Hyderabad’s CCMB leads first genetic study on Sindhis of west coast India
HYDERABAD: The first large-scale genetic study of Sindhis living on India’s west coast has revealed that the community has a distinct genetic profile, separate from Sindhis in Pakistan.
Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj, CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, along with Dr Lomous Kumar of the DST-Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, carried out the research. They published their findings on September 30, 2025, in the journal Human Genomics.
Sindhis of Konkan differ from Pakistani Sindhis
Sindhis have migrated to Maharashtra’s Konkan coast for centuries due to its proximity to Sindh, with large-scale movement taking place during the Partition of India. While Pakistani Sindhis have been widely studied, little was known about Indian Sindhis settled along the western coast.
Using six lakh DNA markers, researchers analysed the genetic structure of Sindhis living in Maharashtra. They found that while these Sindhis share some ancestry with Burusho and Hazara-like groups in present-day Pakistan, their genetic makeup is distinct.
Traces of East Asian ancestry detected
“We found that Sindhis on India’s west coast have a unique genetic makeup. They show affinities with Burusho and Hazara-like groups from Pakistan, along with evidence of assimilation with local Konkani populations,” said Dr Thangaraj.
He added that the community carries a distinct East Asian component absent in Pakistani Sindhis. This could be the result of minor admixture, either through Mongolian migrations or via contact with Burusho and Hazara groups.
Dr Lomous Kumar said the East Asian component “might reflect genetic imprints of Iron Age or later migrations, possibly linked to Mongols, which became incorporated much earlier in their history.”
Multiple waves of migration shaped ancestry
According to Dr Vinay K. Nandicoori, Director, CSIR-CCMB, the findings show that the west coast of India experienced multiple migration waves—from the Iron Age to the post-independence era—that influenced the genetic diversity of communities such as Sindhis.
“These findings conclusively demonstrate the demographic changes and population shifts in western India associated with multiple migrations,” he said.
