text: what are the other names for india?   the name india ipa: /'ɪndiə/, is derived from the old persian version of sindhu, the historic local appellation for the river indus; see origin of india's name. the constitution of india and general usage also recognises bharat (hindi: भारत ipa: /bɦaːrət̪/  listen?), which is derived from the sanskrit name of an ancient hindu king, whose story is to be found in the mahabharata, as an official name of equal status. a third name, hindustan (hindi: हिन्दुस्तान ipa: /ɦɪn̪d̪ʊst̪aːn/)  listen?, or land of the hindus in persian, has been used since the twelfth century, though its contemporary use is unevenly applied due to domestic disputes over its representiveness as a national signifier.