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People group profile · PG041889

The Adi of India

The Adi of India, numbering about 120,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a generic hill tribe category of Arunachal Pradesh whose name means "hillmen," embracing many subgroups concentrated in the Siang districts. They practice shifting cultivation and follow the indigenous Donyi-Polo religion centered on the sun and moon.

They are an indigenous people in the Adi people cluster of the Himalayan Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Hindi.

Pray for the AdiPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Adi people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Adi

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
120,000
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Adi
Primary language
Hindi (hin)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Southern Asia, Asia
Location
Arunachal Pradesh: East Siang and West Siang districts

Where they live

Gospel status

The Adi 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, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Adi

  • 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

Ethnoreligion

Primary language

Hindi · Indo-European family

100% speak Hindi

Gospel resources in Hindi

  • Bible available, published 2022
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Adi

  1. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  2. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  3. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  4. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.

Download a prayer guide

Adi in other countries

The same people (ROP3 113979) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
AdiChina1,400Unengaged and Unreached

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