Indian businesses and services in Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington's Indian community is smaller and quieter than Auckland's, but it has deep roots. Gujarati settlers were among the earliest Indians to make a home in New Zealand, a number of them in the capital, and their descendants are still part of the city's business and civic life. Since then the community has broadened to include Indo-Fijian families, professionals and students from across India, and growing Sri Lankan, Nepali and Pakistani communities.

There is no Little India here. Indian grocery stores and restaurants are scattered through the city and suburbs, and many families live in the Hutt Valley and Porirua as well as in Wellington's own southern and eastern suburbs. The Wellington Indian Association, founded in 1925 and based in Kilbirnie, has long been a hub for cultural events and language classes, and there are Hindu temples, gurdwaras and mosques with South Asian congregations around the region. Because the community is dispersed, associations and their social media pages are the most practical way to keep up with events.

Diwali is marked with a city festival that has traditionally drawn crowds for dance performances and food stalls, alongside temple and community celebrations. Holi, Navratri and Vaisakhi are marked by their communities. Wellington is compact, and buses and suburban trains reach the Hutt Valley and Porirua, so getting around without a car is quite manageable.