The Reunionese of Indian Origin (ROI) have significantly influenced the socio-economic and cultural landscape of Reunion Island. Originally brought in as indentured labourers to support the sugar cane industry after the abolition of slavery, approximately 120,000 Indians arrived on the island between 1820 and 1917, primarily from South India, but also from Gujarat, Bihar, and Bengal. Beyond economic contributions, Indian migrants played a key role in the island’s development. South Indian craftsmen introduced traditional building techniques, such as argamaste, and influenced Creole architecture with the Pondicherry style. Indian cultural impact is also visible in religion, language, and the arts. Tamil temples, such as the historic Casernes temple, reflect their enduring spiritual presence, while Tamil and Hindi loanwords have been absorbed into the Creole language. Indian heritage also shaped the local literary imagination—figures like Célimène and poets such as Leconte de Lisle and Baudelaire found inspiration in Indian culture and imagery. Indian migration created a new socio-economic class that emerged between freed slaves and European settlers. Some Indians became slave owners themselves, while others rose to prominence as landowners, political figures, or community leaders. Despite the gradual loss of ancestral languages, Indian descendants integrated deeply into Reunionese society, preserving and transforming cultural traditions in the process. This paper provides a historical reflection on the depth and diversity of Indian contributions to Reunion Island, emphasizing not only their economic role but also their lasting cultural imprint. From architecture to agriculture, language to literature, the paper argues that Indian diaspora has become an inseparable thread in the island’s identity—an often overlooked yet vital chapter in Reunion Island’s colonial and postcolonial history.