Last month, in a nondescript locality in India’s financial capital Mumbai, a museum reopened to the public after months of restoration. 

The event did not make the headlines of any major media outlet, but the museum has put the spotlight back on India’s Parsi community – one of the smallest but among the most influential in the world’s most populous country.

Despite constituting only 0.005 percent of India's total population, the Parsi community stand out as a minority group that has left a profound imprint on the country's political, economic, and intellectual landscape. 

Prominent families such as the Mistry, Poonawalla, Godrej, and Tata —whose influence extends to shaping India’s foreign policy and economic direction—are distinguished not only by their considerable financial power, but also by their efforts to preserve and promote Zoroastrian faith and Persian identity across India, the Middle East, and the wider world. 

Today, approximately 80 percent of the roughly 69,000 Parsis in India reside in the state of Maharashtra, particularly in the city of Mumbai. 

As a historically influential and somewhat enigmatic minority, the Parsis have played a notable role not only in Indian history but also in the broader historical currents of the Middle East. 

But any analysis of the community’s influence has to be answered through two fundamental questions: What historical trajectories have shaped the Parsi community, and what characteristics continue to define their prominence today?

Economic power

Despite their small demographic size, the Parsis of India have produced three of India's ten wealthiest billionaires, highlighting not only their concentration of wealth but also their pioneering role in the industrialisation of modern India. 

As trailblazers in key sectors, the Parsis established the country’s first cotton mill, first vernacular newspaper, and first Indian-owned bank—laying foundational stones in both industry and communication.

With industrial pioneers such as Tata Group, the community played a critical role in the birth of India’s steel industry. Through the scientific leadership of Homi Bhabha, they contributed to India’s emergence as a nuclear power. 

In literature, figures like Rohinton Mistry have enriched India's literary landscape, while jurists such as Nani Palkhivala, Soli Sorabjee, and Fali Nariman have made enduring contributions to the nation’s legal heritage.

One of the most tangible illustrations of the Parsis’ impact on India is embodied in the story of Jamsetji Nesserwanji Tata and the industrial empire he founded: the Tata Group.

More than a business conglomerate, the Tata Group is emblematic of India’s national development. What began in 1868 as Jamsetji Tata’s entrepreneurial initiative soon evolved into the country’s largest private-sector enterprise. 

Through institutions like Tata Steel, Tata Power, and the Indian Institute of Science, the group made historic advances in domestic production, energy, and higher education, gradually extending its reach beyond national borders.

Under the leadership of JRD Tata, the group pioneered civil aviation, nuclear research, and health infrastructure. Later, during the tenure of Ratan Tata, the conglomerate transformed into a global industrial powerhouse. 

Through strategic acquisitions such as Tetley Tea, Daewoo Motors, Corus Steel, and Jaguar-Land Rover, the Tata Group positioned itself not only as a key player in the Indian economy but also as a significant actor in the global marketplace.

In addition to the Tata family, other prominent Parsi families such as the Godrej, Wadia, and Poonawalla clans have also achieved remarkable success in India’s industrial landscape. The Godrej Group, in particular, operates across a wide range of sectors today, spanning from personal care products to advanced security systems.

Meanwhile, the Mistry family stands out in India’s business community not only for its wealth but also for its strategic partnerships. 

The family’s rise began with Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry’s ventures in the construction industry, which laid the foundation for the Shapoorji Pallonji Group—a conglomerate with diversified investments in real estate, automotive manufacturing, heavy industry, tea trade, and hospitality. 

Recognised as one of the wealthiest Parsi families, the Mistrys are often referred to as the “real estate titan of the Parsis” in the global property market. 

Their imprint is visible on some of India’s most iconic landmarks, from the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel to the Tata Tower.

The most prominent institutions dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage and Zoroastrian faith of the Indian Parsis are the K R Cama Oriental Institute and the Parsi Panchayat Trust. 

Founded in Mumbai in 1961, the KR Cama Oriental Institute was established to honour the memory of Kharshedji Rustomji Cama, a noted Iranist and Orientalist of Parsi descent. 

The institute operates under the supervision of a five-member board of governors chaired by Mencherji N Cama, the proprietor of the Bombay Samachar newspaper and a trustee of several charitable organisations in India.

The institute’s affiliated library serves as a vital intellectual hub for the Parsi community. Its collection houses over 27,000 books in multiple languages, including English, Persian, Gujarati, German, and French. 

Furthermore, it safeguards more than 2,000 manuscripts written in Avestan, Sanskrit, and Pahlavi—languages central to the Zoroastrian religious tradition. 

While the library’s holdings extend beyond Zoroastrianism to encompass materials on Hinduism, Sikhism, as well as works in philosophy, history, art, linguistics, biography, and theology, the institute’s principal mission remains the preservation and perpetuation of the Zoroastrian legacy.

Historical journey

The Parsis of India are adherents of the Zoroastrian faith who trace their origins to Iran and are believed to have migrated to the Indian subcontinent following the Islamic conquest of Persia. 

This migration, which took place in several phases between the 7th and 9th centuries, was primarily driven by the community’s refusal to pay the jizya tax for non-Muslims under Islamic rule.

In the initial phase of their exodus, a group of Zoroastrians from the village of Sanjan in the Khorasan region sought refuge in the surrounding mountains, where they lived in concealment for nearly a century. 

Subsequently, they migrated to Hormuz Island, and later to the island of Div in the Arabian Sea, where they resided for approximately 19 years. 

Eventually, they reached the western coast of India and established a new settlement in the Gujarat region, which they named ‘Sanjan’ after their place of origin. 

Founded in 936 CE, this settlement served as the spiritual and communal nucleus of the Zoroastrian diaspora in India for nearly five centuries. 

The Parsis consecrated the sacred Atash Behram—one of Zoroastrianism’s holiest fires—thereby transforming Sanjan into both a religious and cultural centre.

However, in 1465, the Muslim conquest of Sanjan forced the Parsis to flee once again, carrying the Atash Behram with them to the port town of Navsari. From then until 1740, Navsari functioned as the principal centre of the Zoroastrian community in India. 

Yet, in that year, doctrinal disputes emerged between the local Zoroastrian clergy of Navsari and the priests of Sanjan origin. This schism marked the first significant disruption of religious unity among Indian Parsis and prompted another migration of the Sanjan faction.

A second major wave of migration occurred with the arrival of the British in India and the subsequent decline of the Mughal Empire. Many Parsis relocated to the port city of Bombay (modern-day Mumbai), where they quickly established themselves in trade and commerce. 

Benefiting from close ties with the British colonial administration, they were able to elevate their economic and social standing. This group of Parsis, who largely descended from migrants fleeing Iran during the late Safavid period, came to constitute the city’s upper and middle classes. 

The collaboration with British authorities during the colonial period yielded not only economic benefits but also political influence for the Parsi community.

Following India’s independence, a third significant wave of migration occurred among Indian Parsis, driven by shifting social dynamics and their previously close ties with Britain. 

This time, a considerable number of Zoroastrian Parsis emigrated from India to the United Kingdom. As a result of this migration, the community's presence and influence in India’s major port cities began to decline significantly.

Over time, the Zoroastrian Parsis in India also experienced internal religious divisions, crystallising into two principal sects. 

Those residing in port cities such as Mumbai and Surat generally adhered to the Kadmi sect, while Parsis in the Gujarat region followed the sect associated with the Indian Zoroastrian calendar. 

This division primarily stemmed from differing interpretations and applications of the Zoroastrian liturgical calendar.

The earliest known literary source chronicling the Parsis’ migration from Iran to India is the Qissa-i Sanjan (The Story of Sanjan), a narrative poem composed in the 17th century. 

Authored by Bahman Kaikobad, this work offers a poetic account of the Parsis’ exodus from Iran following the Islamic conquest and their subsequent settlement in India. 

Before the establishment of European trading factories in India, Parsis were predominantly employed in traditional crafts such as weaving, embroidery, and carpentry. 

From the 15th century onward, however, they also began to assume administrative roles, notably as tax collectors. During the period of Portuguese dominance over the port of Surat, some Parsis even served as naval captains in the Portuguese fleet.

During this period, moneylending emerged as one of the most prominent occupations among the Parsis. This profession became particularly widespread following the establishment of British colonial rule in India. 

Among the first renowned Parsi moneylenders was Bhikhaji Beramji, who amassed considerable wealth through such activities. The Parsis’ extensive acquisition of land and property elevated them into one of the wealthiest strata of Indian society. 

By 1824, for instance, it was reported that half of the residential properties in the port city of Surat were owned by Parsis. Additionally, a significant portion of the Mumbai port area also came under Parsi ownership.

By the mid-17th century, Indian Parsis had also gained a strong reputation in the maritime sector, earning substantial profits through shipping enterprises. However, the most critical turning point in their economic advancement came with their involvement in currency exchange operations in Mumbai.

Having secured the trust of the British, Parsis were eventually entrusted with the management of British merchant vessels. 

This development enabled them to play a vital role in trade with China, from which they derived significant revenues. Parsi-owned trading ships operated entirely under British protection, with the Royal Navy safeguarding them from French attacks. 

The rise of the Parsis as one of the wealthiest communities in India also facilitated their entry into industrial ventures. By the mid-20th century, Parsis held monopolistic control over half of the factories in the Mumbai port area, including India’s first steel manufacturing plant.

In conclusion, a historical examination of the Indian Parsis reveals that they attained a position of considerable influence and evolved into a privileged class, primarily through their close ties with Britain and other Western powers. 

Throughout their historical trajectory, one of the key motivations behind the Zoroastrian Indian Parsis’ alignment with Western actors was their strategic cooperation against the local Muslim population in India. 

This collaboration not only facilitated their emergence as one of the wealthiest communities in the country but also secured for them the status of a favoured minority in the eyes of the colonial administration.