People group profile · PG049029
The Sanei of India
The Sanei of India, numbering about 1,700 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Scheduled Caste of Cuttack district, Odisha, their name recalling a hole made beneath floors for theft. Daily-wage labor remains their traditional occupation, supplemented by rickshaw-pulling, business, and cultivation.
They are an indigenous people in the Odia people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Odia.

Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 1,700
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Odia
- Primary language
- Odia (ory)
- Primary religion
- Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Unengaged and 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: Vishakhapatnam district; Chhattisgarh: Bastar, Raigarh, and Raipur districts; Jharkhand: Ranchi and Singhbhum districts; West Bengal: Medinipur (Midnapore) district; Assam and Odisha states
Where they live
Gospel status
The Sanei 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 Sanei
- 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
Gospel resources in Odia
- Bible available, published 2021
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
Bibles
- 1997 Bible League International · audio, text
- Easy to Read Version · video
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Sanei
- 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.
- 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.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.