India in 2034 at the start of the game.
The Union of India Continental States, भारत संघ महाद्वीपीय राज्य commonly known as the Indian Federation or India, is governments of the Indian subcontinent, India state is one of the oldest human empires dating back to nearly 7300 BC, the modern Indian state traces its origins from Britsh rule to Independence, but the emergence of current Indian state came from to two significant events: the Pakistani Economic Crisis and the Bangdelsh Famine. For 65 years, India had engaged in a cold war with its neighbor, yet it was unprepared for the sudden turn of events. Despite decades of anticipation, the collapse of the Pakistani state caught the Indian government off guard. Following the failure of two administrations in Pakistan, the nation faced a critical juncture: either revert to military rule or opt for absorption into India. With its currency in freefall, and the Chinese government seizing assets all over the country Pakistan opted for the ambitious Unpartition 2050 plan floated by the Indian government, one of the most ambitious financial rescue plans since World War II. This plan aimed to undo the British partition of India in 1947 by redrawing borders fully integrating Pakistan and Afghanistan into India by 2050, and creating a unified nation. In exchange for assuming Pakistan’s debt, India reintegrated the Punjab province into a single administrative region and granted autonomy to Kashmir and Afghanistan under Muslim-administered governments.
The collapse of Pakistan was not universally accepted by all quarters of Pakistan, the ISI and the SPD both had cells that were hostile to India and refused to accept the new government, within a year of the agreements agents were arrested for conspiracy with China to seize control of the nuclear weapons in storage and use them to create a new Chinese backed state within Pakstains old territory. The tensions between China and India led to the US and Russia both needing to mediate between the two as China’s Western trading partner was no longer in control of billions of dollars worth of ports and infrastructure it was intended on seizing for failure for the previous Pakistan government to pay its debts, China had built for Pakistan’s previous governments. The tension between these factions also led to the creation of a new state within India’s Lahore and Karachi regions which remained autonomous and, incorporated western Balochistan as a new state which gave India a direct land border with Iran, the northern Khyber province merged with Afghanistan with Quetta becoming Afgahanstains southernmost city. The Taliban, previously isolated, joined the Federation after adopting the unified Indian Constitution, which mandated the inclusion of women and multi-party elections. Afghanistan gained autonomous status, with its military unified under India’s Joint Mountain Army Command.
Despite initial resistance, the Taliban eventually formed a political party within the Indian federation and participated in the political process. While Afghanistan’s multiparty process would take another 10 years to implement by the 2040s there were six political parties in Afghanistan, with three being Taliban splinter groups, the net effect was a democratizing of Afghan society and general peace between the north and south Pashtun tribes. India was able to then begin mining and resource extraction efforts in Afghanistan cutting out US and Chinese firms. India’s policy of inclusion allowed the Taliban access to international markets, leading to economic improvements and increased moving them towards stability along the northern borders. The Military wing of the Taliban was coopted into the Indian Territory Army and combined with the Frontier Force and Mountain Paramilitary forces. The Territorial Army is the combined army for all states outside of India forming the expeditionary force for Indian foreign policy.
The Bangladesh famine posed a distinct and urgent challenge. Confronted with a dire scarcity of rice and exacerbated by climate-related catastrophes such as flooding, the Indian government found itself compelled to intervene amidst the staggering toll of nearly 200,000 fatalities and widespread economic turmoil. The crisis prompted a mass exodus of refugees seeking sanctuary in both India and Myanmar, placing significant strain on diplomatic relations, particularly with China and Myanmar. Despite calls for restraint, China rebuffed requests to accommodate fleeing Bangladeshis, while the Myanmar government responded to the influx of refugees with violent reprisals, employing machine guns to deter border crossings.
International Protests and riots erupted in the region, prompting India to enter Bangladesh under a UN mandate to restore order. Within six months, the Indian government became the de facto ruling authority in Bangladesh as nearly 10 million people became dependent on the Indian state. Four years later, Bangladesh joined the federation, adopting the Indian currency, legal system, military chain of command, and immigration policies. This four-point initiative fostered cross-border cooperation and economic integration between the two nations, as part of the Unpartion Plan 2050, and a new One India economy policy the government in New Delhi recused the factories in Bangladesh and absorbed nearly all of the corporations turning the state into a nationalized Indian enterprise. After the assimilation of Bangladesh into India it became even more of a counterweight to China. The smaller nations of Bhutan and Nepal both joined the UICS in 2042 after a vote where nearly 85% of the population voted to join. Bhutan and Nepal fearful of Chinese expansion opted to side with India granted them full autonomy in exchange for control of their borders, currency, and legal system, India welcomed both countries as it solidified its international standing as a strong political ally and counterweight to China, Indians near total claim along the Himyanis west of the mountain range provides it with control of one of the largest supplies of fresh water in the world. This gives India nearly full control of the western-facing side of the mountains and allows them to target western Chinese garrisons along the valley below.
The Indian military remains formidable with 2 million active-duty soldiers and an expanded force to include paramilitary and civilian police combined nearly 4 million. The MOD and the MOHA or internal department are responsible for Indian security. The MOD’s main branches are the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Border Guards. The HOME office also operates two paramilitary groups the Assam Rifles and the Special Frontier Force which work together with the civilian police and state local governments. These paramilitary groups help keep rebel groups from gathering and taking control of any one province. India’s federal government has to deal with a population that continues to increase and economic progress that must be delivered to keep driving the country forward.