The Koli is an Indian caste found in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir states in India. Koli is an agriculturist caste of Gujarat but in coastal areas they also work as fishermen along with agriculture. In the beginning of 20th century, the Koli caste was recognised as a denotified tribe under Criminal Tribes Act by the Indian Government because of their anti-social activities during World War I.

Koli Christians are subgroup of the Koli people, known as Bombay East Indians, the indigenous people of the Seven Islands of Bombay and the Bombay metro area, which is now also called Mumbai (Bombay). The Koli Christians were of the Son Koli caste, before their conversion by the Portuguese from Brahmanism to Christianity, in the former Bom Bahia of Portuguese India. Christian Kolis are also known as Thankar and Gaonkar Kolis in Maharashtra, where they played an important role in building churches and convents in the northern Konkan division of Maharashtra.