The water
Bottled water always; avoid ice unless from sealed factory packs. Tap water: Not drinkable.
India
The Asiatic lion, which lives in the wild nowhere else on earth except the Gir Forest of Gujarat
RegionAsiaCurrencyINRPowerType A/B/C, 220V (varies)Tap waterNot drinkable
Strong
Eco Index
What to expect on the ground
At a glance
Food & farming
India is largely self sufficient in staples and a net agricultural exporter, ranking first in the world for milk and pulses and among the top producers of rice and wheat. Food supply rests on domestic farming rather than imports.
Local staples
Rice, wheat rotis, lentils or dal, chickpeas and countless vegetables and spices, among the world's most plant based food cultures
Markets
Daily bazaars and vegetable mandis in every town, with weekly haats in rural areas
In season
Two main seasons, Kharif in autumn and Rabi in spring, with harvest festivals such as Pongal and Makar Sankranti in January
Wildlife
India is one of the most wildlife rich countries on earth, the only home of the wild Asiatic lion in Gir, stronghold of the one horned rhino in Kaziranga, and home to the Bengal tiger, Asian elephant and snow leopard, with the…Read more
India is one of the most wildlife rich countries on earth, the only home of the wild Asiatic lion in Gir, stronghold of the one horned rhino in Kaziranga, and home to the Bengal tiger, Asian elephant and snow leopard, with the Western Ghats and Himalaya as global endemism hotspots.
Found nowhere else
The Asiatic lion survives in the wild only in Gir, the one horned rhino in Kaziranga, and the Western Ghats and Himalaya are global endemism hotspots for the Bengal tiger, snow leopard and Nilgiri tahr
Natural phenomena
Monsoon Jun–Sep; the best weather is Oct–Mar, and the mountains are superb May–Sep.
When to go
October to March
Getting around
One of the world's largest railway networks, plus buses, autorickshaws and domestic flights
Good to know
UPI and cards everywhere; INR. Bargaining is normal in markets.
Safety
Solo female travel: Take care. LGBTQ+: Mixed.
Only hereThe Asiatic lion, which lives in the wild nowhere else on earth except the Gir Forest of Gujarat
Assessed across 10 equally-weighted pillars
The Eco Index, pillar by pillar
72/100
Strong
The Eco Index: India
12 pillars, equally weighted, from published sources. All 12 assessed. Blanks mean unverified, never estimated.
Only here The Asiatic lion, which lives in the wild nowhere else on earth except the Gir Forest of Gujarat
- Forest cover
- 24.5%
- Land protected
- 7.7%
- Sea protected
- 0.24%
- Organic farmland
- 1.5%
- Found nowhere else
- The Asiatic lion survives in the wild only in Gir, the one horned rhino in Kaziranga, and the Western Ghats and Himalaya are global endemism hotspots for the Bengal tiger, snow leopard and Nilgiri tahr
- Renewable power
- 24%
- CO2 per person
- 2.2 t
- Air quality (AQI)
- 54.4
- Cleanest air
- The Himalayan hill states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Water from
- Bottled water always; avoid ice unless from sealed factory packs.
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Cleanest water
- High Himalayan streams and the reefs of the Andaman Islands
- Springs
- Hot springs at Manikaran in Himachal, Tapovan and Bakreshwar
- In season
- Two main seasons, Kharif in autumn and Rabi in spring, with harvest festivals such as Pongal and Makar Sankranti in January
- Plastic ban
- Yes; identified single use plastics were banned nationwide from 1 July 2022, though enforcement is uneven
- Watch out for
- Coal power and heavy industry drive the world's worst urban air, and the Delhi region is the most polluted
- Solo female travel
- Take care
- LGBTQ+ acceptance
- Mixed
- Best months
- October to March
- Getting around
- One of the world's largest railway networks, plus buses, autorickshaws and domestic flights
- Power
- Type A/B/C, 220V (varies)
- Currency
- INR
| Pillar | Score | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| WaterWhere the water comes from, and whether there is enough of it | 2/5 | India draws on Himalayan rivers and the monsoon but faces severe water stress and some of the world's fastest groundwater depletion. Full assessmentAt least basic drinking water reaches most of the population (WHO/UNICEF JMP), yet a reliable safely managed figure is not published and tap water is not safe for visitors. |
| Food and farmingWhat the island actually grows, and what arrives by boat | 5/5 | India is largely self sufficient in staples and a net agricultural exporter, ranking first in the world for milk and pulses and among the top producers of rice and wheat. Full assessmentFood supply rests on domestic farming rather than imports. |
| Plant based and real foodWhether you can eat unprocessed from local supply | 5/5 | India has perhaps the world's deepest plant based food culture, built on rice, wheat rotis, dal, chickpeas and a huge range of vegetables and spices, with vegetarian food available everywhe… Full assessmente. Eating unprocessed and plant based is the default across much of the country. |
| OrganicCertified and chemical free growing, which is not the same thing as plant based | 3/5 | About 1.5% of agricultural land is certified organic (FiBL, 2020), yet India has more organic producers than any other country and the state of Sikkim is fully organic. Full assessmentThe national share sits in the middle band. |
| ConservationWhat is protected, and whether protection is enforced | 2/5 | Protected areas cover just 7.7% of the land (World Bank, 2024) and only 0.24% of territorial waters (World Bank, 2021), a low base for such a biodiverse country. Full assessmentFlagship tiger and rhino reserves are effective, but overall coverage is limited. |
| Wildlife and endemicsWhat lives here and nowhere else on earth | 4/5 | India is one of the most wildlife rich countries on earth, the only home of the wild Asiatic lion in Gir, stronghold of the one horned rhino in Kaziranga, and home to the Bengal tiger, Asia… Full assessmentelephant and snow leopard, with the Western Ghats and Himalaya as global endemism hotspots. |
| Natural materialsWhat you can eat from and carry here instead of plastic, and who still makes it | 5/5 | India holds one of the world's richest living textile traditions, from handspun khadi cotton and handloom weaving to silk, jute, wool, pashmina, block printing and natural dyeing, all still… Full assessmentmade at scale. |
| Pollution and plasticPlastic law and contamination | 1/5 | India has some of the world's worst air, with a national PM2.5 annual mean around 54 micrograms per cubic metre (IQAir, 2023) and the Delhi region far higher, many times WHO guidance. Full assessmentIdentified single use plastics were banned nationwide in July 2022, but enforcement is uneven and litter is heavy. |
| Recycling and wasteWhat actually happens to the rubbish once you have thrown it away | 2/5 | Formal municipal recycling rates are low, though a large informal waste picker sector recovers substantial plastic, paper and metal. Full assessmentOverall recovery remains modest. |
| Energy and climateClean power, carbon emissions per person and the pace of decarbonisation | 4/5 | India emits only about 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024, Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), well under half the world average, reflecting low consumption across a vast population. Full assessmentCoal still generates roughly three-quarters of its electricity, but the country is expanding solar and wind rapidly and is now among the world's largest solar generators, with renewables near a fifth of generation (Ember). India has pledged net-zero by 2070 and a target of 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030. Its very low per-capita footprint places it in the upper band despite the coal-heavy grid. |
| Culture and peopleIndigenous and living communities, and who the money reaches | 5/5 | India's living cultural diversity is vast, including many Adivasi or indigenous communities, and homestays and community tourism are widespread alongside mass tourism. Full assessmentCraft, food and festival traditions keep money reaching local hands. |
| Living heritage and ancestral traditionsNational dance and music, and the ancestral and spiritual traditions still practised | 5/5 | India holds one of the world's deepest living heritages, with eight recognised classical dance forms including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi and Kathakali, and the Hindustani and Carnatic c… Full assessmentassical music systems. Living spiritual and ancestral traditions run through daily life across Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist practice, yoga and Vedic ritual, while Adivasi indigenous communities maintain distinct ancestral knowledge. Mass observances such as the Kumbh Mela, Ramlila, Chhau, Kalbelia and Yakshagana are actively practised at enormous scale. Heritage here is both ancient and thoroughly alive. |
Before you go
UPI and cards everywhere; INR. Bargaining is normal in markets.
Where these figures come from
- World Bank, Forest area (% of land area, AG.LND.FRST.ZS), 2023, with Forest Survey of India ISFR 2023 for context. source
- World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of land area, ER.LND.PTLD.ZS), 2024. source
- World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters, ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS), 2021. source
- Low Carbon Power (Ember data), India electricity mix, 2025. source
- IQAir, World Air Quality Report, India national PM2.5, 2023. source
- FiBL and IFOAM, The World of Organic Agriculture (2020 data). source
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, single use plastics ban notification, 2022. source
- Our World in Data (Global Carbon Project), CO2 emissions per capita, 2024. source
- Ember, India electricity data (renewables share, coal generation). source
- IEA, India country profile (net-zero 2070, non-fossil capacity targets). source
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, India (Kalbelia, Chhau, Kumbh Mela, Ramlila, yoga). source
Living heritage and ancestral traditions
The culture still danced, played and believed
India holds one of the world's deepest living heritages, with eight recognised classical dance forms including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi and Kathakali, and the Hindustani and Carnatic classical music systems. Living spiritual and ancestral traditions run through daily life across Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist practice, yoga and Vedic ritual, while Adivasi indigenous communities maintain distinct ancestral knowledge. Mass observances such as the Kumbh Mela, Ramlila, Chhau, Kalbelia and Yakshagana are actively practised at enormous scale. Heritage here is both ancient and thoroughly alive.
- Classical dance (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Sattriya)
- Hindustani and Carnatic classical music
- Kalbelia and Chhau dance
- Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist living traditions, yoga and Vedic ritual
- Adivasi indigenous ancestral knowledge
- Kumbh Mela, Ramlila and Yakshagana.
Sleep well, tread lightly
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