India’s incredible biodiversity is not just a result of geography, it’s a story written over 160 million years. Once part of the supercontinent Gondwana, the Indian landmass broke away and began an extraordinary 9,000 km journey northwards. During this drift, it carried ancient life forms across oceans before colliding with Asia 50 million years ago, forming the towering Himalayas and triggering the Asian monsoon.
This geological odyssey shaped India’s landscapes and ecosystems, giving rise to one of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth. Home to over 11% of the world’s known plant species and 7% of animal species, many of them endemic,India is one of only 17 megadiverse countries. Its biodiversity hotspots, such as the Himalayas, Western Ghats, Northeast India, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, are living archives of evolutionary history.