India

• Type: Country
• Location: South Asia
• Owner/Residents: Indian Ministry of Magic, Parvati Patil (heritage), Padma Patil (heritage)
• Key Features: Known for a thriving Flying Carpet sporting community; native habitat of the Occamy.

India is a country in South Asia with an established Wizarding community and its own governing body, the Indian Ministry of Magic. The wizarding culture in India appears to have some distinct traditions and legal differences compared to Britain. A notable cultural presence was seen at the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, where Harry Potter observed a Witch in the crowd wearing a sari, a traditional Indian garment. This highlights the international and multicultural nature of the global wizarding population. The most significant known difference in magical practice concerns transportation. While Flying Carpets are classified as a banned Muggle artifact in Britain, they are a legal and common form of wizarding transport in India and other parts of the East. The country is home to a thriving carpet-sporting community. An ancient wizarding sport from India, known as Aingingein, was played on flying carpets and involved players attempting to catch a charmed ball, the 'aingin', and throw it through a series of hoops. India is also the native habitat for at least one magical creature, the Occamy. This plumed, two-legged serpentine beast is known to be Choranaptyxic, meaning it can grow or shrink to fit available space.

India's role in the series is primarily for world-building, establishing the global scope and diversity of the Wizarding world. It serves as the ancestral homeland for Hogwarts students Parvati Patil and Padma Patil, providing representation of the wider wizarding diaspora within the school. The country's unique magical customs, particularly the legal use of Flying Carpets as detailed in Quidditch Through the Ages, contrasts with the stricter regulations of the British Ministry of Magic and enriches the reader's understanding of international magical law. The mention of the Occamy in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them further integrates India into the magical ecosystem of the series.

No specific wizarding locations within India, such as enchanted villages or schools, are named in the original seven novels or their supplementary textbooks.

• According to the official Wizarding World website, there are eleven great, prestigious wizarding schools registered with the International Confederation of Wizards. None of these schools are located in India, which suggests that young witches and wizards in the region may be educated at smaller, unlisted magical institutions or through other methods like homeschooling (Wizarding World).
• In the film adaptations, Parvati Patil was portrayed by Shefali Chowdhury, and Padma Patil was portrayed by Afshan Azad. The actresses are of Bangladeshi and British-Indian heritage, respectively, visually cementing the characters' South Asian background (film).