Penangite Indians forms a large percentage of the state's professional community such as business, law and medicine as well as politics, it can be proven by the appointment of Dr. P. Ramasamy as deputy chief minister of Penang.

It made him the first Malaysian of Indian origin to hold the post of deputy chief minister in any state of Malaysia.

[5][6] Already in the 1790s, Francis Light mentions Chulias (that is, people from the Coromandel Coast of India) as shopkeepers and farm labourers in Penang.

Their presence in Penang and elsewhere where plantations sprang up aided merchants, miners, and planters, as these Chettiars were advancing required working capital in the absence of any effective banks.

Light also encouraged migration by the Chettiar community as part of his plan to create a cash economy on Penang.

Later migrants include Gujaratis (mostly Jains with Muslims and Parsees, with pockets of Hindus), Punjabis (mostly Sikh with significant Hindu minorities), Malayalees, Bengalis, Sindhis as well as Marwaris and Ceylonese Tamils.

Another distinct group of Indian Muslims known as Mamak use the Penang Malay (Pelat Utara) variant as their first and daily language.

The Indian community in Penang has made significant cultural contributions, especially in the areas of cuisine, festivals, and religious practices.

Penang is known for its diverse food culture, and Indian dishes, particularly those of Tamil and Malayalee origin, are widely enjoyed.

[10][11] A celebration to thank the goddess, Sri Singamuga Kaliamman, for her good grace and to beseech her to continue providing devotees with protection and prosperity, Theppa Thiruvizha only takes place during Masi Magam, the 11th month1 in the Tamil calendar.

Later, after evening prayers, the idol of the goddess is carried to the chariot The first known Tamil magazine called Thangai Nesan was published in 1876.

Many of these books and magazines were produced by Indian immigrants and much of the literary output was in the form of poetry and some of the notable poets of recent times were Swami Ramadasar, Panaikkulam M. Abdul Majid and N.Karim.

The Thamilar Thirunaal (Tamils Festival, also sponsored by this daily, provided motivation and training for writers with its various literary competitions.

The Penang-based writers’ list is long, but among them are Murugaiyan, Dato P. Shanmugam, A. Kadir, CT. Ramasamy, Anthony Muthu, S. Anbanantham, M. Sultan, etc.

Significant contribution from Penang to Malaysian Tamil literature includes writings of K. Sonaimuthu with several of his biographies and essays, and R. Karthigesu with his novels.