Telugu Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Telugu is the language of the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, whose capital Hyderabad is one of India's great technology and pharmaceutical centres. It is among the most widely spoken languages in India. Many Telugu families have arrived in Birmingham in the last two decades through work in technology, healthcare and higher education.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 627 residents gave Telugu as their main language. Main language figures leave out the many bilingual residents who use English day to day, so the number who speak the language at home is higher still.

Working for Birmingham

Telugu software engineers, data analysts, doctors, nurses and researchers work across Birmingham's hospitals, universities and businesses. Many students come to study engineering, computing, business and medicine, and a number have gone on to start companies of their own, adding to the city's growing digital economy.

Birmingham grew rich as the city of a thousand trades, and that spirit of making and doing is still strong. Today the trades sit alongside healthcare, education, finance, law, logistics and technology. The Telugu community brings energy to that mix, from people starting small businesses to those caring for patients, teaching in classrooms and keeping homes and workplaces in good repair.

Culture and community life

Sankranti in January and Ugadi, the Telugu New Year in spring, are the big celebrations of the year, marked with special dishes, music and family gatherings. Telugu cultural associations organise festivals, cricket matches and language classes, and the community's love of cinema and its spicy Andhra cooking have found new fans in Birmingham.

Like so many of the communities that make up modern Birmingham, the Telugu community shows how a city can be home to many cultures at once. Its members are proud of where they come from, and just as proud to be Brummies.