Present-day Memons are the descendants of Muslim converts from Hinduism, a conversion that took place in the mid-15th century through the influence of Sayyid Eusuf ud-Din Kadri. From the Sind province in Pakistan, the Memons spread to areas of Gujarat in India.

Despite being a prominent commercial and industrial centre, Indore is also highly prone to communal riots. This is because, along with its high Muslim population, the city is also the stronghold of the Sangh Pariwar, a fanatical Hindu group in India.