It consists mainly of Indians mostly from the peninsular who are professionals who recently transferred or migrated to Sabah as well as the neighbouring island territory of Labuan due to work, although there are some whom are descended from immigrants who served in the British colonial military or police forces, in which the state's Indian minority populace are mostly Sikh Punjabis and mostly Syrian Malabar Nasrani Christian Malayalees who came during colonial rule (but recent migrants especially those who own and operate Mamak stalls are nowadays mostly Tamil Muslims and Mappila Malayalees).

[2][3] They form a large percentage of the state's professional community particularly in the areas of business, commerce, education and healthcare.

[4] The first Indians arrived in Sabah in the late 19th century, primarily as indentured labourers on British rubber plantations.

In the early 20th century, the Indian community in Sabah grew significantly with the arrival of professionals such as teachers, doctors, and engineers.

Malaysian Indians in Sabah are predominantly Tamil, followed by smaller groups of Malayalees, Telugus, and Punjabis.