The title compound was synthesized by reacting the elements in an arc-melting apparatus under purified argon and subsequent annealing at 870 K. Ca 3 Ni 8 In 4 was investigated using X-ray diffraction on both powders and single crystals: P6 3 mc, a=898.9(1) pm, c=752.2(2) pm, wR2=0.0591, 327 F 2 values, and 35 parameters. This structure is an ordered, noncentrosymmetric variant of the BaLi 4 type. The nickel and indium atoms build a complex three-dimensional [Ni 8 In 4 ] polyanion in which the calcium atoms fill distorted hexagonal channels. To a first approximation the formula may be written as (3 Ca 2+ ) 6+ [Ni 8 In 4 ] 6− . Within the polyanion the Ni1, Ni3, and Ni4 atoms form one-dimensional cluster units which extend in the c direction while the Ni2 atoms have only indium neighbors in a distorted tetrahedral coordination. The Ni–Ni distances in the cluster range from 241 to 266 pm. The cluster units are surrounded and interconnected by indium atoms. The group– subgroup relation from centrosymmetric BaLi 4 to noncentrosymmetric Ca 3 Ni 8 In 4 is presented. Chemical bonding in Ca 3 Ni 8 In 4 and the structural relation with Lu 3 Co 7.77 Sn 4 , Ca 3 Au 6.61 Ga 4.39 , and Co 2 Al 5 is briefly discussed.