Indian businesses and services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Indian-origin Tanzanians in Dar es Salaam include families who have lived on this coast for generations: Gujarati and Kutchi Hindus and Jains, Ismaili, Bohra and Ithna'ashari Muslims, Sikhs and Goans. Many first settled in the city centre, where the grid of streets around India Street and Jamhuri Street still has buildings with shops on the ground floor and family homes above, and where the older community institutions are concentrated.

Upanga, just north of the centre near the ocean, is the long-established residential area most associated with the community, with temples, schools and sports clubs within a short distance of each other. Kariakoo, west of the centre, is the city's great market district, crowded with traders of every background and the place to go for wholesale goods, cloth and household supplies. Many families have also moved out to the newer suburbs along the coast.

Hindu places of worship include several Swaminarayan temples, and a street in the city centre has been renamed Pramukh Swami Street in recognition of the community's contribution. Diwali and Navratri are the largest Hindu festivals, and Navratri garba draws big crowds over nine evenings. Traffic across the city can be slow, so it helps to plan trips between Upanga, the centre and Kariakoo outside the peak hours.