India is a state.
Country . A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state , as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division , or a geographic region associated with sets of previously independent or differently associated people with distinct political characteristics . India , officially the Republic of India ( Bhārat Gaṇarājya '' ) , is a country in South Asia . India is a federal republic governed under a parliamentary system and consists of 29 states and 7 union territories .