People group profile · PG041433
The Koya of India
The Koya of India, numbering about 1,030,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Scheduled Tribe settled along the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh, popularly known as Konda Rajulu (hill chiefs). Agriculture remains their livelihood, supplemented by hunting and selling herbal medicines.
They are an indigenous people in the South Asian Tribal people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Koya.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 1,030,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- South Asian Tribal
- Primary language
- Koya (kff)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Chhattisgarh: Bastar district; Maharashtra state; Odisha: Koraput district, Malkangiri subdistrict; Telangana: south of Godavari river, adjoining districts north of the river
Where they live
Gospel status
The Koya are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical but there has been dispersed church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting
Next steps for the Koya
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Animism · Ethnoreligion
78% adherents
Primary language
Koya · Dravidian family
100% speak Koya
Gospel resources in Koya
- Bible available, published 2020
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 2006 Indian Evangelical Mission · audio, text
- 2018 The Word For The World · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Koya
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
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