The peopling of India refers to the long historical process through which different groups of people migrated, settled, interacted, and contributed to the demographic, cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity of the Indian subcontinent. Human geography studies this process to understand the spatial distribution of populations, cultural landscapes, and regional identities. India's strategic location between Central Asia, West Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean has made it a meeting ground for various human groups over thousands of years. The earliest human occupation in India dates back to the prehistoric period. Archaeological evidence indicates that early hunter-gatherers inhabited different parts of the subcontinent during the Paleolithic Age. Over time, these communities adapted to varying environmental conditions and gradually developed agriculture, animal domestication, and settled lifestyles during the Neolithic period. These developments laid the foundation for permanent settlements and the emergence of complex societies. Anthropologists have identified several broad racial and ethnic groups that contributed to the peopling of India. Although modern genetics has shown that racial classifications are oversimplified and human populations are highly mixed, these categories remain useful in understanding historical migration patterns. The Negrito elements are believed to represent some of the earliest inhabitants, with traces found among certain tribal communities in the Andaman Islands. The Proto-Australoid group is considered one of the most widespread early populations and is associated with many tribal communities across central and southern India. The Dravidian-speaking populations are believed to have occupied much of the Indian peninsula before the arrival of Indo-Aryan speakers. They established advanced agricultural societies and contributed significantly to urban civilization, especially in the Indus Valley Civilization according to