People group profile · PG048446
The Teli (Assamese) of India
The Teli (Assamese) of India, numbering about 192,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a large occupational caste/community of South Asia, historically known as oil pressers and oil traders. Their name comes from a Hindi word meaning oil, reflecting their traditional work of extracting vegetable oil using bullock‑driven wooden presses.
They are an indigenous people in the Teli people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Assamese.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 192,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Teli
- Primary language
- Assamese (asm)
- Primary religion
- Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Arunachal Pradesh: Changlang and Lohit; Assam state; Meghalaya: west Garo Hills; Nagaland: Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha, and Zunheboto; West Bengal: Jalpaiguri and Koch Bihar
Where they live
Gospel status
The Teli (Assamese) are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 Teli (Assamese)
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
100% adherents
Primary language
Assamese · Indo-European family
100% speak Assamese
Gospel resources in Assamese
- Bible available, published 2022
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Teli (Assamese)
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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