India

total: 39.3 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)

Doordarshan, India's public TV network, has a monopoly on terrestrial broadcasting and operates about 20 national, regional, and local services; a large number of privately owned TV stations are distributed by cable and satellite service providers; cable and satellite TV offer 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 have increased rapidly (2020)

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percent of population: 56% (2022 est.)

total subscriptions: 27.455 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 1.15 billion (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 79 (2024 est.)

sugarcane, rice, milk, wheat, bison milk, potatoes, vegetables, maize, bananas, onions (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on food: 29.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

revenues: $311.824 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $486.598 billion (2022 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

-$32.428 billion (2024 est.) -$31.962 billion (2023 est.) -$79.051 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$212.728 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar - 83.669 (2024 est.) 82.599 (2023 est.) 78.604 (2022 est.) 73.918 (2021 est.) 74.1 (2020 est.)

$822.046 billion (2024 est.) $773.177 billion (2023 est.) $767.643 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, packaged medicine, diamonds, broadcasting equipment, garments (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

USA 19%, UAE 7%, China 4%, Germany 3%, UK 3% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$3.913 trillion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 61.5% (2024 est.) government consumption: 10.1% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 29.6% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 3% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 21.2% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -23.5% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 16.4% (2024 est.) industry: 24.5% (2024 est.) services: 49.9% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

25.5 (2022 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

lowest 10%: 4.5% (2022 est.) highest 10%: 22.1% (2022 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$923.081 billion (2024 est.) $859.507 billion (2023 est.) $902.304 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

crude petroleum, gold, coal, natural gas, integrated circuits (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 19%, Russia 10%, USA 6%, UAE 6%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

5.6% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, pharmaceuticals

5% (2024 est.) 5.6% (2023 est.) 6.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

607.691 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

46.5% of GDP (2018 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$14.244 trillion (2024 est.) $13.377 trillion (2023 est.) $12.251 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

6.5% (2024 est.) 9.2% (2023 est.) 7.6% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$9,800 (2024 est.) $9,300 (2023 est.) $8,600 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 3.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 3.3% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$643.043 billion (2024 est.) $627.793 billion (2023 est.) $567.298 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

6.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

4.3% (2024 est.) 4.2% (2023 est.) 4.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 16% (2024 est.) male: 15.5% (2024 est.) female: 17.6% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

production: 1.02 billion metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 1.262 billion metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 1.632 million metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 243.488 million metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 127.727 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 499.136 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 1.5 trillion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 9.529 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 7.843 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 303.066 billion kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 99.2% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 99.3%

fossil fuels: 75.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) nuclear: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 6.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 5.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 8.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 1.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

25.179 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

production: 35.168 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 62.196 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) exports: 91.921 million cubic meters (2019 est.) imports: 29.337 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 1.381 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Number of operational nuclear reactors: 20 (2025) Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 7 (2025) Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 6.92GW (2025 est.) Percent of total electricity production: 3.1% (2023 est.)

total petroleum production: 822,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 5.271 million bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 4.605 billion barrels (2021 est.)

2.821 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 2.054 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 642.909 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 124.226 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and agricultural pesticides; tap water not potable; growing population overstraining natural resources; biodiversity loss

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

agricultural land: 60.1% (2023 est.) arable land: 51.8% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 4.9% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.) forest: 24.4% (2023 est.) other: 15.5% (2023 est.)

energy: 8,217.3 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 17,971 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 4,773.7 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 644.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

55.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

1.911 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal: 56 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 17 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 688 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

urban population: 36.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 189.75 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 17.8% (2022 est.)

total : 3,287,263 sq km land: 2,973,193 sq km water: 314,070 sq km

slightly more than one-third the size of the US

varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

7,000 km

highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,586 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 160 m

20 00 N, 77 00 E

dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal

754,562 sq km (2022)

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

agricultural land: 60.1% (2023 est.) arable land: 51.8% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 4.9% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.) forest: 24.4% (2023 est.) other: 15.5% (2023 est.)

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan

Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin

salt water lake(s): Chilika Lake - 1,170 sq 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

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)

Asia

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

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

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

a very high population density exists throughout most of the country, with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest and the mountain fringe in the north; 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

upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

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: the official name of Delhi is National Capital Territory of Delhi, even though it is considered a union territory

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 name is of unknown origin; one theory says it may come from the Hindi word dehli (threshold), because of the city's location between the Indus and the Ganges Rivers

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

history: previous 1935 (pre-independence); latest draft completed 4 November 1949, adopted 26 November 1949, effective 26 January 1950 amendment process: 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

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 Sanskrit Vedas (Hindu religious texts); the name is also associated with Emperor Bharata, the legendary conqueror of India

chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Sergio GOR (since 11 October 2025) 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)

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

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 election/appointment process: president indirectly elected for a 5-year term (no term limits) by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament most recent election date: 18 July 2022 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% expected date of next election: July 2027

description: three equal horizontal bands of saffron (top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band meaning: saffron stands for courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of renunciation; white for purity and truth; green for faith and fertility; the 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

federal parliamentary republic

15 August 1947 (from the UK)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

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, UNOOSA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

common law system based on the English model; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus; judicial review of legislative acts

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

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: 13.8% expected date of next election: April 2029

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

title: "Jana-Gana-Mana" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People) lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE history: adopted 1950; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote Bangladesh's national anthem

saffron, white, green

total World Heritage Sites: 44 (36 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed) selected World Heritage Site locales: Taj Mahal (c); Agra Fort (c); Elphanta Caves (c); Hill Forts of Rajasthan (c); Sundarbans National Park (n); Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (c); Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (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, Kon rak (c); Kaziranga National Park (n); Churches and Convents of Goa (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); 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); Historic City of Ahmadabad (c); Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (c); Jaipur City, Rajasthan (c); Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana (c); Moidams the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty (c); Maratha Military Landscapes of India (c)

Republic Day, 26 January (1950)

the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which depicts four Asiatic lions standing back-to-back and mounted on a circular abacus (official); Bengal tiger and lotus flower (traditional)

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

18 years of age; universal

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.

the Indian military's primary mission is external/territorial defense while secondary missions include regional power projection, UN peacekeeping deployments, humanitarian operations, and support to internal security forces; it participates in multinational exercises and is one of the world's largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations the military's chief external focuses are China and Pakistan; the short 1962 Sino-India War left in place one of the World s longest disputed international borders--known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC)--resulting in occasional standoffs between Indian and Chinese security forces, including lethal clashes in 1975 and 2020; naval competition and influence in the Indian Ocean is also an area of interest India has fought four wars and several skirmishes with Pakistan; three of the wars have been over the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, the status of which has been unsettled since the UK's 1947 withdrawal and the partition and independence of India and Pakistan; a fragile cease-fire in Kashmir was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the militarized Line of Control which serves as the border remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir where Indian military and security forces have conducted counterinsurgency operations since the 1980s; in the Spring of 2025, India held Pakistan responsible for a terrorist attack in India-controlled Kashmir and retaliated, sparking a brief cross-border conflict involving aircraft, artillery, drone, and missile strikes the Kashmir dispute also includes the Siachen Glacier, located in the Karakoram Mountain Range, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area several times between 1985 and 1995; despite the 2003 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 (2025)

Indian Armed Forces (IAF): Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard Ministry of Home Affairs: Central Police Organization, 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) (2025) note 1: 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 2: 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 3: 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)

information varies; approximately 1.5 million active Indian Armed Forces, including about 1.25 million in the Army (2025)

1,100 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 200 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 900 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 2,400 South Sudan (UNMISS); 600 Sudan (UNISFA) (2025) note: India has over 6,000 total military and police personnel deployed on UN missions

the military's inventory consists of Russian- and Soviet-origin equipment along with a smaller 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, the UK, and the US; 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 (2025)

2% of GDP (2024 est.) 2.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

ages vary by branch of service and positions, but generally 17-27 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025) note 1: in 2022, the Indian Government began recruiting men aged 17.5-21 annually to serve on 4-year contracts; 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 note 2: 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 3: 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

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)

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.)

15.91 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

women married by age 15: 4.8% (2021) women married by age 18: 23.3% (2021) men married by age 18: 2.6% (2021)

31.5% (2020 est.)

72.3% (2020 est.)

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio: 45 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 35 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 10 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 10 (2025 est.)

urban: 95.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 91.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 93.3% of population (2022 est.) urban: 4.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 8.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 6.7% of population (2022 est.)

4.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 14.2% national budget (2022 est.)

Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, and other 3% (2000)

0.95 (2025 est.)

3.3% of GDP (2021) 4.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

total: 30.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 30 deaths/1,000 live births female: 30.8 deaths/1,000 live births

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

total population: 68.2 years (2024 est.) male: 66.5 years female: 70.1 years

total population: 81.7% (2023 est.) male: 88.3% (2023 est.) female: 74.9% (2023 est.)

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)

80 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

total: 30.1 years (2025 est.) male: 29.1 years female: 30.5 years

21.2 years (2019/21) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

noun: Indian(s) adjective: Indian

0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

3.9% (2016)

0.72 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

total: 1,419,316,933 (2025 est.) male: 730,902,574 female: 688,414,359

a very high population density exists throughout most of the country, with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest and the mountain fringe in the north; 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

0.72% (2025 est.)

Hindu 79.8%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%, other and unspecified 2% (2011 est.)

urban: 99.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 83% of population (2022 est.) total: 88.9% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 17% of population (2022 est.) total: 11.1% of population (2022 est.)

total: 13 years (2024 est.) male: 13 years (2024 est.) female: 13 years (2024 est.)

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.)

total: 21.8% (2025 est.) male: 34.1% (2025 est.) female: 8.9% (2025 est.)

2 children born/woman (2025 est.)

urban population: 36.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

1963 - first sounding (research) rocket launched 1975 - first domestically made scientific satellite (Aryabhata) launched by Soviet Union 1979 - first experimental remote sensing (RS) satellite (Bhaskara-I) launched by Soviet Union 1980 - first successful launch of satellite (Rohini) on Indian satellite launch vehicle (SLV) 1984 - first Indian in space on a Soviet rocket 1988 - first operational RS satellite (IRS-1A) launched by Soviet Union 1994 - first successful launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), India s premier SLV 2008 - first lunar orbiter/probe (Chandrayaan-1) launched, reached lunar orbit, and sent a probe to the surface of the Moon 2014 - first interplanetary probe (Mangalyaan) reached orbit around Mars 2018 - Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (INRSS) became operational 2019 - launched lunar orbiter/probe (Chandrayaan-2) with lander and rover (lander lost when it crash-landed on Moon s surface) 2023 - successfully landed uncrewed lander/rover mission (Chandrayaan-3) on Moon's surface 2024 - launched satellite (XPoSat) to study black holes and placed solar observatory spacecraft (Aditya-L1) in orbital position to study the Sun 2025 - first docking of two orbiting satellites and sent its first astronaut to the International Space Station

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO; originally established in 1962 as the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR); renamed ISRO in 1969); Defense Space Agency (DSA; established 2019) (2025) note: the ISRO is subordinate to the Department of Space (DOS; established 1972)

Satish Dhawan Space Center (aka Sriharikota Range; located in Andhra Pradesh); Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (Kerala) (2025)

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; researching and developing additional technologies and capabilities; developing astronaut program and human flight capabilities (with assistance from Russia and the US); has space-related agreements with the ESA and more than 50 countries, including China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, and the US; participates in international projects such as the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope; the Department of Space administers two government-controlled space industry corporations; has a growing private space sector (2025)

al-Qa ida; al-Qa ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS); Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI); Hizbul Mujahideen; Indian Mujahedeen; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) India (ISI); Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM); Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; The Resistance Front (TRF) 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

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 250,006 (2024 est.) IDPs: 642,610 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 23,262 (2024 est.)

315 (2025)

VT

289 (2025)

total: 1,859 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 66, container ship 22, general cargo 607, oil tanker 144, other 1020

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

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)