World Factbook
India
Republic of India (English)/ Bharatiya Ganarajya (Hindi)
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
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
note: similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band
Capital
name
New Delhi
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
time difference
UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
28 36 N, 77 12 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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
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
Country name
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)
conventional long form
Republic of India
conventional short form
India
Independence
15 August 1947 (from the UK)
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
Government type
federal parliamentary republic
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Supreme Court (consists of 28 judges, including the chief justice)
subordinate courts
High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court
judge selection and term of office
justices appointed by the president to serve until age 65
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%
head of government
Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014)
most recent election date
18 July 2022
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
National holiday
Republic Day, 26 January (1950)
National color(s)
saffron, white, green
National heritage
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, 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)
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
Legislative branch
note
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
legislature name
Parliament (Sansad)
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"Jana-Gana-Mana" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People)
history
adopted 1950; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote Bangladesh's national anthem
lyrics/music
Rabindranath TAGORE
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)
Administrative divisions
28 states and 8 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir*, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh*, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
note: the official name of Delhi is National Capital Territory of Delhi, even though it is considered a union territory
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
House of the People (Lok Sabha)
term in office
5 years
number of seats
545 (543 directly elected; 2 appointed)
electoral system
plurality/majority
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
4/19/2024 to 6/1/2024
expected date of next election
April 2029
percentage of women in chamber
13.8%
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)
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Council of States (Rajya Sabha)
term in office
6 years
number of seats
245 (233 indirectly elected; 12 appointed)
scope of elections
partial renewal
most recent election date
1/12/2024 to 6/30/2024
expected date of next election
January 2026
percentage of women in chamber
16.7%
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 265-4351
chancery
2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 939-7000
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/
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[91] (11) 2419-0017
embassy
Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi - 110021
telephone
[91] (11) 2419-8000
mailing address
9000 New Delhi Place, Washington DC 20521-9000
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/
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
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt