.
India
India, Photography, 19th Century
Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, by Edgar Thurston
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India, Volume 1 , R. V. Russell
Omens and Superstitions of Southern India, Edgar Thurston
India Through the Ages, Flora Annie Steel
India and the Indians, Edward F. Elwin
Modern India, William Eleroy Curtis
The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province, and Kashmir, by Sir James McCrone Douie
Kashmir, Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, Illustrated by E. Molyneux
Recollections of Calcutta for over Half a Century, Montague Massey
The Story of Madras, Glyn Barlow
India's Problem, Krishna or Christ , John P. Jones
Indian Conjuring, L. H. Branson
Hindu Law and Judicature, Yájnavalkya
Natuur en Menschen in Indië, Augusta de Wit
Rabindranath Tagore :
India (South Asia)
Introduction ::India
Indian national anthem
Introduction
Background
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. -- which reached its zenith under ASHOKA -- united much of South Asia. The Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) ushered in The Golden Age, which saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty, which ruled large sections of India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century.
By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent, and India was seen as the "Jewel in the Crown" of the British Empire. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states -- India and Pakistan. The neighboring countries have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. India's economic growth after economic reforms in 1991, a massive youth population, and a strategic geographic location have contributed to the country's emergence as a regional and global power. However, India still faces pressing problems such as extensive poverty, widespread corruption, and environmental degradation, and its restrictive business climate challenges economic growth expectations.
Geography
Location
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates
20 00 N, 77 00 E
Map references
Asia
Area
total : 3,287,263 sq km
land: 2,973,193 sq km
water: 314,070 sq km
comparison ranking: total 8
Area - comparative
slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Area comparison map:
Land boundaries
total: 13,888 km
border countries (6): Bangladesh 4,142 km; Bhutan 659 km; Burma 1,468 km; China 2,659 km; Nepal 1,770 km; Pakistan 3,190 km
Coastline
7,000 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate
varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Elevation
highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,586 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 160 m
Natural resources
coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), antimony, iron ore, lead, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land
Land use
agricultural land: 60.5% (2018 est.)
arable land: 52.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 4.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 3.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 23.1% (2018 est.)
other: 16.4% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
715,539 sq km (2020)
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s): Chilika Lake - 1,170 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Brahmaputra (shared with China [s] and Bangladesh [m]) - 3,969 km; Indus (shared with China [s] and Pakistan [m]) - 3,610 km; Ganges river source (shared with Bangladesh [m]) - 2,704 km; Godavari - 1,465 km; Sutlej (shared with China [s] and Pakistan [m]) - 1,372 km; Yamuna - 1,370 km; Narmada - 1,289 km; Chenab river source (shared with Pakistan [m]) - 1,086 km; Ghaghara river mouth (shared with China [s] and Nepal) - 1,080 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km), Indus (1,081,718 sq km), Irrawaddy (413,710 sq km)
Major aquifers
Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin
Population distribution
with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest, including the Thar Desert, and the mountain fringe in the north, a very high population density exists throughout most of the country; the core of the population is in the north along the banks of the Ganges, with other river valleys and southern coastal areas also having large population concentrations
Natural hazards
droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes
volcanism: Barren Island (354 m) in the Andaman Sea has been active in recent years
Geography - note
dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal
People and Society
Population
total: 1,409,128,296
male: 725,784,825
female: 683,343,471 (2024 est.)
comparison rankings: female 2; male 1; total 2
Nationality
noun: Indian(s)
adjective: Indian
Ethnic groups
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, and other 3% (2000)
Languages
Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7%, Gujarati 4.6%, Urdu 4.2%, Kannada 3.6%, Odia 3.1%, Malayalam 2.9%, Punjabi 2.7%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.1%, other 5.6%; English is the subsidiary official language but is the most important one for national, political, and commercial communication (2011 est.)
major-language sample(s):
विश्व फ़ैक्टबुक, आधारभूत जानकारी का एक अनिवार्य स्रोत (Hindi)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
note 1: there are 22 other recognized languages -- Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
note 2: Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language
Religions
Hindu 79.8%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%, other and unspecified 2% (2011 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 24.5% (male 181,115,052/female 163,647,028)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 500,568,593/female 467,593,781)
65 years and over: 6.8% (2024 est.) (male 44,101,180/female 52,102,662)
2023 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 48.1
youth dependency ratio: 38.1
elderly dependency ratio: 10.1
potential support ratio: 9.9 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 29.8 years (2024 est.)
male: 29.1 years
female: 30.5 years
comparison ranking: total 142
Population growth rate
0.72% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 121
Birth rate
16.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 98
Death rate
9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 56
Net migration rate
0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 77
Population distribution
with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest, including the Thar Desert, and the mountain fringe in the north, a very high population density exists throughout most of the country; the core of the population is in the north along the banks of the Ganges, with other river valleys and southern coastal areas also having large population concentrations
Urbanization
urban population: 36.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Major urban areas - population
32.941 million NEW DELHI (capital), 21.297 million Mumbai, 15.333 million Kolkata, 13.608 million Bangalore, 11.776 million Chennai, 10.801 million Hyderabad (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
21.2 years (2019/21)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Maternal mortality ratio
103 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: 68
Infant mortality rate
total: 30.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 30 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 30.8 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 49
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 68.2 years (2024 est.)
male: 66.5 years
female: 70.1 years
comparison ranking: total population 190
Total fertility rate
2.03 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 101
Gross reproduction rate
0.97 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
66.7% (2019/20)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 96.9% of population
rural: 94.7% of population
total: 95.5% of population
unimproved: urban: 3.1% of population
rural: 5.3% of population
total: 4.5% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
3% of GDP (2020)
Physician density
0.74 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density
0.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 98.6% of population
rural: 75.2% of population
total: 83.4% of population
unimproved: urban: 1.4% of population
rural: 24.8% of population
total: 16.6% of population (2020 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
3.9% (2016)
comparison ranking: 189
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 3.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 2.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 111
Tobacco use
total: 27.2% (2020 est.)
male: 41.3% (2020 est.)
female: 13% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 40
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
31.5% (2019/21)
comparison ranking: 5
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
72.6% (2023 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 15: 4.8%
women married by age 18: 23.3%
men married by age 18: 2.6% (2021 est.)
Education expenditures
4.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: 100
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.4%
male: 82.4%
female: 65.8% (2018)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2020)
Environment
Environment - current issues
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources; preservation and quality of forests; biodiversity loss
Environment - international agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate
varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Land use
agricultural land: 60.5% (2018 est.)
arable land: 52.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 4.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 3.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 23.1% (2018 est.)
other: 16.4% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 36.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Revenue from forest resources
0.14% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 103
Revenue from coal
1.15% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 4
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 50.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 2,407.67 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 559.11 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 168,403,240 tons (2001 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 8,420,162 tons (2013 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 5% (2013 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s): Chilika Lake - 1,170 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Brahmaputra (shared with China [s] and Bangladesh [m]) - 3,969 km; Indus (shared with China [s] and Pakistan [m]) - 3,610 km; Ganges river source (shared with Bangladesh [m]) - 2,704 km; Godavari - 1,465 km; Sutlej (shared with China [s] and Pakistan [m]) - 1,372 km; Yamuna - 1,370 km; Narmada - 1,289 km; Chenab river source (shared with Pakistan [m]) - 1,086 km; Ghaghara river mouth (shared with China [s] and Nepal) - 1,080 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km), Indus (1,081,718 sq km), Irrawaddy (413,710 sq km)
Major aquifers
Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 56 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 17 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 688 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
1.91 trillion cubic meters (2019 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of India
conventional short form: India
local long form: Republic of India (English)/ Bharatiya Ganarajya (Hindi)
local short form: India (English)/ Bharat (Hindi)
etymology: the English name derives from the Indus River; the Indian name "Bharat" may derive from the "Bharatas" tribe mentioned in the Vedas of the second millennium B.C.; the name is also associated with Emperor Bharata, the legendary conqueror of all of India
Government type
federal parliamentary republic
Capital
name: New Delhi
geographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 E
time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the city's name is associated with various myths and legends; the original name for the city may have been Dhilli or Dhillika; alternatively, the name could be a corruption of the Hindustani words "dehleez" or "dehali" - both terms meaning "threshold" or "gateway" - and indicative of the city as a gateway to the Gangetic Plain; after the British decided to move the capital of their Indian Empire from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911, they created a new governmental district south of the latter designated as New Delhi; the new capital was not formally inaugurated until 1931
Administrative divisions
28 states and 8 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir*, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh*, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
note: although its status is that of a union territory, the official name of Delhi is National Capital Territory of Delhi
Independence
15 August 1947 (from the UK)
National holiday
Republic Day, 26 January (1950)
Legal system
common law system based on the English model; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus; judicial review of legislative acts
Constitution
history: previous 1935 (preindependence); latest draft completed 4 November 1949, adopted 26 November 1949, effective 26 January 1950
amendments: proposed by either the Council of States or the House of the People; passage requires majority participation of the total membership in each house and at least two-thirds majority of voting members of each house, followed by assent of the president of India; proposed amendments to the constitutional amendment procedures also must be ratified by at least one half of the India state legislatures before presidential assent; amended many times, last in 2023
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of India
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Droupadi MURMU (since 25 July 2022)
head of government: Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014)
cabinet: Union Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the president
elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 18 July 2022 (next to be held in July 2027); vice president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 5 August 2022 (next to be held in August 2027); following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by Lok Sabha members of the majority party
election results:
2022: Droupadi MURMU elected president; percent of electoral college vote - Droupadi MURMU (BJP) 64%, Yashwant SINHA (AITC) 35.9%; Jagdeep DHANKHAR elected vice president; percent of electoral college vote - Jagdeep DHANKHAR (BJP) 74.4%, Margaret ALVA (INC) 25.6%
2017: Ram Nath KOVIND elected president; percent of electoral college vote - Ram Nath KOVIND (BJP) 65.6%, Meira KUMAR (INC) 34.4%; Venkaiah NAIDU elected vice president; percent of electoral college vote - Venkaiah NAIDU (BJP) 67.9%, Gopal-krishna GANDHI 32.1%
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parliament (Sansad)
legislative structure: bicameral
note: in September 2023, both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha passed a bill that reserves one third of the House seats for women; implementation could begin for the House election in 2029
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name: House of the People (Lok Sabha)
number of seats: 545 (543 directly elected; 2 appointed)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 4/19/2024 to 6/1/2024
parties elected and seats per party: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) (240); Indian National Congress (INC) (99); Samajwadi Party (SP) (37); All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) (29); Other (138)
percentage of women in chamber: 13.7%
expected date of next election: April 2029
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name: Council of States (Rajya Sabha)
number of seats: 245 (233 indirectly elected; 12 appointed)
scope of elections: partial renewal
term in office: 6 years
most recent election date: 1/12/2024 to 6/30/2024
percentage of women in chamber: 16.7%
expected date of next election: January 2026
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 28 judges, including the chief justice)
judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president to serve until age 65
subordinate courts: High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court
Political parties
Aam Aadmi Party or AAP
All India Trinamool Congress or AITC
Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP
Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP
Biju Janata Dal or BJD
Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI(M)
Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam
Indian National Congress or INC
Nationalist Congress Party or NCP
Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD
Samajwadi Party or SP
Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD
Shiv Sena or SS
Telegana Rashtra Samithi or TRS
Telugu Desam Party or TDP
YSR Congress or YSRCP or YCP
International organization participation
ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, CERN (observer), CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), Quad, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Vinay Mohan KWATRA (since 18 September 2024)
chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000
FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351
email address and website:
hoc.washington@mea.gov.in
https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Eric M. GARCETTI (since 11 May 2023)
embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi - 110021
mailing address: 9000 New Delhi Place, Washington DC 20521-9000
telephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000
FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017
email address and website:
acsnd@state.gov
https://in.usembassy.gov/
consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; saffron represents courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of renunciation; white signifies purity and truth; green stands for faith and fertility; the blue chakra symbolizes the wheel of life in movement and death in stagnation
note: similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band
National symbol(s)
the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which depicts four Asiatic lions standing back to back mounted on a circular abacus, is the official emblem; Bengal tiger; lotus flower; national colors: saffron, white, green
National anthem
name: "Jana-Gana-Mana" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People)
lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE
note: adopted 1950; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote Bangladesh's national anthem
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 43 (35 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales:
Taj Mahal (c); Red Fort Complex (c); Elphanta Caves (c); Hill Forts of Rajasthan (c); Sundarbans National Park (n); Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (c); Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (c); Dholavira: A Harappan City (c); Jaipur (c); Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (c); Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (n); Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (n); Khangchendzonga National Park (m); Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (c); Sun Temple, Konârak (c); Kaziranga National Park (n); Keoladeo National Park (n); Churches and Convents of Goa (c); Fatehpur Sikri (c); Group of Monuments at Hampi (c); Khajuraho Group of Monuments (c); Great Living Chola Temples (c); Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (c); Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (c); Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (c); Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (c); Mountain Railways of India (c); Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (c); The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (c); Western Ghats (n); Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (n); Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (c); Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar (c); The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (c); Historic City of Ahmadabad (c); Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (c); Jaipur City, Rajasthan (c); Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana (c); Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas (c); Santiniketan (c); Moidams – the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty (c)
Economy
Economic overview
largest South Asian economy; strong, sustained GDP growth led by technology and service sectors, foreign investment, and improved regulatory framework; high poverty rate and income inequality; initiatives on infrastructure development, digitization, manufacturing, and financial access
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$13.173 trillion (2023 est.)
$12.18 trillion (2022 est.)
$11.384 trillion (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 3
Real GDP growth rate
8.15% (2023 est.)
6.99% (2022 est.)
9.69% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 12
Real GDP per capita
$9,200 (2023 est.)
$8,500 (2022 est.)
$8,100 (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 152
GDP (official exchange rate)
$3.568 trillion (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.65% (2023 est.)
6.7% (2022 est.)
5.13% (2021 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 120
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: BBB- (2006)
Moody's rating: Baa3 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: BBB- (2007)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 16% (2023 est.)
industry: 25% (2023 est.)
services: 49.6% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 153; industry 93; agriculture 52
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 60.3% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 10.4% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 30.8% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: 2.5% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 21.8% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -24.1% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Agricultural products
sugarcane, rice, milk, wheat, bison milk, potatoes, vegetables, bananas, maize, onions (2022)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, pharmaceuticals
Industrial production growth rate
9.51% (2023 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 22
Labor force
596.406 million (2023 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
comparison ranking: 2
Unemployment rate
4.17% (2023 est.)
4.82% (2022 est.)
6.38% (2021 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
comparison ranking: 81
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 15.8% (2023 est.)
male: 15.8% (2023 est.)
female: 15.7% (2023 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
comparison ranking: total 91
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
32.8 (2021 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
comparison ranking: 105
Average household expenditures
on food: 32% of household expenditures (2022 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 2.1% of household expenditures (2022 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.3% (2021 est.)
highest 10%: 25.5% (2021 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Remittances
3.35% of GDP (2023 est.)
3.32% of GDP (2022 est.)
2.82% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $364.86 billion (2018 est.)
expenditures: $432.856 billion (2018 est.)
note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Public debt
46.52% of GDP (2018 est.)
note: central government debt as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 117
Taxes and other revenues
6.72% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 197
Current account balance
-$31.962 billion (2023 est.)
-$79.051 billion (2022 est.)
-$33.422 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 204
Exports
$773.177 billion (2023 est.)
$767.643 billion (2022 est.)
$643.08 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 10
Exports - partners
US 18%, UAE 7%, Netherlands 4%, China 3%, Bangladesh 3% (2022)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, diamonds, packaged medicine, garments, jewelry (2022)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$859.507 billion (2023 est.)
$902.304 billion (2022 est.)
$717.119 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 8
Imports - partners
China 15%, UAE 7%, US 7%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Russia 6% (2022)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, coal, gold, natural gas, diamonds (2022)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$627.793 billion (2023 est.)
$567.298 billion (2022 est.)
$638.485 billion (2021 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 7
Debt - external
$220.309 billion (2023 est.)
note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
comparison ranking: 4
Exchange rates
Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
82.599 (2023 est.)
78.604 (2022 est.)
73.918 (2021 est.)
74.1 (2020 est.)
70.42 (2019 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 99.2% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 100%
electrification - rural areas: 99.3%
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 487.407 million kW (2022 est.)
consumption: 1.463 trillion kWh (2022 est.)
exports: 9.574 billion kWh (2022 est.)
imports: 9.127 billion kWh (2022 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 296.958 billion kWh (2022 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 210; imports 27; exports 24; consumption 3; installed generating capacity 3
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 76.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
nuclear: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
solar: 5.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
wind: 4.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
hydroelectricity: 9.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
biomass and waste: 1.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Nuclear energy
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 20 (2023)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 7 (2023)
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 6.92GW (2023 est.)
Percent of total electricity production: 3.1% (2023 est.)
Coal
production: 985.671 million metric tons (2022 est.)
consumption: 1.2 billion metric tons (2022 est.)
exports: 1.775 million metric tons (2022 est.)
imports: 215.649 million metric tons (2022 est.)
proven reserves: 111.052 billion metric tons (2022 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 795,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 5.049 million bbl/day (2022 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 4.605 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 33.17 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
consumption: 58.867 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
exports: 91.921 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
imports: 27.446 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
proven reserves: 1.381 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
2.805 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 2.067 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 620.731 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 117.577 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 3
Energy consumption per capita
24.793 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: 124
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 27.45 million (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 8
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 1.143 billion (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 81 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 2
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: India’s telecommunications sector has struggled for growth over the last five years; the sector’s lackluster performance has been in spite of concerted efforts by the government to bolster the underlying infrastructure in a bid to achieve universal coverage; instead, the country’s relatively liberal regulatory environment has encouraged fierce competition and price wars among the operators; State-owned as well as private operators have been forced to seek redress from the government in order to avoid bankruptcy; one particular area of contention has been the billions owed by the operators to the government in the form of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues – usage and licensing fees charged by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) – that have been the subject of long-standing court battles over what should be counted as revenue; the government won that battle in the Supreme Court in 2019, but the financial impairment of that decision has pushed a number of telcos to the brink; add the impact of the Covid-19 crisis in 2020 and 2021 to the mix, and the government had to come to the industry’s rescue by introducing a major reform package in September 2021; along with changes to the definition of AGR with regard to non-telecom revenue, the package includes a four-year moratorium on AGR dues and spectrum instalments; the government has also deferred the spectrum auctions for 5G until later in 2022; mobile spectrum in India is already in short supply in terms of providing the necessary capacity to reach universal coverage, but the cash-strapped MNOs may not yet be in a sufficiently strong financial position for which to make the 5G spectrum auction viable (2022)
domestic: fixed-line subscriptions 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular at nearly 82 per 100 (2021)
international: country code - 91; a number of major international submarine cable systems, including SEA-ME-WE-3 & 4, AAE-1, BBG, EIG, FALCON, FEA, GBICS, MENA, IMEWE, SEACOM/ Tata TGN-Eurasia, SAFE, WARF, Bharat Lanka Cable System, IOX, Chennai-Andaman & Nicobar Island Cable, SAEx2, Tata TGN-Tata Indicom and i2icn that provide connectivity to Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South East Asia, numerous Indian Ocean islands including Australia ; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; Indian Ocean region (2022)
Broadcast media
Doordarshan, India's public TV network, has a monopoly on terrestrial broadcasting and operates about 20 national, regional, and local services; a large and increasing number of privately owned TV stations are distributed by cable and satellite service providers; in 2020, 130 million households paid for cable and satellite television across India and as of 2018, cable and satellite TV offered over 850 TV channels; government controls AM radio with All India Radio operating domestic and external networks; news broadcasts via radio are limited to the All India Radio Network; since 2000, privately owned FM stations have been permitted and their numbers have increased rapidly (2020)
Internet country code
.in
Internet users
total: 644 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 46% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 2
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 22.95 million (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 9
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 14 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 485
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 164,035,637 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,703,960,000 (2018) mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
VT
Airports
311 (2024)
comparison ranking: 21
Heliports
276 (2024)
Pipelines
17,389 km natural gas, 10, 419 km crude oil, 3,544 liquid petroleum gas, 14,729 km refined products (2020) 9 km condensate/gas, 20 km oil/gas/water (2013) (2020)
Railways
total: 65,554 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 1,604 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
broad gauge: 63,950 km (2014) (39, 329 km electrified)
comparison ranking: total 4
Roadways
total: 6,371,847 km (2021) note: includes 140,995 km of national highways and expressways, 171.039 km of state highways , and 6,059,813 km of other roads
note: includes 96,214 km of national highways and expressways, 147,800 km of state highways, and 4,455,010 km of other roads
comparison ranking: total 2
Waterways
14,500 km (2012) (5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels)
comparison ranking: 10
Merchant marine
total: 1,859 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 66, container ship 22, general cargo 607, oil tanker 144, other 1020
comparison ranking: total 15
Ports
total ports: 56 (2024)
large: 4
medium: 4
small: 13
very small: 30
size unknown: 5
ports with oil terminals: 18
key ports: Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Shiva), Kattupalli Port, Kochi (Cochin), Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Indian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard; Defense Security Corps
Ministry of Home Affairs: Central Armed Police Forces (includes Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Security Guards, Sashastra Seema Bal), Special Protection Group, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
Ministry of Railways: Railway Protection Force (2024)
note 1: the Defense Security Corps provides security for Ministry of Defense sites
note 2: the Border Security Force (BSF) is responsible for the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders; the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB or Armed Border Force) guards the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders
note 3: the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) includes a Rapid Reaction Force (RAF) for riot control and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) for counter-insurgency operations
note 4: the Assam Rifles are under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, while operational control falls under the Ministry of Defense (specifically the Indian Army)
note 5: the Territorial Army (TA) is a military reserve force composed of part-time volunteers who provide support services to the Indian Army; it is a part of the Regular Army with the role of relieving Regular Army units from static duties and assisting civil authorities with natural calamities and maintaining essential services in emergencies, as well as providing units for the Regular Army as required
Military expenditures
2.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
2.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
2.4% of GDP (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 50
Military and security service personnel strengths
information varies; approximately 1.5 million active personnel (approximately 1.25 million Army; 65,000 Navy; 140,000 Air Force; 12,000 Coast Guard) (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
much of the military's inventory consists of Russian- and Soviet-origin equipment; there is a smaller, but growing mix of Western and domestically produced arms; Russia continues to be the leading provider of arms to India, although in recent years India has increased acquisitions from other suppliers, including France, Israel, and the US; it is one of the world's largest importers of arms; India's defense industry is capable of producing a range of air, land, missile, and naval weapons systems for both domestic use and export; it also produces weapons systems under license (2024)
Military service age and obligation
ages vary by service, but generally 16.5-27 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2023)
note 1: in 2022, the Indian Government began recruiting men aged 17.5-21 annually to serve on 4-year contracts under a process called the Agnipath scheme; at the end of their tenure, 25% would be retained for longer terms of service, while the remainder would be forced to leave the military, although some of those leaving would be eligible to serve in the Coast Guard, the Merchant Navy, civilian positions in the Ministry of Defense, and in the paramilitary forces of the Ministry of Home Affairs, such as the Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles
note 2: as of 2023, women made up less than 1% of the Army, about 1% of the Air Force, and about 6% of the Navy
note 3: the Indian military accepts citizens of Nepal and Bhutan; descendants of refugees from Tibet who arrived before 1962 and have resided permanently in India; peoples of Indian origin from nations such as Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India; eligible candidates from “friendly foreign nations” may apply to the Armed Forces Medical Services
note 4: the British began to recruit Nepalese citizens (Gurkhas) into the East India Company Army during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816), and the Gurkhas subsequently were brought into the British Indian Army; following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India, and Great Britain allowed for the transfer of the 10 regiments from the British Indian Army to the separate British and Indian armies; six regiments of Gurkhas (aka Gorkhas in India) regiments went to the new Indian Army; a seventh regiment was later added
Military deployments
1,800 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 200 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 890 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 2,350 South Sudan (UNMISS); 590 Sudan (UNISFA) (2024)
note: India has over 6,000 total military and police personnel deployed on UN missions
Military - note
the Indian military performs a variety of missions; it is primarily focused on China and Pakistan and territorial defense, while secondary missions include regional power projection, UN peacekeeping deployments, humanitarian operations, and support to internal security forces; it has fought in several significant conflicts and counterinsurgency operations since 1947 and regularly conducts large-scale exercises; the military may act internally under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) of 1958, an act of the Indian Parliament that granted special powers to put down separatist movements in "disturbed areas"; the AFSPA of 1958 and a virtually identical law, the Armed Forces (Jammu & Kashmir) Special Powers Act of 1990, have been in force since 1958 in parts of northeast India, and since 1990 in Jammu & Kashmir
the short 1962 Sino-India War left in place one of the World’s longest disputed international borders, resulting in occasional standoffs between Indian and Chinese security forces, including lethal clashes in 1975 and 2020; meanwhile, India and Pakistan have fought several conflicts since 1947, including the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistan and Bangladesh War of Independence of 1971, as well clashes over the disputed region of Kashmir (the First Kashmir War of 1947 and the 1999 Kargil Conflict); a fragile cease-fire in Kashmir was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the Line of Control remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir where Indian forces have conducted counterinsurgency operations since the 1980s; in addition, India and Pakistan have battled over the Siachen Glacier of Kashmir, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area at least three times between 1985 and 1995; despite a cease-fire, both sides continue to maintain a permanent military presence there with outposts at altitudes above 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) where most casualties are due to extreme weather and the hazards of operating in the high mountain terrain of the world’s highest conflict, including avalanches, exposure, and altitude sickness (2024)
Space
Space agency/agencies
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO; established 1969); the ISRO is subordinate to the Department of Space (DOS; established 1972); India’s first space organization was the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR; established 1962); Defense Space Agency (DSA; established 2019 to command the space assets of the Army, Navy, and Air Force; the Defense Imagery Processing and Analysis Center, Defense Satellite Control Center, and Defense Space Research Organization were also merged into the DSA); National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (established 2020 to facilitate India’s private sector in the country’s space program) (2024)
Space launch site(s)
Satish Dhawan Space Center (aka Sriharikota Range; located in Andhra Pradesh); Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (Kerala) (2024)
Space program overview
has one of the world’s largest space programs; designs, builds, launches, operates, and tracks the full spectrum of satellites, including communications, navigation, remote sensing (RS), and scientific/technology; designs, builds, and launches rockets, space/satellite launch vehicles (SLVs), and lunar/interplanetary probes; launches satellites for foreign partners; developing astronaut corps and human flight capabilities (with assistance from Russia, US); researching and developing additional space-related technologies and capabilities; has space-related agreements with more than 50 countries, including China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, and the US, as well as the European Space Agency; participates in international space projects such as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) radio telescope; has a government-owned company under the administrative control of DOS; NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) is the commercial arm of the ISRO with the responsibility of researching and developing space-related technologies and promoting India’s growing space industry (2024)
note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Terrorist group(s): Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami; Hizbul Mujahideen; Indian Mujahedeen; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – India; Jaish-e-Mohammed; Lashkar-e Tayyiba; al-Qa’ida; al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
Transnational Issues
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 92,131 (Sri Lanka), 72,315 (Tibet/China), 10,064 (Afghanistan) (mid-year 2022); 78,731 (Burma) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)
IDPs: 631,000 (armed conflict and intercommunal violence) (2022)
stateless persons: 20,330 (2022)
Illicit drugs
India is a source, transit, and destination for illicit narcotics and precursor chemicals; drug abuse in India growing, facilitated by illicit narcotics and the availability of over-the-counter medicines; commonly abused substances in India include heroin, cannabis, and cocaine, with growing use of pharmaceutical drugs in recent years including tramadol, opioids, and MDMA (ecstasy) analogues; largest producer of generic drugs in the world which is also used to produce illicit synthetic drugs such as pharmaceutical opioids, methamphetamine, heroin, MDMA, and ketamine
