Moving to India: visas, cost of living & immigrant guide

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Population

1,409,128,296

Population Growth Rate

0.72%

Population Distribution

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

• population: 36.4% of total population rate of
• urbanization: 2.33% annual rate of change

Population in Major Urban Areas

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

Population: Male/Female

• male: 725,784,825
• female: 683,343,471

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Age Structure

• 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% (male 44,101,180/female 52,102,662)

Median Age

• total: 29.8 years
• male: 29.1 years
• female: 30.5 years

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population

16

Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population

9.1

Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman

2.03

Gross reproduction rate

1

Child Marriage

women married by age 15: 4.8% women married by age 18: 23.3% men married by age 18: 2.6%

Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49

66.7%

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49

66.7%

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

72.6%

Mean Age for Mother's First Birth (age 25-49)

21.2

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.2

Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female

• birth: 1.1 male(s)/female 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 total
• population: 1.06 male(s)/female

Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population

.1

Ethnic Groups

Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, and other 3%

Language Note

• 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%
• note - English enjoys the status of subsidiary official language but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication
• there are 22 other officially recognized languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
• Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language

Nationality Noun

• noun: Indian(s)
• adjective: Indian

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Literacy - total population

74.4%

Literacy - male

82.4%

Literacy - female

65.8%

Literacy Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP

4.5%

Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)

• total: 12 years
• male: 12 years
• female: 12 years

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Life Expectancy at Birth

• population: 68.2 years
• male: 66.5 years
• female: 70.1 years

Infant Mortality Rate

• total: 30.4 deaths/1,000 live births
• male: 30 deaths/1,000 live births
• female: 30.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births

• total: 30.4 deaths/1,000 live births
• male: 30 deaths/1,000 live births
• female: 30.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births

103

Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population

.74

Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population

.5

Health Expenditures - percent of GDP

3%

Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk

• risk: very high food or waterborne
• diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne
• diseases: dengue fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria water contact
• diseases: leptospirosis animal contact
• diseases: rabies

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

3.9%

Tobacco Use

• total: 27.2%
• male: 41.3%
• female: 13%

Alcohol consumption per capita

• total: 3.09 liters of pure alcohol
• beer: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol
• wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol
• spirits: 2.85 liters of pure alcohol other
• alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol

Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved

• improved: urban: 96.9% of population
• rural: 94.7% of population
• total: 95.5% of population
• unimproved: urban: 3.1% of population
• rural: 5.3% of population
• total: 4.5% of population

Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved

• improved: urban: 98.6% of population
• rural: 75.2% of population
• total: 83.4% of population
• unimproved: urban: 1.4% of population
• rural: 24.8% of population
• total: 16.6% of population

Underweight - percent of children under five years

31.5%

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Economic Overview

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.

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.

Growth rebounded from 2014 through 2016.

Despite a high growth rate compared to the rest of the world, India’s government-owned banks faced mounting bad debt, resulting in low credit 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.

The economy slowed again in 2017, due to the shocks of "demonetization" in 2016 and the introduction of GST in 2017.

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.

India has a young population and corresponding low dependency ratio, healthy savings and investment rates, and is 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.

Industries

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

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$6,300.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

7.3%

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GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)

$8,443,360,000,000 (USD)

GDP Per Capita

$6,300.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

7.3%

GDP - official exchange rate

$2,183,000,000,000 (USD)

GDP - composition, by end use

• consumption: 59.7% Government
• consumption: 11.7% Investment in fixed
• capital: 26.8% Investment in
• inventories: 4.4% Exports of goods and
• services: 19.4% Imports of goods and
• services: -22%

GDP by Sector- agriculture

16.1%

GDP by Sector- Industry

29.5%

GDP by Sector- services

54.4%

Industrial Growth Rate

4.8%

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Inflation Rate

9.2%

Exchange Rate per US Dollar

82.28

Currency Name and Code

Indian Rupee (INR)

Fiscal Year

1 April - 31 March

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

10.6%

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Labor Force

498,400,000

Unemployment Rate

9.9%

Major Industries

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

Agriculture Products

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

Population Below Poverty Line

29.8%

Child Labor - # of children ages 5-14

26,965,074

Child Labor - % of children ages 5-14

12%

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Labor Force By Occupation- agriculture

49%

Labor Force By Occupation- industry

20%

Labor Force By Occupation- services

31%

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Annual Budget

$171,500,000,000 (USD)

Public Debt (% of GDP)

51.9%

Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP

-5.7%

Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP

10.3%

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Full Country Name

Republic of India

Country Name

India

Local - Long

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

Local - Short

India (English)/ Bharat (Hindi)

Etymology- history of name

• 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

Independence

15 August 1947 (from the UK)

National Holiday

Republic Day, 26 January (1950)

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Government Type

federal parliamentary republic

Constitution

• 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 2020

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

Executive Branch:

• chief of state: President Droupadi MURMU (since 25 July 2022); Vice President Jagdeep DHANKHAR (since 11 August 2022)
• 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 for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 18 July 2022 (next to be held in July 2027); vice president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 5 August 2022 (next to be held in August 2027); following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by Lok Sabha members of the majority party
• 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% 2017: Ram Nath KOVIND elected president; percent of electoral college vote - Ram Nath KOVIND (BJP) 65.6%, Meira KUMAR (INC) 34.4%; Venkaiah NAIDU elected vice president; percent of electoral college vote - Venkaiah NAIDU (BJP) 67.9%, Gopal-krishna GANDHI 32.1%

Legislative Branch:

• Description: bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of: 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 with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years at various dates) 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: Council of States - last held by state and territorial assemblies at various dates in 2019 (in progress March through July 2022 to fill 70 expiry seats) House of the People - last held April-May 2019 in 7 phases (next to be held on 30 April 2024)
• Election Results: Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BJP 97, INC 34, AITC 13, DMK 10, other 2, independent 2;
• Composition: men 209, women 29, percent of women 13.8% House of the People - percent of vote by party - BJP 55.8%, INC 9.6%, AITC 4.4%, YSRCP 4.4%, DMK 4.2%, SS 3.3%, JDU 2.9%, BJD 2.2%, BSP 1.8%, TRS 1.7%, LJP 1.1%, NCP 0.9%, SP 0.9%, other 21.2%, independent 0.7%; seats by party - BJP 303, INC 52, DMK 24, AITC 22, YSRCP 22, SS 18, JDU 16, BJD 12, BSP 10, TRS 9, LJP 6, NCP 5, SP 5, other 35, independent 4, vacant 2;
• Composition: men 465, women 78, percent of women 14.3%;
• Note: total Parliament percent of women 11.3%
• Note: in late September 2023, both the Council of States and the House of the People passed a bill that reserves one-third of the House seats for women; implementation could begin for the House election in 2029

Judicial Branch:

• 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

Regions or States:

• Summary: 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: although its status is that of a union territory
• the official name of Delhi is National Capital Territory of Delhi

Political Parties and Leaders:

• Aam Aadmi Party or AAP [Arvind KEJRIWAL]
• All India Trinamool Congress or AITC [Mamata BANERJEE]
• Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]
• Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Jagat Prakash NADDA]
• Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]
• Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI(M) [Sitaram YECHURY]
• Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam [Muthuvel Karunanidhi STALIN]
• Indian National Congress or INC [Mallikarjun KHARGE]
• 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 [Sukhbir Singh BADAL]
• Shiv Sena or SS [Uddhav THACKERAY]
• Telegana Rashtra Samithi or TRS [K. Chandrashekar RAO]
• Telugu Desam Party or TDP [N. Chandrababu NAIDU]
• YSR Congress or YSRCP or YCP [Y.S. Jaganmohan REDDY]
• Note: India has dozens of national and regional political parties

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship Criteria:

• 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

Capital Name

New Delhi

Capital - geographic coordinate

28 36 N, 77 12 E

Capital Time Difference

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

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International Organization Participation:

• ADB
• AfDB (nonregional member)
• Arctic Council (observer)
• ARF
• ASEAN (dialogue partner)
• BIMSTEC
• BIS
• BRICS
• 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
• 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

Diplomatic Representation from US:

• Chief of Mission: Ambassador Eric M. GARCETTI (since 11 May 2023)
• Embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi - 110021
• Mailing Address: 9000 New Delhi Place, Washington DC 20521-9000
• Telephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000
• FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017
• Email: acsnd@state.gov
• Website: https://in.usembassy.gov/
• Consulate(s) General: Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

• Chief of Mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Sripriya RANGANATHAN (since 1 February 2024)
• Chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
• Telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000
• FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351
• Email: minca.washington@mea.gov.in
• Website: https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/
• Consulate(s) General: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco

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Geographic Location

Asia

Geographic Coordinates

20 00 N, 77 00 E

Total Area

1,269,212 Square Miles 3,287,263 Square Kilometers

Land Area

1,147,950 Square Miles 2,973,193 Square Kilometers

Water Area

121,262 Square Miles 314,070 Square Kilometers

Land Boundaries

8,763 Miles 14,103 Kilometers

Border Countries

Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km

Coastline

4,350 Miles 7,000 Kilometers

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Terrain

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

Highest Point

8,598 Meters

Highest Point Location

Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

Lowest Point Location

Indian Ocean 0 m

Natural Resources

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

Irrigated Land

256,116 Square Miles 663,340 Square Kilometers

Time Zone

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

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Climate

The climate in India ranges from Arctic-like conditions in the high Himalayas to blast-furnace heat in many parts of the country during the summer, and heavy monsoon downpours during the rainy season.

At other times, the weather can be mild and delightfully pleasant.

New Delhi has an altitude of 700 feet above sea level in north-central India.

The weather in the capital is most pleasant during the temperate months of October-November and February, periods characterized by cool nights and warm days.

Although the winter months of December and January are usually fairly temperate, then it can become surprisingly cold at night.

From April through mid-July daytime temperatures often top 110F.

The nights cool off somewhat but are still hot.

From mid-July to September, the occasional monsoon rains combine high humidity with high temperatures.

Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), India's financial capital, is a port on the Arabian Sea in the western state of Maharashtra.

On a map, Mumbai appears as a peninsula (actually two islands) off the west coast of India.

A great natural harbor provides 75 square miles of sheltered deep water.

Mumbai has a tropical climate with three distinct seasons.

The heat and high humidity of April, May, and October make life quite uncomfortable.

The monsoon season, June to September, brings a welcome relief although the humidity remains high.

An average of 77 inches of rain falls during the monsoon.

Late November through February is cooler, although the days are still hot and sunny.

Calcutta, the capital of the state of West Bengal, is situated on the Hooghly River about 80 miles north of the Bay of Bengal.

Because the city is built on near sea-level marshland, Calcutta and its suburbs suffer from poor drainage and periodic flooding - especially during the monsoon, June to October.

From November through February, temperatures are pleasant.

The heat begins in March, and occasional "nor'westers" bring welcome cool winds and rain from the Himalayas through May.

Then the overcast sky of the monsoon brings relief from the glare of the sun, even though the temperature remains high.

Chennai (formerly known as Madras), the capital of Tamil Nadu, lies on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, about 900 miles north of the Equator.

Chennai has a medium-sized artificial harbor and a wide sandy beach that extends for several hundred miles along the coast.

The surrounding countryside is a largely flat, coastal plain devoted to rice cultivation.

It is green and fertile during part of the year but dry and dusty during the rainless spring and early summer months.

The climate is tropical throughout the year.

December and January are relatively cool months.

The weather heats up drastically from March through June.

Unfortunately, as the temperature rises, so does the humidity.

Premonsoon rains bring slight relief in July/August, and the temperatures decrease slowly until the cooler season returns in November.

During the hottest months, sea breezes occasionally lessen the discomfort.

Chennai averages 48 inches of rain annually, although droughts occur when the monsoon fails.

The most rain falls from October through December, but frequent showers can occur from May to September.

Occasionally, cyclones strike the coast.

Terrain

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

Location

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

Total Area

1,269,212 Square Miles 3,287,263 Square Kilometers

Border Countries

Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km

Environment - Current Issues

• 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
• the huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources

Environment - International Agreements

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

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Exports

$309,100,000,000 (USD)

Imports

$500,300,000,000 (USD)

Major Exports

Petroleum products, precious stones, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, vehicles, apparel

Major Imports

Crude oil, precious stones, machinery, fertilizer, iron and steel, chemicals

Top Export Partners

UAE 12.7%, United States 10.8%, China 6.2%, Singapore 5.3%, Hong Kong 4.1%

Top Import Partners

China 11.9%, UAE 7.7%, Switzerland 6.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.1%, United States 4.9%

Export Partners

UAE 12.7%, United States 10.8%, China 6.2%, Singapore 5.3%, Hong Kong 4.1%

Import Partners

China 11.9%, UAE 7.7%, Switzerland 6.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.1%, United States 4.9%

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Country Description

India, the world's largest democracy, has a very diverse population, geography, and climate.

India is the world's second most populous country, as well as the seventh largest in area.

Tourist facilities offer varying degrees of comfort.

Amenities are widely available in large cities and tourist areas.

Safety & Security

India continues to experience terrorist and insurgent activities that may affect U.S. citizens directly or indirectly.

Anti-Western terrorist groups, some on the U.S. government's list of foreign terrorist organizations, are active in India, including Islamist extremist groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami, Harakat ul-Mujahidin, Indian Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkar-e Tayyiba.

The U.S. government occasionally receives information regarding possible terrorist attacks that could take place in India, monitors such information to determine credibility, and advises U.S. citizens accordingly.

Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive messages from the Embassy automatically.

Past attacks have targeted public places, including some frequented by Westerners, such as luxury and other hotels, trains, train stations, markets, cinemas, mosques, and restaurants in large urban areas.

Attacks have taken place during the busy evening hours in markets and other crowded places but could occur at any time.

Recent incidents include a series of explosions at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya on July 7, 2013, that caused damage to the temple complex; an explosion on April 17, 2013, in Bangalore in which sixteen people were reported to have been injured; twin bombings near a bus stop and commercial area in Hyderabad on February 21, 2013, that killed 17 and injured 119 bystanders; the February 13, 2012 bombing of an Israeli diplomatic vehicle near the diplomatic enclave in New Delhi that injured four persons; the September 7, 2011 bomb blast at New Delhi’s High Court that killed 12 people; and the July 13, 2011 bombings in crowded areas in Mumbai, where three separate explosions killed 21 people and injured more than 100.

The Maoists (also known as “Naxalites”) are the most active insurgent group in India.

The Naxalites typically attack Indian government officials but have also derailed trains, targeted other government buildings such as police stations, and kidnapped foreigners.

They operate mostly in the more remote areas of the country.

U.S. citizens should always practice good security.

Be aware of your surroundings and keep a low profile.

Monitor local news reports, vary your routes and times in carrying out daily activities, and consider the level of security present when you visit public places - including religious sites - and choosing hotels, restaurants, and entertainment and recreation venues.

Beyond the threat from terrorism and insurgencies, demonstrations and general strikes, or “bandh,” often cause major inconvenience.

These strikes can result in the stoppage of all transportation and tourist related services, at times for 24 hours or more.

U.S. citizens caught in such a strike may find they are unable to make flight and rail connections, as local transportation can be severely limited.

Local media generally give an idea of the length and extent of the strike.

Large religious gatherings that attract hundreds of thousands of people can result in dangerous and often life-threatening stampedes.

Local demonstrations can begin spontaneously and escalate with little warning, disrupting transportation systems and city services and posing risks to travelers.

In response to such events, Indian authorities occasionally impose curfews and/or restrict travel.

You are urged to obey such curfews and travel restrictions and to avoid demonstrations and rallies as they have the potential for violence, especially immediately preceding and following elections and religious festivals (particularly when Hindu and Muslim festivals coincide).

Tensions between castes and religious groups can also result in disruptions and violence.

In some cases, demonstrators specifically block roads near popular tourist sites and disrupt train operations in order to gain the attention of Indian authorities; occasionally vehicles transporting tourists are attacked in these incidents.

India generally goes on “High Alert” status prior to ma

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Crime

• Assault: Travelers should be aware that there have been reported cases of sexual assault, including rape, of U.S. citizens traveling throughout India. U.S. citizens, particularly women, are cautioned not to travel alone in India. Western women, especially those of African descent, continue to report incidents of verbal and physical harassment by groups of men. Known locally as “Eve-teasing,” these incidents of sexual harassment can be quite frightening. Sexual harassment can occur anytime or anywhere, but most frequently has happened in crowded areas such as in marketplaces, train stations, buses, and public streets. The harassment can range from sexually suggestive or lewd comments to catcalls to outright groping. If you are a woman traveling in India, you are advised to respect local dress and customs. While reported incidences of sexual assault have been isolated, Indian authorities report rape as one of the fastest-growing crimes in India. Among large cities, Delhi experienced the highest number of crimes against women. Although most victims have been local residents, recent sexual attacks against female visitors in tourist areas underline the fact that foreign women are at risk and should exercise vigilance. Women should observe stringent security precautions, including avoiding the use of public transport after dark without the company of known and trustworthy companions, restricting evening entertainment to well-known venues, and avoiding isolated areas when alone at any time of day. If you are a woman traveling in India, you are advised to respect conservative local dress and customs. Keep your hotel room number confidential and make sure hotel room doors have chains, deadlocks, and spy holes. In addition, only hire reliable cars and drivers and avoid traveling alone in hired taxis, especially at night. Use taxis from hotels and pre-paid taxis at airports rather than hailing them on the street. If you encounter threatening situations, call “100” for police assistance (“112” from mobile phones).
• Scams: Major airports, train stations, popular restaurants, and tourist sites are often used by scam artists looking to prey on visitors, often by creating a distraction. Beware of taxi drivers and others, including train porters, who solicit travelers with "come-on" offers of cheap transportation and/or hotels. Travelers accepting such offers have frequently found themselves the victims of scams, including offers to assist with "necessary" transfers to the domestic airport, disproportionately expensive hotel rooms, unwanted "tours," unwelcome "purchases," extended cab rides, substandard hotel rooms at overly expensive rates and even threats when the tourists decline to pay. There have been reports of tourists being lured, held hostage, and extorted for money in the face of threats of violence against the traveler and his/her family

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in another country, you are subject to its laws even though you are a U.S. citizen.

Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own.

In some places, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you.

In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings.

In some places, driving under the influence of alcohol could land you immediately in jail.

These criminal penalties will vary from country to country.

If you do something illegal in your host country, your U.S. passport won’t help.

It is very important to know what is legal and what is not where you are going.

It is also important to note that there are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States.

For example, you can be prosecuted in the United States if you buy pirated goods, engage in sexual conduct with children, or use or disseminate child pornography in a foreign country even if those activities are not illegal in that country.

Each of India’s states has independent regulations concerning alcohol purchase and consumption.

Legal drinking ages range from 18 to 25 and can vary by beverage type.

Some states permit alcohol use for medicinal purposes only, others require you to hold a permit to buy, transport, or consume alcohol.

Penalties for violation can be harsh, so travelers are advised to check with Indian authorities in the states they plan to visit.

While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested, that might not always be the case.

To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.

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%; note - English enjoys the status of subsidiary official language but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; there are 22 other officially recognized languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language

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Medical Facilities

The quality of medical care in India varies considerably.

Medical care in the major population centers approaches and occasionally meets Western standards, but adequate medical care is usually very limited or unavailable in rural areas.

If you are arriving in India from Sub-Saharan Africa or other yellow-fever areas, Indian health regulations require that you present evidence of vaccination against yellow fever.

If you do not have such proof, you could be subjected to immediate deportation or a six-day detention in the yellow-fever quarantine center.

If you transit through any part of sub-Saharan Africa, even for one day, you are advised to carry proof of yellow fever immunization.

Good information on vaccinations and other health precautions are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or by calling the hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747).

Some vaccines such as Typhoid, Influenza, and Hepatitis A are recommended for all travelers, and other vaccines such as Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis, and Rabies are recommended for high-risk travelers.

A high risk of rabies transmission exists in most of India with dogs and bats posing the most common threat.

Vaccination is recommended for all prolonged stays with a priority for young children and travelers in rural areas.

It is also recommended for shorter stays that involve occupational exposure; locations more than 24 hours' travel from a reliable source of human rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine for post-exposure treatment; adventure travelers, hikers, cave explorers, and backpackers.

Monkeys also can transmit rabies and herpes B, among other diseases, to human victims.

Avoid feeding monkeys.

If bitten, you should immediately soak and scrub the bite for at least 15 minutes and seek urgent medical attention.

Influenza is transmitted from November to April in areas north of the Tropic of Cancer, and from June through November (the rainy season) in areas south of the Tropic of Cancer, with a smaller peak from February through April; off-season transmission can also occur.

All travelers are at increased risk.

The influenza vaccine is recommended for all travelers during the flu season.

Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (H5N1 virus) occur intermittently in eastern India, including West Bengal, Manipur, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, and Assam.

For further information on avian influenza (bird flu), please refer to the Department of State's Avian Influenza Fact Sheet.

Malaria prophylaxis depends on the time of year and area the traveler is visiting.

Please consult the CDC website for more information.

Dengue fever presents a significant risk in urban and rural areas.

The highest number of cases is reported from July to December, with cases peaking from September to October.

Daytime insect precautions are recommended.

For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information.

These websites provide useful information, such as suggested vaccinations for visitors to India, safe food and water precautions, appropriate measures to avoid contraction of mosquito-borne diseases (such as malaria and Japanese B encephalitis), suggestions to avoid altitude sickness, etc.

Further, these sites provide information on disease outbreaks that may arise from time to time.

Outbreaks of mosquito-borne viral diseases such as dengue fever and chikungunya occur in various parts of India each year.

You should check these sites shortly before traveling to India.

Further health information for travelers is available from the WHO.

Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health concern in India.

For further information, please consult the CDC’s Travel Notice on TB.

For emergency services, dial 112 from a cell phone; from a landline, dial 100 for police, 102 for an ambulance (108 in

Traffic Safety

• Numbers: The following emergency numbers work in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and
• Kolkata: Police 100 Fire Brigade 101 Ambulance 102

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Airports - total

346

Airports with Paved Runways

253

Heliports

45

Railways

39,752 Miles 63,974 Kilometers

Roadways- total

2,914,132 Miles 4,689,842 Kilometers

Waterways

9,010 Miles 14,500 Kilometers

Ports and Terminals

Chennai, Jawaharal Nehru Port, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Sikka, Vishakhapatnam

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Pipelines: Condensate

6 Miles 9 Kilometers

Pipelines: Gas

8,439 Miles 13,581 Kilometers

Pipelines: Liquid Petroleum Gas

1,276 Miles 2,054 Kilometers

Pipelines: Oil

5,557 Miles 8,943 Kilometers

Pipelines: Oil/Gas/Water

12 Miles 20 Kilometers

Pipelines: Refined Products

6,878 Miles 11,069 Kilometers

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Telephones

32,685,000

Cell Phones

893,862,000

Internet Users

61,338,000

Internet Country Code

.in

Internet Hosts

6,746,000

Broadcast Media

• 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
• by 2011, more than 100 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

Telephone System

• 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; the total telephone subscribership base exceeded 900 million in 2011, an overall teledensity of roughly 75%, and subscribership is currently growing more than 20 million per month; urban teledensity now exceeds 100% and rural teledensity is steadily growing
• Domestic: mobile cellular service was 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 was 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

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Electricity Consumption- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

637,600,000,000

Electricity Exports- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

519,000,000

Electricity Imports- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

10,530,000,000

Electricity Production- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

880,000,000,000

Natural Gas Consumption - Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

64,490,000,000

Natural Gas Imports- Cubic Meters (cu m)

16,390,000,000

Natural Gas Production- Cubic Meters (cu m)

40,380,000,000

Natural Gas Reserves- Cubic Meters (cu m)

1,241,000,000,000

Oil Consumption- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

3,292,000

Oil Imports- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

3,272,000

Oil Production- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

897,300

Oil Reserves- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

5,476,000,000

Anthem Lyrics

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata Punjab-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha Dravida-Utkala-Banga Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga Uchchala-Jaldhi-taranga Tava shubha name jage Tava shubha ashish mange Gahe tava jaya-gatha Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

Anthem Lyrics English

Thou art the rulers of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny.

Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha, Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganga and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.

They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.

The saving of all people waits in thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny, Victory, victory, victory to thee.