The Republic of India is the second-most populous country in the world, with more than 1.3 billion people. With a rich cultural and religious history, the region is considered the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. Judaism, Christianity and Islam arrived in the first millennium A.D. and contributed to an already complex cultural landscape. India as it is known today became independent from British colonial rule in 1947 and has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, but continues to face challenges of poverty, preventable health issues, and violent conflict.
About 75 percent of the population of India is Hindu, but the Christian Church also has a long legacy, especially in historically marginalized, deprived sections of society. Business, politics, culture and the middle and upper classes have yet to be impacted by the Gospel.