They are primarily found in Central and South Indian states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Karnataka.

[6] The Arya Vaishyas / Komati were classified as Upper Caste / General Category by the States of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Karnataka.

[13][14] Gupta theorises the Komatis were originally traders from Gauda in Bengal, who adopted Jainism and followed the cult of Gomata.

[11] Hanumantha Rao noted that the merchant classes preferred Jainism for gaining social status and respectability, and the erstwhile Banias became Gomati or followers of the Gomata cult in medieval times.

[9] Colonial ethnographers Edgar Thurston and R. V. Russell derived "Komati" from the Sanskrit term "Gomathi," believed to have the meaning of possessor or keeper of cows or Ko-mati ("to be fox minded"), which references their business acumen.

[16][17] An origin story accepted by many in the community is mentioned in the Kanyaka Purana which states that Shiva gave them the name Go-mati ("cow-minded").

[26] During the empire's reign, they emerged as prominent merchants in South Indian trade, and sought to be considered as Vaishyas, the third highest varna in the Hindu caste system.

[30] The second Chief Merchant of the British East India Company in Madras was a Komati called Kasi Viranna, appointed in 1669.

The British were able to settle the disputes between left-hand and right-hand caste divisions amicably by resettling members to designated areas in George Town which is a small neighbourhood in the city of Chennai.

[35] Lengthy legal battles ensued between the Vaidiki and Niyogi Brahmins on whether the Komatis were allowed to perform orthodox Vaishya rites.

They stated that since it was a well known fact that Komatis called themselves Vaishyas and their men wore the sacred thread, there was no reason prohibiting them from moving on to the orthodox Sanskrit versions of the Upanayana ceremony.

Legal battles ensued for decades, with British officials being unable to resolve the conflict and agitation between Komatis and Niyogis.

[36] Komatis were "founding import-export firms, particularly in timber, sugar and liquor, construction and engineering companies, and western style banks" by the late 1800s.

[40] Records are available for a Kanyaka Parameswari temple built on a garden owned by the Komati community in George Town, Madras in the early 18th century.

[38] Komatis regard themselves as a `twice-born' caste, meaning that they are allowed to wear a sacred thread following an initiation ceremony (the upanayana).

Orthodox Arya Vysyas follow rituals prescribed in the Vasavi Puranam, a religious text written in the late Middle Ages.

[6] The Komati merchants along with Balijas became notable as trading communities during the period of the Vijayanagara Empire (1325-1565 CE), and desired Vaishya status.

The Mackenzie manuscripts provide a record of a copper plate grant of guru Bhaskaracharya (16th century CE), given by the 102 gotras which formed the Gavara grouping.

[6] The State Government of Andhra Pradesh has forwarded their recommendations for inclusion of Sistakaranam, Kalinga Vysya, Sondi and Arava castes in the Central OBC List.

Komatis were patrons of Jainism and built many Basadis for monks and temples for Santhi Matha Vasavi throughout Central and South India in the Dravidian style of architecture.

[46] Beeri Komatis are the larger set who claim to be Vysyas numbering over 1000 endogamous grouping, majority of them were not ready to abide by the solitary decision of the princess.