India, as everyone thinks, is a beautiful and democratic nation, and it comes with endless diversity. The country is administratively distributed into 28 states and 8 union territories to date.
This is a structure that is a solution from the 1956 government plan. Recent official moves should be understood to understand the Indian states. Across 3.2 million sq km, this is one country that enriches its languages. It also protects its cultural and ethnic diversity.
Each state in India thrives every year. It uses amazing traditions, economies, and governance models. The nation is now under one unified and central government. To make sense of How many states are there in India?, read below.
States & Union Territories List (India 2026)
As of 2026, India has 28 states and 8 union territories. You can check all states and UT with their capital in the below table –
🇮🇳 States of India (28 States)
| S.No | State Name | Capital |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| 3 | Assam | Dispur |
| 4 | Bihar | Patna |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | Raipur |
| 6 | Goa | Panaji |
| 7 | Gujarat | Gandhinagar |
| 8 | Haryana | Chandigarh |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | Shimla |
| 10 | Jharkhand | Ranchi |
| 11 | Karnataka | Bengaluru |
| 12 | Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal |
| 14 | Maharashtra | Mumbai |
| 15 | Manipur | Imphal |
| 16 | Meghalaya | Shillong |
| 17 | Mizoram | Aizawl |
| 18 | Nagaland | Kohima |
| 19 | Odisha | Bhubaneswar |
| 20 | Punjab | Chandigarh |
| 21 | Rajasthan | Jaipur |
| 22 | Sikkim | Gangtok |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | Chennai |
| 24 | Telangana | Hyderabad |
| 25 | Tripura | Agartala |
| 26 | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow |
| 27 | Uttarakhand | Dehradun |
| 28 | West Bengal | Kolkata |
🏙️ Union Territories of India (8 UTs)
| S.No | Union Territory | Capital |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair |
| 2 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| 3 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman |
| 4 | Delhi (NCT) | New Delhi |
| 5 | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) |
| 6 | Ladakh | Leh |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | Kavaratti |
| 8 | Puducherry | Puducherry |
Northern States
North India holds several states within its borders. Four of these states back the people living in the north. A busy state called Himachal Pradesh lies among them. Its capital city goes by the name Shimla.
Haryana, one of the states of India, shares Chandigarh for governance. That same city serves Punjab too, acting as a joint administrative hub. Long back, Uttarakhand picked Dehradun to run its affairs.
Eastern States
One moment you are stepping into the green breath of Bengal, next there is the quiet Odisha. The heart of Bihar beats where Patna rises.
Floating above the eastern hills, Ranchi stands as the central hub of Jharkhand. Its economy is fed by extracted minerals.
Not far behind, Bhubaneswar holds steady as the core administrative center of Odisha. Moving further into the western stretch, Kolkata takes form as the leading urban seat of West Bengal.
Southeastern States
Southward, three spirited areas mix ancient Dravidian culture with modern life. In one corner lies Andhra Pradesh and its capital, Amaravati.
Spicy dishes tell stories passed down for generations. These flavors thrive across green stretches shaped by the winding Godavari River.
Fresh aromas hook your attention along the crowded alleys of Hyderabad by Charminar, deep in Telangana. Speedy invention hums through Bengaluru, the lively core of Karnataka.
Northeastern States
Deep in the hills, eight states form northeast India. Sikkim belongs here, too. At the heart of Arunachal Pradesh lies Itanagar, serving as its capital. Meanwhile, Assam does things differently, as Dispur takes charge there. Farther along, in Manipur, you will find Imphal steering affairs.
If you want to learn how many states are there in India, this blog will help you learn.
High up in the hills sits Shillong, serving as the capital of Meghalaya. Far off in Mizoram, administration settled into Aizawl ages back, and has been the top center since then.
A city named Kohima takes charge in Nagaland. Meanwhile, Agartala steps into that role for Tripura. Just like them, Gangtok manages affairs across Sikkim.
Western States
On one side, a piece of land connects Rajasthan to Gujarat, then goes to reach Maharashtra, touches Goa, and further enters Karnataka. Westward lies Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat.
West of Mumbai, life unspools at a different pace in Jaipur, existing within Rajasthan.
Southwestern States
Floating between sunlit shores, Goa draws near through the quiet pulse of Panaji.
Out past the palm trees, Thiruvananthapuram stirs slowly. Over on the coast, Chennai wakes up loud, its long beach humming early morning prayers and evening shouts.
Central States
Raipur really does well as the capital of Chhattisgarh. From Bhopal, it runs this stretch of Madhya Pradesh. The palaces of Orchha rise beside a slow river.
Union Territories of India
Delhi stands as one of eight union territories. Jammu and Kashmir, plus Ladakh, juggle visitors with border concerns. Far off in the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands form a tropical UT. Puducherry remains distinct through its colonial past.
Planned from the start, Chandigarh stands as a capital. Coral atolls define the shape of Lakshadweep. Merged in 2020, Dadra & Nagar Haveli joined Daman & Diu, aiming for smoother functioning.
Final Thoughts
Lastly, if you ask How many states are there in India?, remember that India stays strong through its mix of 28 states and 8 union territories in 2026.
These are setups shifting slowly, built for change without sudden moves. Different paths forward still connect because of how regions work together, even while moving at their own pace.
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