About India.

The name of the country is The Republic of India.

The area is about 2.98 million square kilometers (excluding the Indian-occupied areas on the Sino-Indian border and the actual Indian-controlled areas in Kashmir). The Indian government claims that it is 3.2878 million square kilometers. It ranks seventh in the world by area.

Population is 1.112 billion (2006), ranking second in the world. There are ten major ethnic groups and dozens of small ethnic groups, including 46.3% Hindustani, 8.6% Telugu, 7.7% Bengali, 7.6% Maratha, 7.4% Tamil, and 4.6% Gujarati %, Kannada 3.9%, Malayalam 3.9%, Oriya 3.8% and Punjabi 2.3%. The official languages ??are English and Hindi. About 80.5% of the residents believe in Hinduism, and other religions include Islam (13.4%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.9%), Buddhism (0.8%) and Jainism (0.4%).

The capital is New Delhi (New Delhi), with a population of 13.851 million (2001).

Head of State President Pratibha Patil. Taking office on July 25, 2007.

Important holidays ***Republic Day: January 26. On January 26, 1950, the Indian Parliament passed the Constitution of the Republic of India, and India became a republic. Independence Day: August 15. On August 15, 1947, the Indian people gained independence from British colonial rule. Holi: It is one of the four major Hindu festivals in March and April of the Gregorian calendar every year. This festival is also known as the Spring Festival as the crops in the spring harvest season in India are about to be harvested and winter turns to spring. Festival of Lights (Divali): It is the biggest festival for Hindus in October and November of the Gregorian calendar and is celebrated across the country for three days.

Brief Profile The largest country in the South Asian subcontinent. It borders China, Nepal, and Bhutan in the northeast, Bangladesh is sandwiched in the northeast, Myanmar is adjacent to the east, Sri Lanka is across the sea in the southeast, and Pakistan borders Pakistan in the northwest. It borders the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west, with a coastline of 5,560 kilometers. It generally has a tropical monsoon climate, and the year is divided into three seasons: cool season (October to March), summer season (April to June) and rainy season (July to September). Rainfall fluctuates and is unevenly distributed. The time difference with China is -2.5 hours.

One of the four ancient civilizations in the world. The Indus Valley Civilization was created between 2500 and 1500 BC. Around 1500 BC, a group of Aryans who originally lived in Central Asia entered the South Asian subcontinent, conquered the local indigenous people, established some small slave countries, established the caste system, and Brahmanism rose. The Mauryan Dynasty that emerged in the 4th century BC unified India. During the reign of King Asoka in the 3rd century BC, the territory was vast and the political power was powerful. Buddhism flourished and began to spread outwards. It perished in the 2nd century BC and the small country was divided. The Gupta dynasty was established in the 4th century AD and later became a centralized power that ruled for more than 200 years. In the Middle Ages, small states were established and Hinduism emerged. In 1398, the Turkic Mongols invaded India from Central Asia. The Mughal Empire was established in 1526 and became one of the world powers at that time. In 1600, the British invaded and established the East India Company. In 1757, India became a British colony, and in 1849, the entire territory was occupied by the British. The anti-British uprising broke out in 1857, and the British government directly ruled India the following year. In June 1947, Britain passed the "Mountbatten Plan" and divided India into two autonomous dominions: India and Pakistan. On August 15 of the same year, India and Pakistan were partitioned and India became independent. On January 26, 1950, the Republic of India was established as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Politics India has been ruled by the Congress Party for a long time after independence. The opposition party briefly came to power twice from 1977 to 1979 and from 1989 to 1991. India's political situation became unstable after 1996. By 1999, three general elections had been held, and five governments had been produced. From 1999 to 2004, the 24-party National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, with Vajpayee as prime minister.

From April 20 to May 10, 2004, India held the 14th People’s House election. The United Progressive Alliance, led by the Congress Party, won the first number of seats, and the Congress Party received priority in forming a cabinet. On May 15, Congress Party Chairman Sonia Gandhi was elected as the leader of the Congress Party's parliamentary group. On the 19th, Manmohan Singh was elected Prime Minister. On the 22nd, the new government was formally established. The United and Progressive Alliance government internally emphasized safeguarding the rights and interests of disadvantaged groups in society in accordance with the "Minimum Social Platforms"; promoted humane economic reforms; emphasized social harmony and balanced regional development; and improved education and health investment. Externally, it emphasizes diplomatic independence; it emphasizes peripheral diplomacy and gives priority to the development of relations with neighboring countries; it attaches great importance to major country diplomacy and pays attention to the development of relations with major countries.

Constitution The Constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950. It stipulates that India is a federal country, a sovereign, socialist, secular democratic republic, and adopts a British-style parliamentary democracy. Citizens are equal before the law regardless of race, gender, origin, religious belief and place of birth.

Economy The economy has developed greatly after independence. Agriculture has gone from severe food shortage to basic self-sufficiency, and industry has formed a relatively complete system with strong self-sufficiency. Since the 1990s, the service industry has developed rapidly, and its proportion in GDP has increased year by year. India has become an important exporter of global software, financial and other service industries.

India began to implement comprehensive economic reforms in July 1991, relaxing controls on industry, foreign trade and the financial sector. From 1992 to 1996, the economy achieved an average annual growth rate of 6.2%. During the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997 to 2002), the economy grew at an average annual rate of 5.5%. The second phase of economic reform was implemented in 1999. In 2001, the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" (2002-2007) was launched to deepen the second stage of economic reform, accelerate the privatization of state-owned enterprises, liberalize the sales of some daily necessities including agricultural products, improve the investment environment, and streamline government agencies. , reduce the fiscal deficit.

During the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, GDP grew by 3.8%, 8.5%, 7.5%, 9.4%, and 9.6% respectively, with an average annual growth rate of 7.8%, which was higher than the 5.5% in the "Ninth Five-Year Plan". One of the fastest growing countries in the world. Growth in fiscal year 2007/2008 is expected to be 9.0%. National income, fiscal balance and infrastructure construction have all improved. However, agricultural growth is slow and inflationary pressure is increasing. The main economic data are as follows:

Gross domestic product: 46.93602 trillion rupees (fiscal year 2007/2008), approximately US$1.16 trillion.

Per capita GDP: US$1,021 (fiscal year 2007/2008).

Gross domestic product growth rate: 9.0% (fiscal year 2007/2008).

Currency name: Indian Rupee (Rupee).

Exchange rate (November 2008): 1 US dollar = 49.01 rupees.

Inflation rate: 8% (November 2008).

Unemployment rate: 8.3% (fiscal year 2004/2005).

(Data source: Indian Government’s November 2008 Monthly Economic Report)

Resources: Rich in resources, there are nearly 100 kinds of mineral deposits. The output of mica ranks first in the world, and the output of coal and barite ranks third in the world. As of 2000, the recoverable reserves of the main resources were estimated to be: 253.301 billion tons of coal, 13.46 billion tons of iron ore, 2.462 billion tons of bauxite, 97 million tons of chromite, 167 million tons of manganese ore, 9.7 million tons of zinc, and 529.7 million tons of copper. million tons, 2.381 million tons of lead, 75.679 billion tons of limestone, 142 million tons of phosphate, 68 tons of gold, 756 million tons of oil, and 1.075 billion cubic meters of natural gas. In addition, there are gypsum, diamond and titanium, thorium, uranium, etc. The forest covers 678,300 square kilometers, with a coverage rate of 20.64%.

Industry Major industries include textiles, food processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, steel, cement, mining, petroleum and machinery. Emerging industries such as automobiles, electronics manufacturing, aviation and space have developed rapidly in recent years. During the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, the industry grew by 5.7%, 7.0%, 8.4%, 8.2%, and 11.6% respectively. From April to November 2008, industry growth was 4.1% year-on-year. The output of major industrial products in recent years is as follows (unit: 10,000 tons):

(Data source: Indian Government 2007/2008 Annual Economic Overview, Indian Government November 2008 Monthly Economic Report)

Agriculture has one-tenth of the world's arable land, covering an area of ??about 160 million hectares, with an average of 0.17 hectares per capita. It is one of the largest food producers in the world. The rural population accounts for 72% of the total population. Due to factors such as lack of investment and unreasonable use of chemical fertilizers, agricultural development has been slow in recent years. During the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, the agricultural growth rates were -7.2%, 10.0%, 0.0%, 5.9%, and 3.8% respectively, with an average annual growth rate of 2.5%. Growth in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008/2009 was 2.7%. The output of major agricultural and sideline products in recent years is as follows (unit: million tons):

Service industry From 1993 to 2006, India’s service industry achieved rapid development, with an increase rate between 5.7% and 10.5%. Become the world's sixth largest service exporter. In the 2007/2008 fiscal year, the service industry grew by 10.8%, accounting for 55.6% of GDP. Among them, the transportation and communication industry and the construction industry have developed particularly rapidly, with average annual growth rates of 15.3% and 12.9% respectively during the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, and growth rates of 16.6% and 12% in the 2006/2007 fiscal year. During the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, the financial services industry grew by 8.0%, 5.6%, 8.7%, 11.4% and 13.9% respectively, with an average annual growth of 9.5%.

Tourism Tourism is a key development industry of the Indian government and an important employment sector, providing more than 20 million jobs. The number of inbound tourists has increased year by year in recent years, and tourism revenue has continued to increase. In the fiscal year 2005/2006, there were 4.053 million foreign tourists, an increase of 12.5%, and foreign exchange earnings of US$5.931 billion. In the fiscal year 2006/2007, there were 4.63 million foreign tourists, an increase of 13%, and foreign exchange earnings of US$9.696 billion. The main tourist spots are Agra, Delhi, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Nalanda, Mysore, Goa, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, etc.

Transportation Railway is the largest state-owned sector and has one of the largest railway networks in the world. Road transportation has developed rapidly and is responsible for 70% of the country's freight volume and 85% of its passenger volume. It is one of the largest road networks in the world. Shipping capacity ranks 18th in the world.

Railway: Total length is 63,300 kilometers (in fiscal year 2006/2007), of which 17,800 kilometers are electrified railways, accounting for 28% of the total length of railways. The annual passenger volume is 6.219 billion, and the freight volume is 483.4 billion ton-kilometers.

Highways: 3.34 million kilometers in total length (early 2006), including 66,000 kilometers of national highways, accounting for 2% of the total length, responsible for 40% of the total transportation volume, and 130,000 kilometers of state-level highways. There were 85.896 million motor vehicles (in fiscal year 2006/2007), including 934,000 passenger cars and 4.782 million trucks. Road transport revenue is Rs 49,991 crore for the center and Rs 21,689 crore for the states.

Water transport: 12 major ports, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai (formerly known as Madras), Cochin, Goa, etc., responsible for 3/4 of the freight volume. Mumbai is the largest port, with 1/5 of sea freight and 1/2 of container transportation passing through this port. 200 small and medium-sized ports. The total length of inland navigable rivers is 14,000 kilometers, but less than 30% is actually used. There are 83 shipping companies, 19 of which are responsible for ocean transportation, 49 are responsible for short-sea transportation, and the rest are both. In the fiscal year 2006/2007, the total cargo volume of the port was 650 million tons.

Air transportation: There are 14 airlines operating scheduled flights, including Air India International, Air India, etc., with 334 aircraft. There are 65 air transport companies specializing in non-scheduled flights, with 201 aircraft. Routes reach major cities on all continents. There are 5 international airports, located in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Trivandrum. There are 92 domestic airports. During the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, the shipping industry developed rapidly. From 2004 to 2007, the number of passengers doubled. From fiscal year 2003/2004 to fiscal year 2006/2007, freight volume increased by 45%.

Finance and finance The central and local finances are separated, and the budget is divided into federal and state levels. The fiscal year is from April 1 of each year to March 31 of the following year. Over the years, deficit budgets have been implemented to stimulate economic development, and central and state-level debt has accumulated to 80% of GDP. During the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, the central government's fiscal revenue increased by an average of 16.2% annually, of which tax revenue increased by an average of 20.7% annually. In the 2006/2007 fiscal year, the central fiscal deficit was 1,425.73 billion rupees (approximately US$34 billion), accounting for 3.4% of GDP. In fiscal year 2007/2008, the central fiscal deficit is expected to be 1,509.48 billion rupees (approximately US$36 billion), accounting for approximately 3.2% of GDP. The inflation rate is controlled below 5%.

As of the end of March 2007, the external debt was US$169.629 billion, of which long-term external debt was US$143.390 billion and short-term external debt was US$26.239 billion. As of February 8, 2008, foreign exchange reserves were approximately US$290.8 billion.

(Source: Government of India 2007/2008 Annual Economic Overview)

Foreign trade In recent years, imports have surged, exports have grown slowly, and trade deficits have expanded, becoming the main reason for the imbalance in the international balance of payments. reason. The foreign trade situation in recent years is as follows:

(Unit: 100 million US dollars)

The main export commodities are: 68.6% of finished products, mainly including textiles, jewelry, machinery products, chemical products, Leather, handicrafts, etc.; primary products 15.1%, mainly including agricultural products and mineral products; petroleum products 15%, mainly including refined oil, crude oil and petroleum products. The main imported commodities are: petroleum products 30.8%, electronic products 8.6%, gold and silver 7.9%, machinery 7.5%, and chemical products 5.2%. The United States is the largest trading partner. China ranks second. Other major trading partners include Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Iran, Japan, Hong Kong, etc.

(Data source: Indian Government's 2007/2008 Annual Economic Overview, Indian Government's November 2008 Monthly Economic Report)

Foreign Capital has actively introduced foreign capital since 1991. From August 1991 to March 2007, foreign direct investment attracted a total of 2,320.41 billion rupees (approximately US$54.628 billion). From April to November 2007, foreign investment amounted to 450.98 billion rupees (approximately US$11.14 billion), a year-on-year increase of 36%. Mauritius is the largest source of investment. From April 2000 to November 2007, the countries with the largest cumulative investment in India were: Mauritius (44.24%), the United States (9.37%), the United Kingdom (7.98%), and the Netherlands (5.84%). Industries that attract more foreign investment Including financial services, computer software and hardware, communications, construction, automobiles, real estate, energy and chemical industry, etc. In the first seven months of fiscal year 2008/2009, India attracted US$18.7 billion in foreign direct investment. The countries that invested the most in India were Mauritius (44%), Singapore (8%), the United States (8%), the United Kingdom (7%), the Netherlands (5%) and Japan (3%).

Foreign Aid India is one of the major recipients of aid in the world.

In the 2006/2007 fiscal year, the total foreign aid amounted to 194.190 billion rupees (4.5045 billion U.S. dollars), including 168.906 billion rupees in loans (3.918 billion U.S. dollars) and 25.284 billion rupees in grants (586.5 million U.S. dollars).

People's Life According to statistics released by the National Planning Commission of India in March 2007, there are 240 million poor people in the country (the monthly income of urban residents is less than 6.78 US dollars, and that of rural residents is less than 6.32 US dollars). The birth rate is 23.5‰ (2006), and the death rate is 7.5‰. The newborn mortality rate is 57‰. The average life expectancy is 63.2 years (2001 to 2005). There were 32,156 hospitals and clinics (January 2006), 171,567 suburban, basic and community health centers (March 2006), 660,801 doctors (2005), and 1,481,270 nurses. (2005). By the end of 2007, there were 272.88 million telephones (including mobile phones), with a penetration rate of 23.9%, of which 60.04% were in urban areas and 7.9% were in rural areas.

(Source: Indian Government's 2007/2008 Annual Economic Overview)

Military The Indian army was formerly a mercenary army of British colonialists. After the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, separate three armies were established. An independent Coast Guard was created in 1978. The president is the nominal commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the cabinet is the highest military decision-making body. The Department of Defense is responsible for the command, management and coordination of the force. Each service headquarters is responsible for formulating and implementing combat plans and directing combat operations. Current Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor, Chief of Air Staff General Fali Homi Major, Chief of Naval Staff General Arjun Prakash ). Implement a recruitment system. The total strength of the army, navy and air force is 1.27 million, ranking fourth in the world. Among them, the army has 1.035 million, the navy has 70,000, and the air force has 170,000. There are also more than 500,000 reservists and more than 1 million paramilitary troops.

In the 2007/2008 fiscal year, the defense budget was 960 billion rupees (approximately US$24 billion), accounting for approximately 2% of GDP, a year-on-year increase of 10%.

Culture and Education Education A 12-year consistent system of primary and secondary education is implemented. Higher education lasts for 8 years, including a 3-year bachelor's program, a 2-year master's program and a 3-year doctoral program. It also includes various types of vocational and technical education, adult education and other non-formal education. In the fiscal year 2004/2005, there were 767,520 primary schools, 274,731 junior high schools, 152,049 high schools, and 19,403 colleges and universities and research institutions (in the fiscal year 2005/2006), including 350 comprehensive universities, the famous ones including University of Delhi and Neh Lu University, Calcutta University, etc. According to UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report, from 1990 to 2004, the literacy rate of India's population increased from 49.4% to 61%, but there are still 270 million illiterate people over the age of 15, ranking first in the world. In the fiscal year 2004/2005, the enrollment rate of Indian children aged 6 to 14 was 93.54%, of which 96.91% were boys and 89.87% were girls.

(Source: Government of India 2007/2008 Annual Economic Overview)

Press and Publishing Most printed newspapers and periodicals are owned by private individuals and consortiums. By the end of 1993, there were 33,612 newspapers and periodicals in 96 languages ??in China, with a total circulation of 67.611 million copies. Hindi and English newspapers and periodicals accounted for 37% and 16% of the total respectively. The three largest daily newspapers are "Times of India", "Malayalam Entertainment News" and "Gujarat News". The main Hindi newspapers include "Punjab Lion", "Today's Daily", "Hindustan" and so on. The major English-language newspapers include "Hindustan Times", "The Statesman", "The Hindu", "The Indian Express", etc.

The main news agencies and news agencies are: (1) Press Release Department: equivalent to the government's central news agency, with more than 1,100 domestic and more than 180 foreign correspondents, and a telex network covering all parts of the country, providing more than 8,000 Supplied by news organizations. There are 8 regional head offices and 27 branches. (2) Press Trust of India: India’s largest news agency, semi-official. Founded in August 1947, it later merged with the United News Service of India and Reuters India Branch, and opened on New Year's Day in 1949. It now has 136 domestic bureaus and 11 overseas bureaus, with more than 1,000 employees and more than 30 overseas reporters. The daily publication volume in English exceeds 100,000 words. Correspondents stationed in Beijing. (3) United News Agency of India: The second largest news agency in India, it is a joint-stock enterprise of newspaper colleagues. Registered and established in 1959. There are more than 100 branches now. It currently provides news services to four Gulf countries, Singapore and Mauritius, has branches in Dubai, Washington and Singapore, and dispatches reporters to 22 countries. (4) Hindustan News Agency: Privately owned, it mainly compiles and distributes news in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and Nepali.

All India Radio is affiliated to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government, and its broadcast network covers 99.1% of the country's population. Internally, 24 languages ??and 146 dialects are used for broadcasting. External broadcasts are broadcast in 27 languages.

All India Television started pilot broadcasting in September 1959. In 1976, it separated from All India Radio and became an independent organization. It is affiliated to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and is one of the largest television networks in the world. As of March 2005, there were 56 TV stations and 23 satellite channels nationwide. The television network covers 77.5% of the country's land area and 89.6% of its population.

External Relations India is one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, and successive governments have emphasized that non-alignment is the basis of its foreign policy. India strives to develop relations with all countries and strives to play an important role in regional and international affairs. After the end of the Cold War, the Indian government adjusted its long-standing major power policy in favor of the Soviet Union, implemented all-round pragmatic diplomacy, and created a lasting peaceful and stable regional environment conducive to its own development.

India advocates the establishment of a new international political order that is fair and reasonable, takes into account the interests of all countries and is acceptable to all, based on the Five Principles of Peace and Security and the purposes and principles of the United Nations, and requires further strengthening South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue call on all countries to jointly create a fair and reasonable new international economic order that is conducive to the development of the third world. It is recommended to expand the Security Council to democratize decision-making and improve work efficiency. Actively participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations. In 1992, during the UN General Assembly, it formally proposed to the General Assembly its request to become a permanent member of the Security Council. In 2005, India, Japan, Brazil and Germany formed the "Group of Four" and proposed a draft resolution on the Security Council reform framework, calling for the expansion of the Security Council, the addition of permanent and non-permanent members, and the insistence on possessing the veto power of the Security Council.

On the issue of human rights, we advocate that the promotion of human rights should take into account the specific conditions of each country, and believe that the most fundamental human rights are the rights to survival; for developing countries, development issues are superior to democracy and human rights, and we oppose the promotion of human rights. The issue is politicized and we oppose the use of human rights to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, thus damaging the sovereignty and unity of other countries.

Attach importance to the issue of global environmental protection and believe that solving this problem should be linked to the development requirements of developing countries. The main responsibility for environmental protection should be borne by developed countries. It is recommended that developed and developing countries jointly engage in research and development Developed to solve environmental problems.

Since 2008, the Indian government has continued to implement an all-round major power diplomacy strategy, attaching great importance to India-China relations, giving priority to the development of relations with the United States, consolidating the traditional relations between India and Russia, and promoting relations with major developed countries such as Europe and Japan. . Relations with Pakistan have been strained by the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Continue to pursue the Look East policy and advance relations with ASEAN and countries in the Asia-Pacific region. We attach great importance to energy security and gradually expand exchanges and cooperation with energy supply countries in the Gulf, Central Asia and other countries. Emphasize that diplomacy serves economy and trade, focus on developing economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation, and absorb foreign capital and technology.

Relationships with China See "China-India Bilateral Relations."

Relationship with the United States In July 2005, India and the United States announced the establishment of a global partnership. In March 2006, US President Bush visited India. The two sides reached an agreement on the separation plan of India's nuclear facilities, set a goal of doubling trade between the two countries within three years, and announced the establishment of a science and technology committee to explore civil aerospace cooperation. In December, the U.S. Congress passed the India-U.S. Civilian Nuclear Energy Cooperation Act.

In February 2008, US Defense Secretary Gates visited India. In March, US Assistant Secretary of State Boucher visited India, and Indian Foreign Minister Mukherjee visited the United States. In September, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the United States and held talks with President Bush. The two sides issued a joint statement agreeing to carry out civil nuclear energy cooperation. The United States has opened an additional Consulate General in Hyderabad in India, and India has established two new Consulates General in Atlanta and Seattle. After the Nuclear Suppliers Group lifted its nuclear export restrictions on India, the US House of Representatives approved the India-US Nuclear Agreement. In November, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Washington to attend the G20 Financial Summit. In December, US Secretary of State Rice visited India to learn about the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Relationships with Russia India and Russia have close bilateral relations. In 2000, the two countries announced the establishment of a strategic partnership and established an annual summit mechanism.

In February 2008, Russian Prime Minister Zubkov visited India and attended the opening ceremony of the Year of Russia in India. The two sides signed 2 memorandums of understanding on law enforcement and archives cooperation. In September, Indian Foreign Minister Mukherjee met with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov while attending the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. In December, Russian President Medvedev visited India and met with the Indian President, Vice President, Foreign Minister and parliamentary opposition leaders respectively, held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and attended the closing ceremony of India's "Year of Russia". The two sides issued a joint statement and signed 10 cooperation agreements in the fields of energy, economy and trade, finance, customs, tourism, aerospace and other fields.

Relationships with Japan India-Japan relations enjoy a good momentum of development. In 2000, India and Japan established a global partnership. Since 2004, India has become Japan’s largest recipient of overseas development assistance. In December 2006, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Japan. The two sides announced the establishment of a strategic global partnership and designated 2007 as the "India-Japan Friendship Year" and the "India-Japan Tourism Exchange Year."

In July 2008, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Hokkaido to attend the G8 meeting. In August, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura visited India. In October, Prime Minister Singh visited Japan and held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on issues such as energy security, climate change, and United Nations reform, and issued the "Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between India and Japan" and the "India-Japan Global Strategic Partnership" Joint Declaration on the Progress of Relations.

Relationships with the EU and EU countries In 2000, India and the EU established a summit meeting mechanism.

In 2005, the two sides formally established the India-EU strategic partnership. The EU as a whole is India's largest trading partner and important source of investment.

In January 2008, Greek Prime Minister Karamanlis and Hungarian Prime Minister Gyulcany visited India successively. British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited India to attend the 4th India-UK Summit. French President Sarkozy visited India and attended the India Independence Day celebrations as the chief guest. In February, Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen and British Prime Minister Brown visited India. In March, German Foreign Minister Steinmeier visited India. In September, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited France, held talks with French President and EU Rotating President Sarkozy, attended the India-EU Business Summit and delivered a speech. The two sides signed documents such as the India-France Joint Statement and the India-EU Joint Action Plan. In December, British Prime Minister Brown visited India.

Relationships with ASEAN and ASEAN countries India and Southeast Asian countries are geographically close and have a long historical relationship. India actively pursues the "Look East Policy", strengthens political and economic relations with ASEAN, and actively participates in East Asian cooperation.

In January 2008, Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win visited India. Indian Defense Minister Antony visits Malaysia. In August, Lao President Choummaly Sayyagon visited India. In November, Indian President Patil visited Vietnam and Indonesia.

Relationships with SAARC and SAARC countries India is one of the founding countries of SAARC and currently holds the rotating chairmanship. India hosted the SAARC Summit three times, in 1986, 1995 and 2007. As the largest country in SAARC, India emphasizes strengthening ties among South Asian countries, actively promoting the free flow of logistics, personnel, technology, knowledge, capital and culture within SAARC, and ultimately establishing a South Asian economic community. In August 2008, Prime Minister Singh attended the 15th SAARC Summit held in Colombo.

Since 2004, India and Pakistan have maintained a peaceful dialogue process and bilateral relations have continued to ease. In May 2008, Indian Foreign Minister Mukherjee visited Pakistan, and the two sides decided to continue advancing the India-Pakistan peace process. In June, Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi visited India to discuss arrangements for the fifth round of comprehensive dialogue between the two countries. In July, India and Pakistan launched the fifth round of comprehensive dialogue process. In September, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with Pakistani President Zardari during the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. In October, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani on the sidelines of the 7th Asia-Europe Summit in Beijing. In November, Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi visited India again. After a series of terrorist attacks occurred in Mumbai on November 26, India accused the terrorist organization "Lashkar-e-Taiba" in Pakistan of causing the incident. Relations between India and Pakistan are tense and the peace process is interrupted. Through the mediation of the international community, tensions between the two countries have cooled down, but have not yet been fundamentally relieved.

In February 2008, President Gayoom of the Maldives visited India. In March, Bangladesh Army Chief of Staff Moin visited India. In May, Prime Minister Singh visited Bhutan. In June, Indian Foreign Minister Mukherjee visited Sri Lanka. In August, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Colombo to attend the 15th SAARC Summit and met with Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa. In September, Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda visited India. In October, Indian Foreign Minister Mukherjee met with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Pogragama during the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. In November, Indian Foreign Minister Mukherjee visited Nepal, and Prime Minister Singh met with Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa during the second summit of the Bay of Bengal Multi-Sector Economic and Technical Cooperation Initiative. In December, President Nasheed of the Maldives visited India. In January 2009, Afghan President Karzai visited India.