History of India in Timeline
India, officially the Republic of India, is a South Asian nation recognized as the world's seventh-largest country by area and most populous since June 2023. It is also the world's largest democracy since its independence in 1947. Geographically, it is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the south, the Arabian Sea to the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. India shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, and maritime borders with Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Thailand, and Indonesia.
1900: Indus Valley Civilisation
Around 2500-1900 BCE, the Indus Valley Civilisation flourished in Pakistan and western India.
1901: Temperature increase
Between 1901 and 2018, temperatures in India have risen by 0.7 °C (1.3 °F).
1911: Primary schools
According to Latika Chaudhary, in 1911 there were under three primary schools for every ten villages.
1921: Literacy Rates
In 1921, the literacy rates in India were 7% overall, 12% for men, and 2% for women.
1928: Excavation of Pashupati Seal
In 1928, the "Pashupati" seal was excavated in Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan.
1935: National parks established
The system of national parks and protected areas in India was first established in 1935.
1947: Independence and partition
In 1947, India achieved independence, but this was tempered by the partition of India into two states, India and Pakistan.
1947: Independence
Since its independence in 1947, India has been the world's most populous democracy.
1947: Partition of India
The popularity of tandoori chicken dates to the 1950s, and was caused in large part by an entrepreneurial response among people from the Punjab who had been displaced by the 1947 partition of India.
January 1950: Constitution of India
On January 26, 1950, the Constitution of India came into effect, originally stating India to be a "sovereign, democratic republic."
1950: Republic
For most of the period between 1950—when India first became a republic—and the late 1980s, the Congress held a majority in the Parliament.
1950: Constitution completed
In 1950, India's constitution was completed, establishing a secular and democratic republic.
1950: Abolition of Untouchability
India abolished untouchability in 1950 with the adoption of the constitution.
1951: Population statistics
In 1951, India's population was 361 million, with a nominal per capita income of US$64 annually and a literacy rate of 16.6%.
1951: First general election
In 1951, the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru-led Congress won easy victories in the Republic of India's first three general elections.
1951: First Post-Colonial Census
In 1951, the first post-colonial census counted 361 million people in India.
1951: Literacy Rates
In 1951, the literacy rates in India were 18% overall, 27% for men, and 9% for women.
1956: States Reorganisation Act
In 1956, under the States Reorganisation Act, Indian states were reorganised on a linguistic basis.
1957: Nehru re-elected
In 1957, Jawaharlal Nehru was re-elected to a consecutive five-year term.
1957: Congress victory
In 1957, the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru-led Congress won easy victories in the Republic of India's first three general elections.
1959: Start of Television Broadcasting
In 1959, television broadcasting began in India as a state-run medium of communication.
1962: Nehru re-elected
In 1962, Jawaharlal Nehru was re-elected to a consecutive five-year term.
1962: Congress victory
In 1962, the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru-led Congress won easy victories in the Republic of India's first three general elections.
1964: China's nuclear test
In 1964, China's nuclear test prompted India to develop nuclear weapons.
1964: Lal Bahadur Shastri prime minister
On Nehru's death in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri briefly became prime minister.
1966: Indira Gandhi prime minister
In 1966, after Lal Bahadur Shastri's unexpected death, Nehru's daughter Indira Gandhi became prime minister.
1967: Repelling Chinese Attack
In 1967, India successfully repelled a Chinese attack.
1967: Congress election victories
In 1967, Indira Gandhi led the Congress to election victories.
1971: War with Pakistan and support for Bangladesh independence
In 1971, India and Pakistan engaged in war, stemming from India's support for the independence of Bangladesh.
1971: Congress election victories
In 1971, Indira Gandhi led the Congress to election victories.
1971: Constitution amended
In 1971, the characterisation of India in the Constitution was amended to "a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic".
1972: Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger
In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial wilderness.
1974: First Nuclear Weapons Test
In 1974, India conducted its first nuclear weapons test.
1975: State of emergency declared
Following public discontent, Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency in 1975.
1977: Congress voted out
In 1977, the Congress was voted out of power, and the Janata Party was voted in.
1980: Congress voted back into power
In 1980, the Congress was voted back into power.
1980: Forest Conservation Act
The Forest Conservation Act was enacted in India in 1980.
1981: Literacy Rates
In 1981, literacy rates in India were 41% overall, 53% for men, and 29% for women.
1984: Indira Gandhi assassinated
In 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated, and she was succeeded by her son Rajiv Gandhi.
1984: BJP win majority
In the 2014 general election, the BJP became the first political party since 1984 to win a majority.
1985: Share of external trade in India's GDP
In 1985, the share of external trade in India's GDP stood at 6%.
1985: Poverty Reduction
Since 1985, approximately 431 million Indians have risen out of poverty.
1987: Peace-keeping operation in Sri Lanka
In 1987, the Indian military started a peace-keeping operation in Sri Lanka that lasted until 1990.
1988: Forest Conservation Act amendments
In 1988, amendments were added to India's Forest Conservation Act.
1988: Armed Intervention in Maldives
In 1988, the Indian military intervened in the Maldives to prevent a coup d'état attempt.
1989: Congress voted out again
In 1989, the Congress was voted out again when a National Front coalition won the elections.
1990: End of Peace-keeping operation in Sri Lanka
In 1990, the Indian military ended its peace-keeping operation in Sri Lanka that started in 1987.
1991: Urban Population Growth
Between 1991 and 2001, the number of people living in urban areas in India grew by 31.2%.
1991: Economic Liberalisation
In 1991, an acute balance of payments crisis forced India to liberalise its economy.
1991: Minority government
In 1991, no party won an absolute majority, but the Congress formed a minority government led by P. V. Narasimha Rao.
1991: GDP per capita
Since economic liberalisation began in 1991, India's nominal GDP per capita increased steadily from US$308.
January 1995: Membership in World Trade Organization
Since January 1995, India has been a member of World Trade Organization.
1996: Short-lived alliances
In 1996, a two-year period of political turmoil followed the general election, with several short-lived alliances sharing power.
1998: Additional Underground Testing
In 1998, India carried out additional underground nuclear testing.
1998: BJP Coalition Government
In 1998, the BJP formed a successful coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
1999: War with Pakistan
In 1999, India and Pakistan engaged in another war.
2000: Chalcolithic cultures
During the period 2000–500 BCE, many regions of the subcontinent transitioned from the Chalcolithic cultures to the Iron Age ones.
2001: Petrochemical and engineering goods
Between 2001 and 2011, the contribution of petrochemical and engineering goods to total exports grew from 14% to 42%.
2001: Population Growth Rate
From 2001 to 2011, India's population grew by 17.64%.
2001: Rural Population
In 2001, over 70% of India's population still lived in rural areas.
2001: Child Labour Statistics
In 2001, the number of child laborers in India was 12.6 million.
2004: United Progressive Alliance
In the 2004 Indian general elections, the Congress emerged as the largest single party, forming the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
2005: Poverty Rate
The proportion of people living below the World Bank's international poverty line decreased to 42% in 2005.
2006: Number of People Below Poverty Line
In 2006, India contained the largest number of people living below the World Bank's international poverty line of US$1.25 per day.
2006: Share of external trade in India's GDP
In 2006, the share of external trade in India's GDP stood at 24%.
2007: Richest vs. Poorest States
In 2007, the per-capita net state domestic product of the richest states was 3.2 times that of the poorest.
2007: Economic Growth Rate
Prior to 2007, India averaged an economic growth rate of 7.5% for several years.
2008: Increase in exports
During 2008-2009, the Indian automotive industry increased exports by 36%.
2008: India's share of world trade
In 2008, India's share of world trade was 1.7%.
2008: Civilian Nuclear Agreement with the United States
In 2008, a civilian nuclear agreement was signed between India and the United States, leading to waivers from international agencies and the end of restrictions on India's nuclear technology and commerce.
2009: India name derivation
According to the Oxford English Dictionary (third edition 2009), the name "India" is derived from the Classical Latin India.
2009: Outsourcing Destination
As of 2009, India was viewed as the second-most favorable outsourcing destination after the United States.
2009: Increase in domestic sales
During 2009-2010, the Indian automotive industry increased domestic sales by 26%.
2009: UPA returns to power
The UPA returned to power in the 2009 general election with increased numbers.
2010: Global Competitiveness Ranking
As of 2010, India ranked 68th in global competitiveness.
2010: Increase in domestic sales
During 2009-2010, the Indian automotive industry increased domestic sales by 26%.
2010: GDP per capita
In 2010, India's nominal GDP per capita increased steadily to US$1,380.
2011: PwC report on India's GDP
According to a 2011 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, India's GDP at purchasing power parity could overtake that of the United States by 2045.
2011: 2011 census
According to the 2011 census, there were 10.1 million child laborers in the country.
2011: The Indian IT industry
At the end of 2011, the Indian IT industry employed 2.8 million professionals and generated revenues close to US$100 billion.
2011: Petrochemical and engineering goods
Between 2001 and 2011, the contribution of petrochemical and engineering goods to total exports grew from 14% to 42%.
2011: Urbanisation increase
From the 2001 Census to the 2011 Census, the level of urbanisation increased from 27.81% to 31.16%.
2011: Indian defence budget
In 2011, the official Indian defence budget was US$36.03 billion, or 1.83% of GDP.
2011: Provisional Census Report
In 2011, the provisional census report stated there were 1,210,193,422 residents in India.
2011: Second Cricket World Cup
India won the Cricket World Cup in the 2011 edition.
2011: Religious Demographics
The 2011 census reported that Hinduism was the most followed religion in India (79.80% of the population), followed by Islam (14.23%).
2012: TV Consumers
As of 2012, industry estimates indicate that there are over 554 million TV consumers in India.
2012: Growth of biotech industry
In 2012, The Indian biotech industry grew by 15.1%.
June 2013: Revenues from biotech industry
In June 2013, the Indian biotech industry increasing its revenues from ₹204.4 billion to ₹235.24 billion.
2013: India as a textile exporter
In the 2013 calendar year, India was the world's second-largest textile exporter after China.
May 26, 2014: Narendra Modi Prime Minister
Narendra Modi became the 14th Prime Minister of India on May 26, 2014.
2014: Corruption Perceptions Index Rank
In 2014, India ranked 85th in the Corruption Perceptions Index.
2014: Missing Women
In the 50-year period ending in 2014, the number of missing women in India quadrupled from 15 million to 63 million.
2015: Undernourishment rate
According to a Food and Agriculture Organization report in 2015, 15% of the population is undernourished.
2016: Second-largest arms importer
Between 2016 and 2020, India accounted for 9.5% of the total global arms imports.
May 2017: Launch of the South Asia Satellite
In May 2017, the Indian Space Research Organisation launched the South Asia Satellite.
2017: Cheapest cities
According to the Worldwide Cost of Living Report 2017 released by the Economist Intelligence Unit, four of the cheapest cities were in India: Bengaluru (3rd), Mumbai (5th), Chennai (5th) and New Delhi (8th).
2017: Smartphone market
After the third quarter of 2017, India surpassed the US to become the second-largest smartphone market in the world after China.
2017: Indian labour force
As of 2017, The 522-million-worker Indian labour force is the world's second largest.
October 2018: Agreement with Russia to procure missile defence systems
In October 2018, India signed an agreement with Russia to procure four S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile defence systems.
2018: Temperature increase
Between 1901 and 2018, temperatures in India have risen by 0.7 °C (1.3 °F).
2018: Corruption Perceptions Index
In 2018, India ranked 78th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index with a score of 41 out of 100.
2018: Walk Free Foundation report
In 2018, a Walk Free Foundation report estimated that nearly 8 million people in India were living in different forms of modern slavery.
2019: Removal of Anglo-Indian Nomination Provision
In 2019, the provision in the Indian constitution that historically allowed for the nomination of Anglo-Indians to two seats in the Lok Sabha was removed.
2019: BJP victorious
In the 2019 general election, the BJP was victorious again with majority.
2020: Second-largest arms importer
Between 2016 and 2020, India accounted for 9.5% of the total global arms imports.
2021: Pharmaceutical industry
As of 2021, with 3000 pharmaceutical companies and 10,500 manufacturing units, India is the world's third-largest pharmaceutical producer.
2021: India as an importer and exporter
In 2021, India was the world's ninth-largest importer and the sixteenth-largest exporter.
2022: Population growth
By 2022, India's population had grown to almost 1.4 billion, with a nominal per capita income of US$2,601 and a literacy rate of 74%.
2022: India became world's third-largest vehicle market
In 2022, India became the world's third-largest vehicle market after China and the United States.
2022: Foreign exchange remittances
In 2022, India's foreign exchange remittances were US$100 billion.
2022: Defence expenditure
In fiscal year 2022, defence expenditure was pegged at US$70.12 billion.
June 2023: Most populous country
In June 2023, India became the world's most populous country.
2023: Population estimate
In 2023, India had an estimated 1,428,627,663 residents, making it the world's most populous country.
2023: Consumer Market Size
In 2023, India's consumer market was the world's fifth largest.
2024: Indian economy worth
According to the International Monetary Fund, the Indian economy in 2024 was nominally worth $3.94 trillion.
2024: Nuclear capable systems
As of 2024, it is estimated that India is operating eight nuclear-capable systems.
2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking
In 2024, India is ranked 39th in the Global Innovation Index.
2024: Estimated GDP per capita
In 2024, India's estimated nominal GDP per capita increased steadily to US$2,731.
2024: BJP-led NDA coalition formed government
In the 2024 general election, the BJP failed to achieve majority and the BJP-led NDA coalition formed the government.
2026: Projected GDP per capita
It is expected to grow to US$3,264 by 2026.
2030: Projected Middle Class Size
It is projected that India's middle classes will number around 580 million by 2030.
2045: Projected GDP overtaking US
According to a 2011 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, India's GDP at purchasing power parity could overtake that of the United States by 2045.
2050: Projected Economic Growth
During the next four decades, until 2050, Indian GDP is expected to grow at an annualised average of 8%, making it potentially the world's fastest-growing major economy.
