity. This groundbreaking study is the first high-throughput genetic analysis of the Sindhi population in western India. By examining an impressive six lakh DNA markers, the researchers meticulously investigated their shared ancestry, patterns of local assimilation, and historical migration routes.
“Our genetic analysis further confirmed that the Indian Sindhi group possesses a subtle yet distinctive East Asian genetic component,” Dr. Kumar elaborated. “This component was likely integrated into their gene pool much earlier in history, potentially tracing back to the Iron Age or subsequent Mongol migrations.”
Vinay K. Nandicoori, Director of CSIR-CCMB, emphasized that these findings conclusively illustrate the profound demographic transformations experienced by western India due to numerous migration waves. These migrations span a vast historical period, with some influences dating back to the Iron or Middle Ages, while others are as recent as the post-independence era. The full details of this significant study were published on September 30, 2025, in the esteemed journal Human Genomics.