India is a large country in South Asia that is made up of 28 states and 8 Union Territories. It is the largest country by number of people and seventh largest country by land area. Most of India forms a peninsula, which means it is surrounded by water on 3 sides. India is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world due to its many religions, languages and tribes. With over 1.4 billion people (2024), India has overtaken China as the world's most populated country. India is considered the world's largest democracy. Its government consists of a President as the Head of State, a Prime Minister as the Head of Government, and an upper and lower house of parliament. In 2023, India was the fastest growing major economy. However, it is also very unequal, with the top 10% of earners holding 80% of the nation's wealth, while 350 million Indians don't have enough to eat.
The estimated strength of the Indian Armed Forces is around 1.4 million active service personnel. This includes 1.25 million Army, 65,000 Navy, 140,000 Air Force and 12,000 Coast Guard personnel. The majority of India's equipment is Soviet in origin and requires upgrading, including Mig-21 fighter jets which entered service in 1964. India and Australia share a 2006 Memorandum on Defence Cooperation, a 2009 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation and a 2014 bilateral Framework for Security Cooperation. India and Australia conduct joint military exercises to increase interoperability, military exchanges and defence technology cooperation.