2020 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 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.

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

highest point

Kanchenjunga 8,586 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

160 m

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

754,562 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

agricultural land

60.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 51.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 4.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.)

forest

24.4% (2023 est.)

other

15.5% (2023 est.)

Location

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

Major aquifers

Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin

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)

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 (354 m) in the Andaman Sea has been active in recent years

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

Population distribution

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

Terrain

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

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

3.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Child marriage

men married by age 18

2.6% (2021)

women married by age 15

4.8% (2021)

women married by age 18

23.3% (2021)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

31.5% (2020 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

72.3% (2020 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

10 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

10 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

45 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

35 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 91.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 93.3% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 95.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 8.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 6.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.2% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

14.2% national budget (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.95 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

3.3% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

4.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

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

Infant mortality rate

female

30.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

30 deaths/1,000 live births

total

30.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

70.1 years

male

66.5 years

total population

68.2 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

74.9% (2023 est.)

male

88.3% (2023 est.)

total population

81.7% (2023 est.)

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)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

30.5 years

male

29.1 years

total

30.1 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.2 years (2019/21)

Nationality

adjective

Indian

noun

Indian(s)

Net migration rate

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

3.9% (2016)

Physician density

0.72 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

688,414,359

male

730,902,574

total

1,419,316,933 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.72% (2025 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 83% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 88.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 99.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 17% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 11.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.6% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2024 est.)

male

13 years (2024 est.)

total

13 years (2024 est.)

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.1 male(s)/female

total population

1.06 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

8.9% (2025 est.)

male

34.1% (2025 est.)

total

21.8% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

2 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

36.4% of total population (2023)

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

Capital

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

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

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

history

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

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of India

conventional short form

India

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

local long form

Republic of India (English)/ Bharatiya Ganarajya (Hindi)

local short form

India (English)/ Bharat (Hindi)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador-designate Sergio GOR (since 11 October 2025)

consulate(s) general

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

email address and website

acsnd@state.gov https://in.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi - 110021

FAX

[91] (11) 2419-0017

mailing address

9000 New Delhi Place, Washington DC 20521-9000

telephone

[91] (11) 2419-8000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Vinay Mohan KWATRA (since 18 September 2024)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

email address and website

hoc.washington@mea.gov.in https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/

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 Droupadi MURMU (since 25 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%

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

expected date of next election

July 2027

head of government

Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014)

most recent election date

18 July 2022

Flag

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

Government type

federal parliamentary 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), 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

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

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

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parliament (Sansad)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of the People (Lok Sabha)

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

April 2029

most recent election date

4/19/2024 to 6/1/2024

number of seats

545 (543 directly elected; 2 appointed)

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%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Council of States (Rajya Sabha)

expected date of next election

January 2026

most recent election date

1/12/2024 to 6/30/2024

number of seats

245 (233 indirectly elected; 12 appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

16.7%

scope of elections

partial renewal

term in office

6 years

National anthem(s)

history

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

lyrics/music

Rabindranath TAGORE

title

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

National color(s)

saffron, white, green

National heritage

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, Konârak (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) 

total World Heritage Sites

44 (36 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed)

National holiday

Republic Day, 26 January (1950)

National symbol(s)

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)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugarcane, rice, milk, wheat, bison milk, potatoes, vegetables, maize, bananas, onions (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

29.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$486.598 billion (2022 est.)

revenues

$311.824 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$79.051 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$31.962 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$32.428 billion (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$212.728 billion (2023 est.)

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

Exchange rates

Currency

Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

74.1 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

73.918 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

78.604 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

82.599 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

83.669 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$767.643 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$773.177 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$822.046 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, packaged medicine, diamonds, broadcasting equipment, garments (2023)

Exports - partners

USA 19%, UAE 7%, China 4%, Germany 3%, UK 3% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

21.2% (2024 est.)

government consumption

10.1% (2024 est.)

household consumption

61.5% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-23.5% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

29.6% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

3% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

16.4% (2024 est.)

industry

24.5% (2024 est.)

services

49.9% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.913 trillion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

25.5 (2022 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

22.1% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

4.5% (2022 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$902.304 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$859.507 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$923.081 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, gold, coal, natural gas, integrated circuits (2023)

Imports - partners

China 19%, Russia 10%, USA 6%, UAE 6%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

5.6% (2024 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.7% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

5% (2024 est.)

Labor force

607.691 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2018

46.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$12.251 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$13.377 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$14.244 trillion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

7.6% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

9.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

6.5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$8,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$9,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$9,800 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

3.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

3.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

3.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$567.298 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$627.793 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$643.043 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

6.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

4.9% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

4.3% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

17.6% (2024 est.)

male

15.5% (2024 est.)

total

16% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

1.262 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

1.632 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

243.488 million metric tons (2023 est.)

production

1.02 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

127.727 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

1.5 trillion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

9.529 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

7.843 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

499.136 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

303.066 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

99.3%

electrification - total population

99.2% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

75.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

8.2% 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.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

25.179 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

62.196 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

91.921 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports

29.337 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

35.168 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

1.381 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

6.92GW (2025 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction

7 (2025)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

20 (2025)

Percent of total electricity production

3.1% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

4.605 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

5.271 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

822,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2022 est.)

total

39.3 million (2023 est.)

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 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)

Internet country code

.in

Internet users

percent of population

56% (2022 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

27.455 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

79 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

1.15 billion (2024 est.)

Airports

315 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VT

Heliports

289 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 66, container ship 22, general cargo 607, oil tanker 144, other 1020

total

1,859 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Shiva), Kattupalli Port, Kochi (Cochin), Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam

large

4

medium

4

ports with oil terminals

18

size unknown

5

small

13

total ports

56 (2024)

very small

30

Railways

broad gauge

63,950 km (2014) (39, 329 km electrified)

narrow gauge

1,604 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

total

65,554 km (2014)

Military - note

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)

Military and security forces

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)

Military and security service personnel strengths

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

Military deployments

1,100 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 200 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 900 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 2,400 South Sudan (UNMISS); 600 Sudan (UNISFA) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

2.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

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)

Illicit drugs

USG identification

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

642,610 (2024 est.)

refugees

250,006 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

23,262 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

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

Space agency/agencies

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)

Space launch site(s)

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

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; 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)

Terrorist group(s)

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)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

2.054 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

124.226 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

642.909 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

2.821 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

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

International environmental 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

Methane emissions

agriculture

17,971 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

8,217.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

644.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

4,773.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

55.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

1.911 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

688 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

17 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

56 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

189.75 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

17.8% (2022 est.)