Last updated: October 2026 Β· 3 min read
India is a union of 28 states and 8 union territories (UTs). States have their own elected governments; most UTs are administered directly by the central government, though Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu & Kashmir have elected legislatures.
List of 28 states and capitals
| State | Capital | State | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati | Manipur | Imphal |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Assam | Dispur | Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Bihar | Patna | Nagaland | Kohima |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur | Odisha | Bhubaneswar |
| Goa | Panaji | Punjab | Chandigarh |
| Gujarat | Gandhinagar | Rajasthan | Jaipur |
| Haryana | Chandigarh | Sikkim | Gangtok |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla (winter: Dharamshala) | Tamil Nadu | Chennai |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi | Telangana | Hyderabad |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru | Tripura | Agartala |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | Uttarakhand | Dehradun (summer: Gairsain) |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai | West Bengal | Kolkata |
List of 8 union territories
| Union territory | Capital |
|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman |
| Delhi (National Capital Territory) | New Delhi |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter) |
| Ladakh | Leh |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti |
| Puducherry | Puducherry |
Recent changes to remember
- 2014: Telangana became India’s 29th state, carved out of Andhra Pradesh.
- 2019: Jammu and Kashmir state was reorganised into two UTs, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, bringing states to 28.
- 2020: Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu merged into one UT, making 8 UTs.
- 2024: Port Blair was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram.
Records and quick facts
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Largest state by area | Rajasthan |
| Smallest state by area | Goa |
| Most populous state | Uttar Pradesh |
| Least populous state | Sikkim |
| Largest UT by area | Ladakh |
| Smallest UT | Lakshadweep |
| Shared capital | Chandigarh (Punjab and Haryana) |
Easy tips to remember
- Group the seven north-eastern “sister states” plus Sikkim together.
- Remember the three capitals named after cities that are not the largest city: Dispur, Gandhinagar and Amaravati.
- Practise with a blank map once a week.
Frequently asked questions
How many states are there in India in 2026?
28 states and 8 union territories.
What is the capital of Andhra Pradesh?
Amaravati is the designated capital; Hyderabad served as the shared capital until June 2024.
Which state has two capitals?
Himachal Pradesh (Shimla and Dharamshala as winter capital) and Uttarakhand (Dehradun and Gairsain as summer capital); Jammu and Kashmir UT also moves between Srinagar and Jammu.
Keep exploring
- The 7 continents
- How India’s Constitution was made
- Major rivers of India
- More Geography articles on Tiwaripedia
Facts are based on widely accepted official, scientific and historical sources at the time of writing. Spotted something that needs updating? Let us know.
