Who were the Koli people of early Mumbai?

The Koli people are recognized as the earliest known inhabitants of present-day Mumbai. They are an aboriginal tribe whose traditional occupation is fishing, a practice that has historically defined their presence along the coastal regions of the area.123

While archaeological evidence, such as Paleolithic stone implements discovered at Kandivli, indicates that the region has been inhabited by humans for hundreds of thousands of years, the Koli remain the first identified group associated with the settlement of the islands. Today, the Koli continue to reside in the state of Maharashtra, with a significant population in Mumbai, where they maintain their cultural identity while participating in modern society.123