his article is about the Republic of India.

For other uses, see India

(disambiguation).
Republic of India

Bhārat Gaṇarājya
Horizontal tricolor flag bearing, from top to bottom, deep saffron, white, and
green horizontal bands. In the centre of the white band is a navy-blue wheel with
24 spokes.
Flag
Three lions facing left, right, and toward viewer, atop a frieze containing a
galloping horse, a 24-spoke wheel, and an elephant. Underneath is a motto: "सतयममव
जयतम".
State emblem
Motto: "Satyameva Jayate" (Sanskrit)
"Truth Alone Triumphs"[1]
Anthem: "Jana Gana Mana"[2][3]
"Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People"[4][2]
Menu
0:00
National song
"Vande Mataram" (Sanskrit)
"I Bow to Thee, Mother"[a][1][2]
Image of a globe centred on India, with India highlighted.
Area controlled by India shown in dark green;
regions claimed but not controlled shown in light green
Capital New Delhi
28°36′50″N 77°12′30″E
Largest city

Mumbai
18°58′30″N 72°49′33″E

Official languages

HindiEnglish[b][7]

Recognised regional languages

State level and
Eighth Schedule[8]
[show]
National language None[9][10][11]
Religion

79.8% Hinduism
14.2% Islam
2.3% Christianity
1.7% Sikhism
0.7% Buddhism
0.4% Jainism
0.9% others[c][12]

See Religion in India

Demonym(s) Indian
Membership UN, WTO, BRICS, SAARC, SCO, G8+5, G20, Commonwealth of Nations
Government Federal parliamentary republic
• President
Ram Nath Kovind
• Vice President
 Venkaiah Naidu
• Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
• Chief Justice
Ranjan Gogoi
• Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Om Birla
Legislature Parliament
• Upper house
Rajya Sabha
• Lower house
Lok Sabha
Independence from the United Kingdom
• Dominion
15 August 1947
• Republic
26 January 1950
Area
• Total
3,287,263[6] km2 (1,269,219 sq mi)[d] (7th)
• Water (%)
9.6
Population
• 2016 estimate
Increase1,324,171,354[13] (2nd)
• 2011 census
1,210,854,977[14][15] (2nd)
• Density
402.5/km2 (1,042.5/sq mi) (31st)
GDP (PPP) 2019 estimate
• Total
Increase $11.468 trillion[16] (3rd)
• Per capita
Increase $8,484[16] (119th)
GDP (nominal) 2019 estimate
• Total
Increase $2.972 trillion[16] (5th)
• Per capita
Increase $2,199[16] (142nd)
Gini (2013) 33.9[17]
medium · 79th
HDI (2017) Increase 0.640[18]
medium · 130th
Currency Indian rupee (₹) (INR)
Time zone UTC+05:30 (IST)
DST is not observed
Date format dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side left
Calling code +91
ISO 3166 code IN
Internet TLD .in (others)

India (official name: the Republic of India;[19] Hindi: Bhārat Gaṇarājya) is a

country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most
populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the
Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal
on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;[e] China,
Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the
Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; its Andaman
and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.

The Indian subcontinent was home to the Indus Valley Civilisation of the bronze
age. In India's Iron Age, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism were composed, social
stratification based on caste emerged, and Buddhism and Jainism arose. Political
consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta Empires; the peninsular Middle
Kingdoms influenced the cultures of Southeast Asia. In India's medieval era,
Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived, and Sikhism emerged,
adding to a diverse culture. North India fell to the Delhi Sultanate; south India
was united under the Vijayanagara Empire. In the early modern era, the expansive
Mughal Empire was followed by East India Company rule. India's modern age was
marked by British Crown rule and a nationalist movement which, under Mahatma
Gandhi, was noted for nonviolence and led to India's independence in 1947.

Economic liberalisation, begun in 1991, has caused India to become a fast growing
major economy and a newly industrialised country. Its gross domestic product ranks
sixth in the world in market exchange rates and third in purchasing power parity.
[16] Its per capita income ranks 133rd and 116th in the two measures.[16] India
faces challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, and inadequate public
healthcare. A nuclear weapons state and regional power, it has the second largest
active military in the world and ranks high in military expenditure. India is a
secular, federal republic, governed in a democratic parliamentary system, and
administered in 29 states and seven union territories. A pluralistic, multilingual
and multi-ethnic society, India is home to 1.3 billion people. It is also home to a
high diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.[20]