A group of the South Indian diaspora from Andhra Pradesh, India, established The Greater Indianapolis Telugu Association (GITA) in December 1979 to provide a focal point for the few Telugu-speaking families who lived in Indianapolis as early as 1974 (Telugu is the third most common Indian language spoken in the U.S.). The Telugus socialized and celebrated traditional holidays such as Holi and Diwali with the larger group of who belonged to the India Association of Indianapolis (IAI). Part of the impetus to form their own organization stemmed from the language barrier between Telugus (also called Andhras) and the broader group of Hindi and Gujarati-speaking Indians of the IAI.
With no more than 15 Telugu families in Indianapolis, the group commenced exclusive meetings in 1979. During this year, the Indianapolis group and regional representatives from Muncie, Lafayette, Terre Haute, and Crawfordsville developed a framework for a greater Indianapolis organization that would include the regional entities that catered to the Telugu diaspora. This larger group of Telugus met monthly at Indianapolis’ Club and occasionally in the basement of a bank in . The women prepared potluck dinners, after which the families played cards or watched 16mm black-and-white Telugu-language films.
In December 1979, the representatives of the greater Indianapolis group formally established their cultural organization. The organization, initially led by women, established the children’s cultural education program that gave Telugu children formal education about Telugu drama, dance, and fashion.
In 2020, the organization has grown to include close to 1,000 individuals on its membership roster.
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