The Chinese presence in India dates back to the fifth century when traders, Buddhist monks and imperial envoys came to the different Indian kingdoms. The first was the Buddhist monk Fa Hien, who travelled to Bodhgaya, where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. On his return home, he wrote an account of his pilgrimage, which in later centuries inspired other Chinese to follow in his footsteps.

The first modern Chinese settler in India is believed to be a man named Atchew who arrived in Calcutta (Kolkata) around the year 1780. He tried to set up a sugar mill but lost his grip on the business because of inadequate funds and unskilled labour. Following his death, his associates and workmen remained and their numbers were augmented when sailors from Chinese ships abandoned their vessel and opted to stay in the city. With every fresh influx, the community renewed its cultural links with "Mother China" and maintained its distinct identity and separateness. The second round of migration was precipitated by Mao Zedong's revolution - most were Cantonese. They settled along Chitpore Road and near Chhatawala Gully in north Calcutta.

Dentistry, carpentry and teaching were popular professions at that time. Soon there was a thriving ‘Chinatown’ in Calcutta (which is considered the ‘Headquarters’ of the Chinese community till today) with more and more Chinese arriving in the city.

The Chinese who settled in India embraced the local culture and lifestyle, at the same time, they saw to it that theirs’ was well followed and upheld by forming community associations, building temples and opening Chinese schools. The Hakka Chinese community also began to grow in number and soon became the majority among other Chinese communities in India. In Calcutta, the Chinese community is now part and parcel of the city even though a lot of the Chinese have now migrated to the West or to other parts of the country.

During it’s almost three hundred years history in India, the Chinese have made a mark for themselves in different fields especially in the food business. Chinese food, like in the rest of the world, has also grown in popularity in India. And thanks to the ‘ever migrating’ Hakka, who are known to take to the most remote places, while strictly preserving their culture (One anecdote has it that the northern-most restaurant in the world, closest to the Arctic, is Chinese and run by a Hakka.), Chinese food is now available in almost every major city in India. Indians too have taken a liking to the food and nowadays many Indians themselves run ‘Chinese’ Restaurants.