The Nepalis form one of the largest and most widespread diasporic communities in India numbering about 5 million and found in almost every part of India .

Their large-scale immigration dates back to the British colonial needs for brave soldiers, agriculturists, plantation workers, construction workers and so on, as much as the lack of opportunities for employment in Nepal. This is all known , however what is not known is what the diasporic Nepalis as individuals with identity, emotions and aspirations encounter and experience daily in India. While most of the educated Nepali and those with high economic status migrate to Europe and America, many rural poor, illiterate and unskilled Nepali youths travel to India and Malaysia and the Middle East for work and settled for generations now . Some challenges the Nepali community faces in India are identity crises, discrimination, absence of acceptance, lack of recognition of their contribution in the nation’s building , rights-less because of non- citizens , lack of support from the local organization, occupational risks to Nepali migrant workers’ health to the issue of human trafficking.