Indian Community In Brunei
The discovery of oil in Brunei in 1929 brought a significant number of Indians into Brunei in the oil sector and allied services and later as teachers and doctors. Shri Mohinder Singh, an NRI and later a Bruneian citizen, was the first recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) 2010 in acknowledgement of his outstanding achievements in the field of community service. Mr. Nazeer Zakaria, a prominent Indian businessman in Brunei, was the second recipient of the PbSA in 2016.
According to local government’s official sources there are around 11,500 Indians living in Brunei. Majority of the doctors in Brunei are from India. Other professionals include engineers, IT professionals, bankers, teachers etc. Indian businessmen have a near monopoly in textiles. More than half of the Indian expatriates are semi and unskilled workers, who work in construction, retail businesses, etc.
There are three major Indian Associations, in Brunei viz. Bandar Seri Begawan Indian Association (BSBIA), Malayali Association (MA) and Indian Association Belait (IAB): The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Brunei India Friendship Assocation are also registered entities.. The Indian Associations celebrate the Indian Festivals viz: Diwali, Pongal, Onam as well as Independence Day and Republic Day
