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Discover India Travel Guide
Plan your journey with useful information about India’s culture, climate, traditions and practical travel essentials.
Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting India
India is a diverse country with a rich history, vibrant culture, varied landscapes and traditions that differ from region to region. Understanding the country’s people, customs, climate and practical travel requirements can help you prepare for a comfortable and enjoyable journey.
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India Travel Guide
Learn more about India from its ancient history through the Islamic invasions, the colonisation by the British, gaining independence in 1947 and where the country stands today in the global picture
India Demographics
Geography and Climate
Indian History
Political & Legal systems
India is a federal parliamentary democratic republic with a Constitution operating under a common law legal framework
Indian Economy
Indian Culture
Discover India Travel Guide
Plan your journey with helpful information about India’s culture, climate, traditions and practical travel essentials.
India Demographics
India Climate
India Currency
Indian Cuisine
Religions in India
Visa Information
Understand the basic requirements and process for obtaining a visa before travelling to India.
Electricity & Power Supply
India Demographics
Population
India is currently the most populous country in the world, having surpassed China in 2023, with an estimated 1.476 billion people, which accounts for 17.8% of the world’s population. The population density is 497 people per sq. km. of land which is ranked 26th globally. Population growth is predicted to peak around the 2060s at 1.7 billion before starting to decline.
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India with an estimated population of over 240 million people, followed by Bihar with 133 million and Maharashtra 124 million. The capital New Delhi is the most populous city in India with 30.4 million people, followed by Kolkata (Calcutta) 22.6 million and Mumbai (Bombay) 20.4 million.
The average life expectancy of males in India is 68 years and females is 70 years. The median age is 29.2 years indicating a highly youthful cohort. 65% of India’s population is under 35 indicating a powerful demographic dividend—a massive working-age window that contrasts sharply with the rapidly ageing populations and shrinking workforces of China, Europe, and Japan.
Literacy and Education
Starting at a low rate of 14% literacy at the time of Independence in 1947, the country now boasts an 81% literacy rate. India defines a literate person as anyone aged 7 or older who can read and write with understanding in any language. Male literacy stands near 87%, while female literacy is closer to 75%. The gap between genders reduces among youth and children. Urban literacy is around 90%, compared to roughly 77% in rural areas.
The Southern state of Kerala has over time claimed high literacy rates exceeding 94%. Currently states such as Mizoram (over 98%) and Himachal Pradesh (over 99.5%) have achieved very high literacy levels assisted by targeted educational programmes.
Occupations
The most respected occupations in India traditionally include doctors and surgeons, civil servants (IAS, IPS and IFS), defence personnel, chartered accountants and University professors. Booming technology and financial sectors have boosted into highest paid professions Artificial Intelligence (AI) engineers, Data scientists, Investment bankers and Management consultants.
Popular Urban careers include IT and software, corporate and financial services, manufacturing and industry. In rural areas, the primary occupations include farming and agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and pisciculture, forestry and mining.
Diversity
India is the most diverse country in the world along several dimensions – its geography and climate, languages spoken, religions, and regional variations in clothes, cuisine, dance and art forms, handicrafts and festivals. Despite the vast differences, India is defined by its ‘unity in diversity’ the basis of which is a deep rooted love of the ‘motherland’.
Languages
Though there are several hundreds languages and thousands of dialects in India, the Constitution officially recognises 22 languages. The prominent Indian languages belong to the Indo-Aryan family (Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati and Punjabi) and are spoken by over 70% of the population of India concentrated in the north, west and east of India. The Dravidian group comprising of Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannad are spoken in the Southern states of India.
India has no single national language though Hindi and English are the official languages used by the Central Government.
Several of the regional State governments such as Tamilnadu (Tamil), Kerala (Malayalam), Andhra Pradesh (Telugu) and Karnataka (Kannada) use their own languages as the official language along with English for official communication with the Central government.
Religions
Several religions have originated in India. These include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. India is also home to large populations of Muslims and Christians along with Zoroastrians and Jews. Roughly 79.8% of the population of India are Hindus, followed by Islam – 14.2%, Christians – 2.3%, Sikhs – 1.7%, Buddhists – 0.7% and Jains – 0.4%.
Religious architecture many of which are several centuries old are remarkable living monuments and several are listed as UNESCO world heritage sites. Ancient temples of the Hindus and Jains and Buddhist caves and stupas are found all over India along with more recent mosques (Muslims), churches (Christians), Gurudwaras (Sikhs) and synagogues (Jews).
India has no single national language though Hindi and English are the official languages used by the Central Government.
Several of the regional State governments such as Tamilnadu (Tamil), Kerala (Malayalam), Andhra Pradesh (Telugu) and Karnataka (Kannada) use their own languages as the official language along with English for official communication with the Central government.
Geography and Climate
From the Himalayan mountain range to the Ganges plain and the Deccan plateau, India experiences a tropical monsoon climate.
India (along with the neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Banga Desh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives) is called a sub-continent because of the massive land mass which forms a distinct part of the continent of Asia. The land mass is separated from the rest of Asia by the Himalayan range on the north and water bodies on the other three sides.
Physical features of India are varied extending from mountain ranges, forests and plains fed by multitudes of rivers to deserts and plateaus. The Himalayas, Hindu Kush and Karakoram mountain ranges form a massive natural barrier in the north. The fertile alluvial soil of the Indo-Gangetic plains fed by the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers is home to a large percentage of India’s population.
The Southern peninsular region is the Deccan plateau flanked by the Western and Eastern Ghats. The peninsular rivers such as the Krishna, Cauvery, Narmada and Mahanadi are rain fed and experience seasonal fluctuations in water volumes.
The coastline of India bordering the Arabian sea on the West, the Indian ocean on the South and the Bay of Bengal on the east measures around eleven thousand kilometres and washes the shores of 9 states and 4 union territories.
The Tropic of Cancer (23*N) which in general separates the Tropics from the Sub-Tropics, runs roughly through the middle of India. Yet, India is generally considered a tropical monsoon climate, with a large number of variations. The Himalayan range in the north acts as a thermal dam stopping the icy winds from Central Asia keeping most of North India warm to mildly chilly in winter and hot in summer. Arid, desert climate is encountered in the Thar desert in the North West. The climate in South India south of the Tropic of Cancer is warmer and more humid because of the coastline. The monsoon winds dominate the climate of India with the South West monsoons lasting from June to September and the North East monsoons in the months of October and November. The variable monsoon weather patterns can lead to droughts, floods, heat waves and cyclones.
Indian History
Spans several thousands of years dating back to archaeological findings of the Indus valley civilisation to the modern democracy since 1947.
Indus Valley civilisation
While human habitation in the land mass we now call India can be dated back to 60000 BCE, the earliest evidence of a civilisation was discovered in the Indus valley which is said to have existed from 7000 BCE to 600 BCE. This civilisation saw the rise of the great Indian cities of Mohenjadaro and Harappa. Archaeological remains indicate the first signs of urbanisation in this period.
The migration of the nomads from Central Asia, the Aryans, is dated back to 3000 BCE in the north west and their advent expanded into the Gangetic plains. 1500 BCE to 500 BCE is seen as the Vedic period when scholars committed the Vedas to a written form and the basic tenets of Hinduism was established. Around 600 BCE the Jain tradition was established and around 500 BCE were the origins of the Buddhist tradition.
Ancient Indian kingdoms
One of the earliest kingdoms to flourish in North India was the kingdom of Magadha around 500 BCE. The Mauryan empire dominated Indian history from 340 BC to around 200 BCE with the Chandraguta Maurya and Ashoka the most famous kings of that dynasty. The Mauryan kingdom expanded from Northern India into Central India. The Mauryan period particularly under the rule of Ashoka saw a wide spread of Buddhism in India and most of the Buddhist caves and stupas found in India are attributed to this period.
Records of Greek invasions in Northern India include the advent of Alexander the Great in 327 BCE who came as far as the River Beas in modern day Punjab before he turned back, ostensibly homesick.
The Gupta period considered a golden age of Indian art and architecture lasted from 320 CE to 550 CE with Chandra Gupta recorded as the most famous ruler. The Chalukyas reigned from 535 BCE until the 700s with Vikramaditya being one of the foremost kings of that dynasty. The Chalukya period has contributed largely to Hindu temple architecture including the rock cut temple of Ellora.
Muslim rule in India
The earliest record of Muslim invasions in Northern India began in the eighth and continued through until the demise of the Mughal dynasty in the 18th century. Beginning as plundering raids to gather the riches from the cities and temples later led to the establishment of Islamic reign in Northern India and power shifted through several dynasties such as Umayyads, Ghaznis, Ghors, Ghurids, Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Lodis and saw the establishment and expansion of the Delhi Sultanate.
The apex of Muslim rule in India came with the Mughals who ruled Northern India based in Delhi from the 16th to the 18th centuries. In 1526 Babur who founded the Mughal empire defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the Battle of Panipat to establish himself as the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate.
The Mughals under the rule of Babur and his successors Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jehan and finally Aurangzeb, expanded their empire into central India. The Mughal period was a renaissance of art and architecture in the Islamic tradition in India with the Taj Mahal being the jewel in the crown, built by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The Maratha empire in Western India led by rulers like Shivaji developed into a major resistance force against the Mughals. Some of the Rajasthani kingdoms during the Mughal period adopted fierce resistance (Mewar) and a series of battles were fought. Others entered into strategic alliances with the Mughals including matrimony (Amber) and administrative and military services (Marwar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer).
Southern India
Southern India largely unaffected by the developments in Northern India, is home to the Dravidian race who are considered indigenous to the Indian sub-continent. The third century BCE onwards saw the development of many great empires in South India like Pandya, Chola, Chera and the Pallava. They were powerful maritime empires conducting extensive global trade from the Mediterranean to East Asia trading in spices, textiles and gold with Greeks, Arabs and Romans. Arts, literature and architecture thrived during this period with some outstanding examples of Dravidian style temple architecture still in use.
British period
During the 16th to 18th centuries, Portuguese, French and British established coastal outposts in India for the purposes of trade. The British established the East India company in the early 1600s with a royal charter to trade spices, cotton, silk and tea. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Company built a private army and took political control. Greed, heavy taxation, and disrespect for local culture caused deep anger. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 (the Sepoy Mutiny) broke out as a major armed uprising against Company rule.
The British Crown abolished the East India Company after the 1857 revolt and took direct control of the British Raj. Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India, and a Viceroy governed on her behalf. Britain built an extensive railway network, established English-medium schools, and introduced Western legal systems, primarily to extract raw materials and run the colony efficiently.
Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress led a massive nonviolent freedom movement in the 20th century. World War II weakened Britain, making it harder to hold onto the colony. In August 1947, Britain granted independence to India, splitting the region into two separate nations: India and Pakistan. The border between the two countries – The Radcliffe line – was loosely based on religious divisions between Hindus and Muslims. The partition caused mass migration and terrible communal violence, displacing roughly 10 to 15 million people in one of history’s largest mass migrations. Estimates of casualties range from 200,000 to over a million deaths amid severe communal violence and riots.
Post Independence period
India gained independence on Aug 15, 1947 and Jawaharlal Nehru was appointed the first Prime Minister of India. In the communal riots which followed subsequent to the partition, very sadly, Mahatma Gandhi was gunned down by a Hindu fanatic and the country lost the Father of the nation. India became a democratic republic with the adoption of its Constitution on January 26, 1950. Jan 26 is celebrated in India as Republic Day. One of first accomplishments in independent India was the integration of over 500 autonomous princely states into the Indian union. In 1956, the state borders were redefined to better reflect language differences. Narendra Modi is the fourteenth person to step into the office of Prime Minister of India from 2014 to date.
Political & Legal Systems
India is a federal parliamentary democratic republic with a Constitution operating under a common law legal framework.
Political system
Governed by the Indian constitution, India is a democratic republic based on the British Westminster system. Power is divided between the Central government and the State governments. The President is the ceremonial Head of State, while the Prime Minister acts as the Head of Government and holds the primary executive power with the Council of Ministers.
The Parliament of India is bicameral, consisting of the Lok Sabha (House of the People, lower house with directly elected 543 members) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States, upper house with state-elected 233 representatives plus 12 members nominated by the President). Parliamentary elections determine the ruling party and their representative is appointed by the President as the Prime Minister of India. The prime minister controls the selection and dismissal of members of the Union Council of Ministers and allocation of posts to members within the government.
The legal power to manage affairs in each state is shared or divided between the particular state government and the national union government. The union territories are directly governed by the union government. The executive branch of a state government comprises the Governor and the Council of Ministers, headed by the Chief Minister.
The Governor, appointed by the President of India, serves as the constitutional head, while the Chief Minister is the executive head of the government. The Council of Ministers, headed by the Chief Minister, exercises the executive powers of the state and includes Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State, appointed by the Governor on the Chief Minister’s advice.
Legal system
The Indian legal system is a common law system based on the Law of India and a framework inherited from the British colonial era. The Indian Constitution is the longest written Constitution in the world and the Supreme law of the land. All laws and government actions must follow the rules set by the Constitution.
The three organs of the Judicial system are the Legislature (makes laws), the Executive (enforces laws), and an independent Judiciary (interprets laws). The constitution prescribes a federal structure of government, with a clearly defined separation of legislative and executive powers between the Federation and the States.
India has a single, unified court system for the entire country with a) Supreme Court – The highest court in India. It handles major constitutional questions and final appeals b) High Courts – The top judicial bodies at the state level. There are 25 High Courts across the country and c) Subordinate Courts: Lower courts at the district, municipal, and village levels that handle everyday civil and criminal cases. Alternative Dispute Resolution is handled by Local people’s courts, known as Lok Adalats, helping to settle disputes quickly outside formal trials.
India’s legal system is categorized into seven major types of law based on function, source, and application. They are Constitutional law, Criminal law, Civil law, Statutory law, Common law, Administrative law and Personal / Family law. Capital punishment in India is legal. The last execution was conducted on 20 March 2020, where the death sentence was awarded to the convicts by a trial court, a decision which was upheld by Delhi High Court and Supreme Court as well.
Indian Economy
The fastest growing global economy, India is the fourth largest by nominal GDP driven by high demand, spending and innovation.
At the time of independence in 1947, India inherited an underdeveloped, stagnant, and fragile economy that had been severely depleted by nearly two centuries of British colonial rule. Roughly 70% to 75% of the population relied on farming for survival. Agricultural productivity was extremely low, stagnant, and plagued by outdated techniques and oppressive landlord systems.
India’s share of global industrial output had plunged from about 25% in 1750 down to roughly 2% by the mid-20th century. The country lacked heavy industries and had a hollowed-out manufacturing sector. Per capita income was critically low, estimated at around 250 to 265 rupees per year. Poverty was pervasive, and the population faced severe food shortages and the lingering trauma of recent famines. Transport, communication, and power networks were severely underdeveloped.
In the 80 years since independence, India has risen to be the world’s sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and the third largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) as of April 2026. On a per capita income basis, the nation is ranked 149th by nominal GDP and 119th by PPP-adjusted GDP as of 2026.
From independence in 1947 until 1991, economic development was characterized by protectionist economic policies, with extensive state intervention, demand-side economics, natural resource optimization, and regulation.
Nearly 70% of India’s GDP is driven by domestic consumption, with the nation consistently the world’s third-largest consumer market. As of 2025, the service sector accounts for around 55% of GDP. Aside from private consumption, India’s GDP is fueled by government spending, investments, and exports. As of 2025, India is the world’s 7th-largest importer and the 10th-largest exporter.
Agriculture sector accounts for 46% of India’s workforce, the services sector 28.9% and manufacturing 11.4%, as of 2024. Although India’s labour productivity is lower than advanced economies, it aligns with levels observed in many emerging Asian countries like China.
India’s gross national income per capita had experienced high growth rates since 2002. It has increased from ₹19,040 in 2002–03 to ₹1,88,892 in 2024. Wealth distribution in India is uneven, but less extreme than in some developed countries. As of 2022–23, the top 1% of Indians held about 40.1% of the country’s total wealth, while the top 10% accounted for roughly 57–60% of national income.
India’s economic growth has been the driver of sustainable employment and poverty reduction. According to the World Bank’s Spring 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief, approximately 171 million people in India moved out of extreme poverty between 2011 and 2023. During this period, the country’s poverty rate declined significantly from 16.2% to 2.3%, based on the international poverty line of $2.15 per day.
The Indian rupee (₹) is the only legal tender in India, and is also accepted as legal tender in neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan. The rupee previously was divided into 100 paise, which no longer exist for public use. The highest-denomination banknote was the ₹2,000 note until 30 September 2023 after which it was scrapped and ₹500 note became the highest denomination; the lowest-denomination coin in circulation is the ₹1 coin.
Indian Culture
The most diverse in the world with ancient traditions, deeply rooted spiritual values and regional variety in language, food, arts and customs.
Travelling through the different states in India is akin to travelling in Europe. Each state whose boundaries are defined by the languages used exhibits distinct differences in clothing, cuisine, art, dance, music, wedding rituals, traditions and festivals. Despite this diversity, there is an all encompassing commonality in the overall philosophies and beliefs of the country.
Religion plays a significant role and all the Indian origin religions are based on the concepts of Dharma (upholding righteousness) and karma (reaping the consequences of one’s actions). The family unit is the fundamental core of society with the joint family system a prevalent tradition parents, children and their families all live together. In recent times with increased migration to urban areas for work, the nuclear family model is on the rise.
Arranged marriages have long been the norm in Idia as marriages are seen as the union of two families rather than two individuals. Astrological beliefs influence the selection of partners for the children by the elders in the family. This tradition is also seeing rapid changes as Indian culture is trending towards arranged marriages with consent of the couple and towards self-arranged marriages particularly in urban areas.
Weddings are festive occasions in India with extensive decorations, colors, music, dance, costumes and rituals that depend on the religion of the bride and the groom, as well as their preferences. Hindu weddings are celebrated with a number of ceremonies over several days with large numbers of family and friends attending the ceremonies and partaking in the lavish meals which are served to the guests.
Religious festivals in India many of which are common to many of the states of India may however differ in the date of celebration and the way they are celebrated. The most popular and commonly celebrated Hindu festivals are Diwali, Navrathri, Janmastami and Ganesh Chathurthi. Holi, the festival of colours celebrating the arrival of spring is very popular in North India. Durga puja honouring the Goddess Durga is very popular in West Bengal. The harvest festivals of Pongal is celebrated in Tamilnadu and Onam in Kerala commemorating a legend of King Mahabali.
In India, greetings in the form of a hand shake are sparingly used in urban cities. The predominant style of greeting is folding the hands together with the palms pressed conveying respect. This gesture was seen to become popular all over the world during Covid when physical contact was not advisable. The salutation gesture is accompanied by verbal salutation which varies according to the different languages. Namaste in Hindi and many other North Indian languages, Vanakkam in Tamil, Namaskar in Marathi, Namaskaram in Malayalam and Telugu and Nômôshkar in Bengali.
Indian cuisine varies from region to region reflecting the local produce and the cultural diversity. A large variety of spices are used in Indian cooking with chillis in multiple forms – green chillis, dried red chillies, chilli powder and chilli flakes dominating food preparation. Turmeric, ginger, garlic and onions are commonly used and they add medicinal benefits to the food. Wheat is the staple ingredient in Northern India where you find large varieties of rotis, naan, parathas and puris. Rice is more common in South India and is served in large varieties and flavours accompanied by curries.
Classical music in India belong to two schools – Hindusthani music and Carnatic music. The sitar and table are Hindusthani musical instruments while the veena and mridangam are key components of Carnatic music. The violin is used in both traditions.
Classical dance forms in India include Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali, Odissi and Mohiniyattam popular in various regions of India. THere are a large variety of folk and tribal dances all over India and these traditionally celebrate harvests, seasons and local community rituals.
Indian cinema is composed of multilingual and multi-ethnic film art. The term ‘Bollywood’, often mistakenly used to refer to Indian cinema as a whole, specifically denotes the Hindi-language film industry. Indian cinema, however, is an umbrella term encompassing multiple film industries, each producing films in its respective language and showcasing unique cultural and stylistic elements.
Films are produced in multiple languages such as Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Assamese, Odia and others. Indian films are increasingly attracting international attention. For a number of years, the Indian film industry has ranked first in the world in terms of annual film output. In 2024, Indian cinema earned ₹11, 833 crore ($1.36 billion) at the Indian box-office.
Travel Tips & Essential Information
- Respect local traditions and cultural practices
- Carry suitable clothing for different regions and seasons
- Stay connected with local SIM and internet options
- Keep important travel documents easily accessible
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