India (Hindi: भारत Bhārat; see also other names), officially the Republic of India (Hindi: भारत गणराज्य Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a sovereign nation in South Asia. It is the seventh largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world.[12] Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east, India has a coastline of 7,517 kilometers (4,671 mi).[13] It borders Pakistan to the west;[14]China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia.

Home to the Indus Valley civilization and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history.[15] Four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated here, while Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by the British East India Company from the early eighteenth century and colonised by the United Kingdom from the mid-nineteenth century, India became a modern nation-statestruggle for independence that was marked by widespread use of nonviolent resistance as a means of social protest.

India is the world's twelfth largest economy at market exchange rates and the world's third largest economy in purchasing power. Economic reforms have transformed it into one of the world's fastest growing large economies;[16] however, it still suffers from high levels of poverty,[17] illiteracy, malnutrition and environmental degradation. A pluralistic, multi-lingual, and multi-ethnic society, India is also home to a diversity of wildlifeprotected habitats.

With more than one billion people, India is the second most populous country in the world accounting for 17% of the world’s population. Following independence, India has pursued a policy of planned economic development until the early 1990s, when it shifted to structural adjustment policies and liberalization. Subsequently, the Indian economy grew at a fast rate though concerns on equity and poverty persist.

The country has recently become one of the world’s fastest growing economies with an average growth rate of eight percent over the past three years. It has emerged as a global player in several areas, including information technology, business process outsourcing, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. The demographic profile of India is changing with an ageing population. The subcontinent is characterized by large diversities in geographical regions, sociocultural groups, and health needs.

While India is being propelled to a position of international eminence, it faces three main groups of health challenges: first, dealing effectively with unfinished agendas of communicable diseases, maternal and child health, and health systems strengthening; second, dealing with new emerging challenges such as the premature burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs); and third, dealing with globalization related issues while contributing to the management and shaping of the global policy environment.

source: WHO