India at a Glance

Located in South Asia, India is the seventh largest, and the second most populous country in the world. Home to the Indus Valley civilisation and known for its historic trade routes and vast empires, India is recognised for its commercial and cultural wealth. It is the centre of amalgamation of many religions and ethnicities which have shaped the country's diverse culture. Colonised by the United Kingdom from early eighteenth century, India became a modern nation state in 1947, after a struggle for independence that was remarkable for its largely non-violent resistance and is the most populous democracy in the world today. Location: South Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Mynamar and Pakistan. Geographic Coordinates: 20 00 N, 77 00 E Border Countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Coastline: 7,516.6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Climate: Mainly tropical in southern India but temperatures in the north range from sub-zero degrees to 50 degrees celsius. There are well-defined seasons in the northern region: winter (Dec - Feb), Spring (Mar - Apr), Summer (May - Jun), Monsoons (Jul - Sep) and Autumn (Oct - Nov). Area: total: 3,287,263 sq km Land: 2,973,193 sq km Water: 314,070 sq km

Natural Resources: coal (fourth largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land. Land Use: arable land: 48.83 per cent Irrigated Land: 60.2 million hectares (2005-06) Political Profile Political System and Government: The 1950 Constitution provides for a parliamentary system of Government with a bicameral parliament and three independent branches: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The country has a federal structure with elected governments in States. Administrative Divisions: 28 States and 7 Union Territories Constitution: The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950

Executive Branch: The President of India is the Head of State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of the government and runs office with the support of the Council of Ministers who form the Cabinet. Legislative Branch: The Federal Legislature comprises of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) forming both the Houses of the Parliament. Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian legal system, followed by other High Courts and subordinate Courts. Chief of State: President Mrs Pratibha Patil (since 25 July 2007) Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh (since 22 May 2009) Demographic profile Population: 1,173,108,018 (July 2010 est.) Population Growth Rate: 1.376 per cent (2010 est.) Ethnic Groups: Indo-Aryan 72 per cent, Dravidian 25 per cent, Mongoloid and other 3 per cent (2000) Religions: Hindu 80.5 per cent, Muslim 13.4 per cent, Christian 2.3 per cent, Sikh 1.9 per cent, other 1.8 per cent, unspecified 0.1 per cent (2001 census) Languages: Apart from Hindi, which is the Official Union Language and mother tongue of 30 per cent of the people, there are 21 other official languages. English is the preferred language for national, political, and commercial communication. Literacy: Total population: 64.8 per cent (2001 census) Male: 75.3 per cent Female: 53.7 per cent Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Economic Profile Indian Economy Per capita income (average income) of Indians has grown by 10.5 per cent to US$ 947.21 in 2009-10 as against US$ 857.43 in 2008-09, at the current price. In its recent review, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has estimated India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to expand at an impressive 9.2 per cent in 2010-11 and further 8.8 per cent in 2011-12. Per capita income in real terms (at 2004-05 prices) is predicted to have increased by 6.7 per cent to US$ 794.5 in 2010-11 compared to the previous fiscal’s US$ 744.4. At current prices, per capita income is estimated at US$ 1203.3 in 2010-11, registering an increase of 17.3 per cent from US$ 1025.97 in 2009-10. The industrial output registered a robust growth of 8.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in April-December 2010-11. Among the three major constituents of the IIP, mining and manufacturing recorded higher growth rates of 7.7 per cent and 9.1 per cent during the period. The third constituent electricity index registered 4.7 per cent in April-December 2010-11.

• GDP Composition by Sector in 2009-10 (RBI estimate):
• Services: 56.9 per cent
• Industry: 28.5 per cent
• Agriculture: 14.6 per cent
• Forex Reserves (2009-10): US$ 277 billion
• Labour Force: 467 million (2009 est.)
• Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) at current prices: 32.4 per cent of GDP at market prices (April 2009-March 2010)
• Industrial output in April-December 2010: 10.8 per cent
• Cumulative Value of Exports: US$ 184.63 billion (April 2010-January 2011)
• Exports Commodities: Petroleum products, precious stones, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, vehicles, apparel
• Export Partners: US 11.12 per cent, UAE 13.55 per cent, China 5.30 per cent, Singapore 4.41 per cent, Hong Kong 4.54 per cent (Apr-Sep 2010 P)
• Currency (code): Indian rupee (INR)
• Exchange Rates: Indian rupees per US dollar - 1 USD = 44.67 INR (March 25, 2011)
• Fiscal Year: 1 April - 31 March
• Cumulative FDI Inflows: US$ 17,081 million (April 2010-January 2011)
• Share of Top Investing Countries FDI Equity Inflows: Mauritius, Singapore, US, UK, Netherlands, Japan and Cyprus (as on January 2011)

Major Sectors Attracting Highest FDI Equity Inflows: Services Sector, Computer Software & Hardware, Telecommunications, Housing and Real Estate, Construction Activities, Automobile (as on January 2011)

• Transportation in India
• Airports: 454
• International Airports: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram
• Railways: total: total: 64,000 route km (January 2011)
• Roadways: total: total: 4.2 million km
• Waterways: 14,500 km (2008)
• Major Ports of Entry: Chennai, Ennore, Haldia, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Kolkata, Kandla, Kochi, Mormugao, Mumbai, New Mangalore, Paradip, Tuticorin and Vishakhapatnam.