2015 Edition

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 Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) 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 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. 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, which was granted in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. The neighboring nations 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 November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, economic growth following the launch of economic reforms in 1991 and a massive youthful population are driving India's emergence as a regional and global power.

Area

land

2,973,193 sq km

total

3,287,263 sq km

water

314,070 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than one-third the size of the US

Climate

varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Coastline

7,000 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

613 cu m/yr (2010)

total

761 cu km/yr (7%/2%/90%)

Geographic coordinates

20 00 N, 77 00 E

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

Irrigated land

663,340 sq km (2008)

Land boundaries

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

total

13,888 km

Land use

arable land 52.8%; permanent crops 4.2%; permanent pasture 3.5%

agricultural land

60.5%

forest

23.1%

other

16.4% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes

volcanism

Barren Island (elev. 354 m) in the Andaman Sea has been active in recent years

Natural resources

coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

1,911 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

28.09% (male 186,735,337/female 164,835,868)

15-24 years

18.06% (male 119,933,717/female 106,153,113)

25-54 years

40.74% (male 262,700,370/female 247,237,448)

55-64 years

7.16% (male 44,993,382/female 44,620,337)

65 years and over

5.95% (male 35,313,609/female 39,172,403) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

19.55 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

12% (2006 est.)

total number

26,965,074

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

43.5% (2006)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

54.8% (2007/08)

Death rate

7.32 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

8.6%

potential support ratio

11.7% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.4%

youth dependency ratio

43.9%

Drinking water source

urban: 97.1% of population

rural: 92.6% of population

total: 94.1% of population

urban: 2.9% of population

rural: 7.4% of population

total: 5.9% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2012)

Ethnic groups

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

Health expenditures

4% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.26% (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

127,200 (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

2,079,700 (2013 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

43.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

40.56 deaths/1,000 live births

total

41.81 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9%

note

English enjoys the status of subsidiary official language but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the most widely spoken language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language (2001 census)

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.42 years (2015 est.)

male

66.97 years

total population

68.13 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

60.6% (2015 est.)

male

81.3%

total population

71.2%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

note

highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria

water contact disease

leptospirosis

Major urban areas - population

NEW DELHI (capital) 25.703 million; Mumbai 21.043 million; Kolkata 11.766 million; Bangalore 10.087 million; Chennai 9.62 million; Hyderabad 8.944 million (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

174 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

28 years (2015 est.)

male

26.7 years

total

27.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Indian

noun

Indian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

4.7% (2014)

Physicians density

0.7 physicians/1,000 population (2012)

Population

1,251,695,584 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.22% (2015 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

urban: 62.6% of population

rural: 28.5% of population

total: 39.6% of population

urban: 37.4% of population

rural: 71.5% of population

total: 60.4% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2011)

male

12 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.13 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.13 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.06 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.9 male(s)/female

at birth

1.12 male(s)/female

total population

1.08 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.48 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

11.6% (2012 est.)

male

10.4%

total

10.7%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.38% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

32.7% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

29 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, 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

Capital

geographic coordinates

28 36 N, 77 12 E

name

New Delhi

time difference

UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Constitution

previous 1935 (preindependence); latest draft completed 4 November 1949, adopted 26 November 1949, effective 26 January 1950; amended many times, last in 2015 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of India

conventional short form

India

local long form

Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya

local short form

India/Bharat

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Richard Rahul VERMA (since 16 January 2015)

consulate(s) general

Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)

embassy

Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021

FAX

[91] (11) 2419-0017

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[91] (11) 2419-8000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: [1](202) 939-7000

chief of mission

Ambassador Arun Kumar SINGH (since 18 May 2015)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 265-4351

telephone

[1] (202) 939-7000

Executive branch

cabinet

Union Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the president

chief of state

President Pranab MUKHERJEE (since 22 July 2012); Vice President Mohammad Hamid ANSARI (since 11 August 2007)

election results

Pranab MUKHERJEE elected president; percent of vote - Pranab MUKHERJEE (INC prior to election) 69.31%, Purno SANGMA (independent) 30.69%; Mohammad Hamid ANSARI reelected vice president; electoral college vote - Mohammad Hamid ANSARI 490, Jaswant SINGH 238

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and state legislatures for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 19 July 2012 (next to be held in July 2017); vice president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and state legislatures for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 7 August 2012 (next to be held in August 2017); following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by parliamentary members of the majority party

head of government

Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014)

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

Government type

federal republic

Independence

15 August 1947 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

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

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), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (the chief justice and 25 associate justices); note - parliament approved an additional 5 judges in 2008

judge selection and term of office

justices appointed by the president to serve until age 65

note

in mid-2011, India’s Cabinet approved the "National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reform" to eliminate judicial corruption and reduce the backlog of cases; as of mid-July 2015, the Indian Government was considering the introduction of pre-trial hearing as a method for reducing the backlog

subordinate courts

High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court

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

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (245 seats; 233 members indirectly elected by state and territorial assemblies by proportional representation vote, and 12 members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 2 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - BJP 31.0%, INC 19.3%, AITC 3.8%, SP 3.4%, AIADMK 3.3%, CPI(M) 3.3%, TDP 2.6%, YSRC 2.5%, AAP 2.1%, BJD 1.7%, SS 1.7%, NCP 1.6%, SAD 1.8%, RJD 1.3%, TRS 1.3%, LJP 0.4%, other parties 15.9%, independent 3.0%

elections

People's Assembly - last held April-May 2014 in 10 phases; (next must be held by May 2019)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Rabindranath TAGORE

name

"Jana-Gana-Mana" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People)

note

adopted 1950; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote Bangladesh's national anthem

National holiday

Republic Day, 26 January (1950)

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

Political parties and leaders

Aam Aadmi Party or AAP [Arvind KEJRIWAL]

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [J. JAYALALITHAA]

All India Trinamool Congress or AITC [Mamata BANERJEE]

Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]

Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Amit SHAH]

Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]

Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI(M) [Prakash KARAT]

Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) [Ram Vilas PASWAN]

Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]

Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Lalu Prasad YADAV]

Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]

Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [Parkash Singh BADAL]

Shiv Sena or SS [Uddhav THACKERAY]

Telegana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) [K. Chandrashekar RAO]

Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]

YSR Congress(YSRC) [Jaganmohan REDDY]

note

India has dozens of national and regional political parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley (separatist group)

Bajrang Dal (religious organization)

India Against Corruption [Anna HAZARE]

Jamiat Ulema-e Hind [Mahmood MADANI] (religious organization)

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [Mohan BHAGWAT] (nationalist organization)

Vishwa Hindu Parishad [Ashok SINGHAL] (religious organization)

other

hundreds of social reform, anti-corruption, and environmental groups at state and local level; numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, lentils, onions, potatoes; dairy products, sheep, goats, poultry; fish

Budget

expenditures

$269.5 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$187.3 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

7.75% (31 December 2014)

7.75% (31 December 2013)

note

this is the Indian central bank's policy rate - the repurchase rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.25% (31 December 2014 est.)

10.29% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$27.53 billion (2014 est.)

-$32.4 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$440.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$427.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

33.6 (2012)

37.8 (1997)

Economy - overview

India is developing into an open-market economy, yet traces of its past autarkic policies remain. Economic liberalization measures, including industrial deregulation, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, began in the early 1990s and served to accelerate the country's growth, which averaged under 7% per year from 1997 to 2011. India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Slightly less than half of the work force is in agriculture, but, services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for nearly two-thirds of India's output with less than one-third of its labor force. India has capitalized on its large educated English-speaking population to become a major exporter of information technology services, business outsourcing services, and software workers. India's economic growth began slowing in 2011 because of a decline in investment caused by high interest rates, rising inflation, and investor pessimism about the government's commitment to further economic reforms and about the global situation. The outlook for India's long-term growth is moderately positive due to a young population and corresponding low dependency ratio, healthy savings and investment rates, and increasing integration into the global economy. However, India has many challenges that it has yet to fully address, including poverty, corruption, violence and discrimination against women and girls, an inefficient power generation and distribution system, ineffective enforcement of intellectual property rights, decades-long civil litigation dockets, inadequate transport and agricultural infrastructure, limited non-agricultural employment opportunities, high spending and poorly-targeted subsidies, inadequate availability of quality basic and higher education, and accommodating rural-to-urban migration. Growth in 2014 fell to a decade low, as India's economic leaders struggled to improve the country's wide fiscal and current account deficits. Rising macroeconomic imbalances in India, and improving economic conditions in Western countries, led investors to shift capital away from India, prompting a sharp depreciation of the rupee. However, investors' perceptions of India improved in early 2014, due to a reduction of the current account deficit and expectations of post-election economic reform, resulting in a surge of inbound capital flows and stabilization of the rupee.

Exchange rates

Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar -

61.03 (2014 est.)

61.03 (2013 est.)

53.44 (2012 est.)

46.671 (2011 est.)

45.726 (2010 est.)

Exports

$329.6 billion (2014 est.)

$319.7 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum products, precious stones, vehicles, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, cereals, apparel

Exports - partners

US 13.4%, UAE 10.4%, Hong Kong 4.3%, China 4.2%, Saudi Arabia 4% (2014)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

23.2%

government consumption

11.4%

household consumption

60%

imports of goods and services

-25.5%

investment in fixed capital

28.7%

investment in inventories

2.2%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

17%

industry

30%

services

53% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,800 (2014 est.)

$5,400 (2013 est.)

$5,100 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

7.3% (2014 est.)

6.9% (2013 est.)

5.1% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.051 trillion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$7.411 trillion (2014 est.)

$6.908 trillion (2013 est.)

$6.462 trillion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

30.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

30.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

31.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

31.1% (2005)

lowest 10%

3.6%

Imports

$472.8 billion (2014 est.)

$482.3 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude oil, precious stones, machinery, chemicals, fertilizer, plastics, iron and steel

Imports - partners

China 12.7%, Saudi Arabia 7.1%, UAE 5.9%, US 4.6%, Switzerland 4.6% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

6.1% (2014 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.9% (2014 est.)

10% (2013 est.)

Labor force

492.4 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

49%

industry

20%

services

31% (2012 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$1.263 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.015 trillion (31 December 2011)

$1.616 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

29.8% (2010 est.)

Public debt

51.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

51.7% of GDP (2013 est.)

note

data cover central government debt, and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$322.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$296.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.612 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.49 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$129.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$119.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$252.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$226.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.494 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.414 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$345.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$321.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

7.3% (2014 est.)

8.2% (2013 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

1.831 billion Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - imports

3.812 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - production

767,600 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

5.675 billion bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

864.7 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

5 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

68.7% of total installed capacity (26 February 2014 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

16.9% of total installed capacity (26 February 2014 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

2% of total installed capacity (26 February 2014 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

12.4% of total installed capacity (26 February 2014 est.)

Electricity - imports

4.794 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

254.7 million kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

1.052 trillion kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

50.6 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - imports

18.9 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - production

31.7 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.427 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

3.66 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

1.38 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

312,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

4.433 million bbl/day (2013)

Broadcast media

Doordarshan, India's public TV network, 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; by 2011, more than 100 million homes had access to cable and satellite TV offering more than 700 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 (2007)

Internet country code

.in

Internet users

percent of population

19.2% (2014 est.)

total

237.3 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 149, FM 171, shortwave 54 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

mobile cellular service introduced in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles, each with multiple private service providers and one or more state-owned service providers; in recent years significant trunk capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), with 6 satellites supporting 33,000 very small aperture terminals (VSAT)

general assessment

supported by recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies, India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing telecom markets in the world; total telephone subscribership base exceeded 900 million in 2011, an overall teledensity of roughly 75%, and subscribership is currently growing more than 20 million per month; urban teledensity now exceeds 100%, and rural teledensity is steadily growing

international

country code - 91; a number of major international submarine cable systems, including SEA-ME-WE-3 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), SEA-ME-WE-4 with a landing site at Chennai, Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with a landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa - Far East (SAFE) with a landing site at Cochin, the i2i cable network linking to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice and data traffic; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); 9 gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

27 million

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

76 (2014 est.)

total

944 million

Television broadcast stations

1,400 (2009)

Airports

346 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

76

2,438 to 3,047 m

59

914 to 1,523 m

82

over 3,047 m

22

total

253

under 914 m

14 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

45 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

6

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

38

over 3,047 m

1

total

93

Heliports

45 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 104, cargo 78, chemical tanker 22, container 14, liquefied gas 11, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 92

foreign-owned

10 (China 1, Hong Kong 2, Jersey 2, Malaysia 1, UAE 4)

registered in other countries

76 (Cyprus 4, Dominica 2, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 24, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Singapore 21, unknown 1) (2010)

total

340

Pipelines

condensate/gas 9 km; gas 13,581 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,054 km; oil 8,943 km; oil/gas/water 20 km; refined products 11,069 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Chennai (1,558,343), Jawaharal Nehru Port (4,307,622)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Dabhol, Dahej, Hazira

major seaport(s)

Chennai, Jawaharal Nehru Port, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Sikka, Vishakhapatnam

Railways

broad gauge

58,404 km 1.676-m gauge (23,654 electrified)

narrow gauge

9,499 km 1.000-m gauge; 622 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)

total

68,525 km

Roadways

note

includes 79,116 km of national highways and expressways, 155,716 km of state highways, and 4,455,010 km of other roads (2013)

total

4,689,842 km

Waterways

14,500 km (5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels) (2012)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

296,071,637 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

319,129,420

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

240,039,958 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

249,531,562

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

10,745,891 (2010 est.)

male

12,151,065

Military branches

Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard (2011)

Military expenditures

2.4% of GDP (2013)

2.5% of GDP (2012)

2.6% of GDP (2011)

2.7% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

16-18 years of age for voluntary military service (Army 17 1/2, Air Force 17, Navy 16 1/2); no conscription; women may join as officers, but for noncombat roles only (2012)

Disputes - international

since China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters continue; Kashmir remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India and Pakistan resumed bilateral dialogue in February 2011 after a two-year hiatus, have maintained the 2003 cease-fire in Kashmir, and continue to have disputes over water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over undemarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implemented; Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine contested boundary sections, including the 400 sq km dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India maintains a strict border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal

Illicit drugs

world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor production

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

at least 616,140 (armed conflict and intercommunal violence) (2015)

refugees (country of origin)

109,018 (Tibet/China); 65,057 (Sri Lanka); 14,301 (Burma); 10,395 (Afghanistan) (2014)