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People group profile · PG048407

The Sayyid (Marathi) of India

The Sayyid (Marathi) of India, numbering about 85,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a hereditary social community within the Muslim population. Many Sayyids speak local languages such as Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kashmiri, or Sindhi and are integrated into the regional cultures where they live.

They are an indigenous people in the Sayyid people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Marathi.

Pray for the Sayyid (Marathi)Print profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
85,500
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Sayyid
Primary language
Marathi (mar)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Southern Asia, Asia
Location
Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh states; Maharashtra: Belgaum, Bidar, and Karnataka districts

Where they live

Gospel status

The Sayyid (Marathi) 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 No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Sayyid (Marathi)

  • 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

Sunni Islam · Islam

100% adherents

Primary language

Marathi · Indo-European family

100% speak Marathi

Gospel resources in Marathi

  • Bible available, published 2022
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Sayyid (Marathi)

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

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