INR to MXN Live Rate

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

20 00 N, 77 00 E

Asia

total: 3,287,263 sq km

land: 2,973,193 sq km

water: 314,070 sq km

country comparison to the world: 8

total: 13,888 km

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

7,000 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

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

mean elevation: 160 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,586 m

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

agricultural land: 60.5%

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

forest: 23.1%

other: 16.4% (2011 est.)

667,000 sq km (2012)

with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest, including the Thar Desert, and the mountain fringe in the north, a very high population density exists throughout most of the country; 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

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

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; preservation and quality of forests; biodiversity loss

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

dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal

1,281,935,911 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

noun: Indian(s)

adjective: Indian

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

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 est.)

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

total dependency ratio: 52.2

youth dependency ratio: 43.6

elderly dependency ratio: 8.6

potential support ratio: 11.7 (2015 est.)

total: 27.9 years

male: 27.2 years

female: 28.6 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 139

1.17% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 96

19 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 87

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 118

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 85

with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest, including the Thar Desert, and the mountain fringe in the north, a very high population density exists throughout most of the country; 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

urban population: 33.5% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 2.28% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

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)

at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female

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

total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

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

country comparison to the world: 56

total: 39.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 38 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 40.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 47

total population: 68.8 years

male: 67.6 years

female: 70.1 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 164

2.43 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 81

53.5% (2015/16)

4.7% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 149

0.76 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

improved:

urban: 97.1% of population

rural: 92.6% of population

total: 94.1% of population

unimproved:

urban: 2.9% of population

rural: 7.4% of population

total: 5.9% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 62.6% of population

rural: 28.5% of population

total: 39.6% of population

unimproved:

urban: 37.4% of population

rural: 71.5% of population

total: 60.4% of population (2015 est.)

0.3% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 80

2.1 million (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

62,000 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

degree of risk: very high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria

water contact disease: leptospirosis

animal contact disease: rabies (2016)

3.9% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 189

35.7% (2015)

country comparison to the world: 2

3.8% of GDP (2013)

country comparison to the world: 134

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 71.2%

male: 81.3%

female: 60.6% (2015 est.)

total: 12 years

male: 12 years

female: 12 years (2014)

total: 10.7%

male: 10.4%

female: 11.6% (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

conventional long form: Republic of India

conventional short form: India

local long form: Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya

local short form: India/Bharat

etymology: the English name derives from the Indus River; the Indian name "Bharat" may derive from the "Bharatas" tribe mentioned in the Vedas of the second millennium B.C.; the name is also associated with Emperor Bharata, the legendary conqueror of all of India

federal parliamentary republic

name: New Delhi

geographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 E

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

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

15 August 1947 (from the UK)

Republic Day, 26 January (1950)

history: previous 1935 (preindependence); latest draft completed 4 November 1949, adopted 26 November 1949, effective 26 January 1950

amendments: 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; amended many times, last in 2016 (2017)

common law system based on the English model; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus; judicial review of legislative acts

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

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

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Ram Nath KOVIND (since 25 July 2017); Vice President M. Venkaiah NAIDU (since 11 August 2017)

head of government: Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014)

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

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 17 July 2017 (next to be held in July 2022); 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 5 August 2017 (next to be held in August 2022); following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by parliamentary members of the majority party

election results: Ram Nath KOVIND elected president; percent of electoral college vote - Ram Nath KOVIND (BJP) 65.7% Meira KUMAR (INC) 34.3%; Mohammad Hamid ANSARI reelected vice president (2012 election); electoral college vote - Mohammad Hamid ANSARI 490, Jaswant SINGH 238

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 House of the People 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)

elections: House of the People - last held April-May 2014 in 9 phases; (next must be held by May 2019)

election results: House of the People - 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%, SAD 1.8%, BJD 1.7%, SS 1.7%, NCP 1.6%, RJD 1.3%, TRS 1.3%, LJP 0.4%, other 15.9%, independent 3.0%; seats by party - BJP 282, INC 44, AIADMK 37, AITC 34, BJD 20, SS 18, TDP 16, TRS 11, CPI(M) 9, YSRC 9, LJP 6, NCP 6, SP 5, AAP 4, RJD 4, SAD 4, other 33, independent 3

highest court(s): Supreme Court (the chief justice and 25 associate justices)

judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president to serve until age 65

subordinate courts: High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court

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

Aam Aadmi Party or AAP [Arvind KEJRIWAL]

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [Edappadi PALANISWAMY, Occhaathevar PANNEERSELVAM]

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 [Rahul 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 [Akhilesh YADAV]

Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [Parkash Singh BADAL]

Shiv Sena or SS [Uddhav THACKERAY]

Telegana Rashtra Samithi or TRS [K. Chandrashekar RAO]

Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]

YSR Congress or YSRC [Jagan Mohan REDDY]

note: India has dozens of national and regional political parties

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

Bajrang Dal (militant religious organization)

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

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS [Mohan BHAGWAT] (nationalist organization)

Vishwa Hindu Parishad [Pravin TOGADIA] (militant 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

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Navtej Singh SARNA (since 18 January 2017)

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

telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000

FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco

chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth I. JUSTER (since 23 November 2017)

embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021

mailing address: use embassy street address

telephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000

FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017

consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)

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

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

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

lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE

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

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 workforce is in agriculture, but services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for nearly two-thirds of India's output but employing 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. Nevertheless, per capita income remains below the world average.

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 nearly 7% per year from 1997 to 2017. India's economic growth slowed 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 slow world growth. 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 through 2016.

Growth rebounded in 2014 through 2016, exceeding 7% each year, but slowed in 2017. 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. Since the election, the government has passed an important goods and services tax bill and raised foreign direct investment caps in some sectors, but most economic reforms have focused on administrative and governance changes largely because the ruling party remains a minority in India’s upper house of Parliament, which must approve most bills. Despite a high growth rate compared to the rest of the world, India’s government-owned banks faced mounting bad debt in 2015 and 2016, resulting in low credit growth and restrained economic growth.

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, long-term challenges remain significant, including: India's 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.

$9.447 trillion (2017 est.)

$8.852 trillion (2016 est.)

$8.265 trillion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 4

$2.439 trillion (2017 est.)

6.7% (2017 est.)

7.1% (2016 est.)

8% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

$7,200 (2017 est.)

$6,800 (2016 est.)

$6,400 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 156

28.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

29.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

31.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

household consumption: 58.7%

government consumption: 11.6%

investment in fixed capital: 27.5%

investment in inventories: 4%

exports of goods and services: 18.4%

imports of goods and services: -20.2% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 16.8%

industry: 28.9%

services: 46.6% (2016 est.)

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

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

7.5% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

521.9 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

agriculture: 47%

industry: 22%

services: 31% (FY 2014 est.)

8.8% (2017 est.)

8% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

21.9% (2011 est.)

lowest 10%: 3.6%

highest 10%: 29.8% (2011 est.)

35.2 (2011 est.)

37.8 (1997 est.)

country comparison to the world: 97

revenues: $248.7 billion

expenditures: $330.3 billion (2017 est.)

10.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 213

-3.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 125

50.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

50.3% of GDP (2016 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

country comparison to the world: 104

1 April - 31 March

3.8% (2017 est.)

4.5% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 151

6.25% (31 December 2017 est.)

7.75% (31 December 2016 est.)

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

country comparison to the world: 69

9.6% (31 December 2017 est.)

9.67% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 86

$429.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$294.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

$2.063 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.773 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

$1.795 trillion (30 September 2017 est.)

$1.622 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

$1.516 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.558 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.139 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

$-33.68 billion (2017 est.)

$-15.23 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 197

$299.3 billion (2017 est.)

$268.6 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

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

US 16%, UAE 11.7%, Hong Kong 5.1% (2016)

$426.8 billion (2017 est.)

$376.1 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

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

China 17%, US 5.8%, UAE 5.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.2%, Switzerland 4.2% (2016)

$407.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$359.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

$483.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$456.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

$367.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$318.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

$156.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$144.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 31

Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar -

65.17 (2017 est.)

67.2 (2016 est.)

67.2 (2015 est.)

64.15 (2014 est.)

61.03 (2013 est.)

population without electricity: 237,400,000

electrification - total population: 79%

electrification - urban areas: 98%

electrification - rural areas: 70% (2013)

1.289 trillion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

1.048 trillion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

5.15 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

5.244 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

308.8 million kW (30 November 2016 )

country comparison to the world: 5

71.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 101

1.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 29

14.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 104

14.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 49

734,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 140

3.789 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

4.621 billion bbl (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

4.793 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

4.142 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

1.371 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

481,900 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

31.24 billion cu m (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

102.3 billion cu m (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

270 million cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 46

18.67 billion cu m (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

1.227 trillion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

1.887 billion Mt (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

total subscriptions: 24.404 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

total: 1,127.809 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

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 1 billion in 2015, an overall teledensity of roughly 80%, and subscribership is currently growing at roughly 5 million per month; urban teledensity now exceeds 100%, and rural teledensity has reached 50%

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)

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 (2015)

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; in 2015, more than 230 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 (2015)

.in

total: 374,328,160

percent of population: 29.5% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

number of registered air carriers: 20

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 485

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 98,927,860

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,833,847,614 mt-km (2015)

VT (2016)

346 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 21

total: 253

over 3,047 m: 22

2,438 to 3,047 m: 59

1,524 to 2,437 m: 76

914 to 1,523 m: 82

under 914 m: 14 (2017)

total: 93

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 6

914 to 1,523 m: 38

under 914 m: 45 (2013)

45 (2013)

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)

total: 68,525 km

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)

country comparison to the world: 5

total: 4,699,024 km

note: includes 96,214 km of national highways and expressways, 147,800 km of state highways, and 4,455,010 km of other roads (2015)

country comparison to the world: 2

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

country comparison to the world: 9

total: 1,674

by type: bulk carrier 74, container ship 20, general cargo 571, oil tanker 126, other 883 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 15

major seaport(s): Chennai, Jawaharal Nehru Port, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Sikka, Vishakhapatnam

container port(s) (TEUs): Chennai (1,571,000), Jawaharal Nehru Port (4,492,000) (2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Dabhol, Dahej, Hazira

2.47% of GDP (2016)

2.41% of GDP (2015)

2.5% of GDP (2014)

2.47% of GDP (2013)

2.54% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 37

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

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, currently serve in combat roles as pilots, and will soon be allowed in all combat roles (2016)

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

refugees (country of origin): 110,098 (Tibet/China); 63,162 (Sri Lanka); 15,561 (Burma); 7,693 (Afghanistan) (2015)

IDPs: 806,000 (armed conflict and intercommunal violence) (2017)

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