People group profile · PG048902
The Shompen of India
The Shompen of India, numbering about 600 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an isolated Scheduled Tribe of Great Nicobar Island in the Andamans, living in small mobile bands and largely avoiding outside contact. Hunting, fishing, and gathering of pandanus remain their primary means of subsistence.
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 Shom Peng.

Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 600
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- South Asian Tribal
- Primary language
- Shom Peng (sii)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- 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
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands: interior Great Nicobar island
Where they live
Gospel status
The Shompen 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 Shompen
- 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
Gospel resources in Shom Peng
- Bible not available
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Shompen
- 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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