Billiards is considered to be one of those few games where India has been dominating the entire world for the past several years. The history of Billiards in India can be traced back to the first half of the nineteenth century, when the British rulers were ruling India. The game was brought to India by the British. Although introduced in the year 1927, billiards in India got the colossal recognition only after Independence of India.

The establishment of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) is considered to be one of the most important milestones in the history of Billiards in India. The BSFI was founded in Kolkata (Calcutta) in the year 1926 and a character actor of yesteryears, Mr. M. M. Begg played a crucial role in the formation of BSFI. Since its inception, the BSFI has been working for the total well being of Billiards in India and the city of Kolkata has also been the stronghold of the Federation since then.

The decade of 1950s saw the rising of one of the greatest Indian Billiards players, Wilson Jones. With his wonderful skills and excellent mastery, Jones stunned the entire world and became the first Indian to win the coveted World Amateur Billiards Championship in 1958. The championship was held in Kolkata (Calcutta) and Jones` performance helped a lot in the spreading of Billiards` popularity in India. After him, the other eminent Indian Billiards players like Michael Ferreira, Geet Sethi, Pankaj Advani, etc. have also become the World Champions in different occasions.

The progress of Billiards in India has seen some obstacles for the notion that the game is elitist in nature and is the prerogative of the affluent class. This is one of the main reasons why the achievements of Indian Billiards players in the international level have not been recognised that much. However, the situation is changing rapidly now and a number of national and state associations are working relentlessly for improving the condition of Billiards in India. Several youngsters are also showing interest in following a career in Billiards in India.