News Desk
In the bustling streets of Mumbai, where vendors hawk chai and software engineers hustle to meetings, English weaves through conversations like a thread in a vibrant tapestry. India, with its staggering 1.465 billion people, has emerged as a global epicenter of English, boasting an estimated 129 million speakers—potentially 149 million today, if recent population growth holds steady. This linguistic prowess places India second only to the United States in sheer numbers of English speakers, far surpassing the United Kingdom’s 63 million and dwarfing other Commonwealth nations. Yet, as India’s influence on the global spread of English grows, so do questions about equity, access, and the language’s role in a nation of profound diversity.
The story of English in India begins with empire. In the 1830s, British colonial administrators, led by figures like Thomas Babington Macaulay, introduced English instruction to create a class of Indian intermediaries—“Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste,” as Macaulay wrote in his 1835 “Minute on Indian Education.” By 1947, when India gained independence, English had become the de facto lingua franca, retained for administration, law, and education despite the adoption of Hindi as the national language. Today, it remains the sole official language of India’s judiciary and a second official language for government work, a testament to its enduring utility in a nation with over 1,500 languages and dialects.
India’s 129 million English speakers, as recorded in the 2011 census, represent just 10.2% of the population—a figure that belies the language’s outsized influence. Only 259,678 claim English as their mother tongue, while 83 million and 46 million speak it as a second or third language, respectively. Urban centers like Delhi and Bangalore pulse with English, where it’s the currency of tech startups and multinational boardrooms. Yet, in rural India, where 3% of people speak English compared to 12% in cities, the language remains elusive, a privilege often reserved for the educated elite.
To understand India’s role in English, consider the Commonwealth, a 56-nation bloc forged from the British Empire’s ashes. With over 500 million English speakers across its member states, the Commonwealth is a global linguistic powerhouse. India’s 129 million speakers constitute roughly 25-30% of this total, dwarfing the UK’s 63 million, where 98.3% of the population speaks English, mostly as a first language. Nigeria, with 111 million speakers, ranks second in the Commonwealth, followed by Canada (28.8 million) and Australia (21 million). Smaller nations like Jamaica (2.8 million) and Singapore (5.7 million) add to the tally, but India’s sheer scale sets it apart.
Globally, the United States leads with 283 million English speakers, a figure that reflects its population size and English’s status as the primary language. India, however, stands alone among non-native English-speaking nations, its numbers driven by necessity rather than nativity. English is the glue that binds India’s linguistic mosaic, enabling communicatin across states where Hindi, Tamil, or Bengali might not suffice. It’s also a ticket to economic opportunity, with fluent speakers earning 34% higher salaries according to studies cited by Fluency Corp.
Yet, the numbers tell only part of the story. A 2019 survey by Lok Foundation and Oxford University suggested just 6% of Indians speak English, highlighting the challenge of defining “speaker.”
Does it mean fluency, basic proficiency, or something in between? The 2011 census’s broader definition likely inflates India’s count, while surveys emphasizing fluency may understate it.
Regardless, India’s contribution to global English is undeniable, from call centers in Hyderabad to Bollywood films peppered with “Hinglish,” a vibrant blend of Hindi and English.
India hasn’t just adopted English; it’s reshaped it. Words like “bungalow,” “shampoo,” “pundit,” and “jungle” trace their roots to Indian languages, entering English through centuries of trade and conquest. “Ayah,” meaning governess, traveled from Portuguese to Indian languages before embedding itself in English, as noted by BBC Culture.
These linguistic exports, many predating the British Raj, reflect India’s role as a cultural crossroads, where words like “mango” and “curry” found their way into global lexicons via Portuguese traders in 16th-century Goa.
This influence extends beyond vocabulary. Indian English, with its unique cadences and phrases—“kindly do the needful” or “prepone” (to move earlier)—has left its mark on global communication. In neighboring Bhutan, Indian-style education since the 1960s has shaped local English, while India’s outsourcing industry has made its accent a staple in global customer service. “English, as the language of international trade, has empowered India to reap the benefits of a globalized world,” wrote Sahith Aula in the Harvard Political Review, capturing the economic dimension of this linguistic export.
Within the Commonwealth, English’s role varies widely. In the UK, it’s the native tongue, spoken with near-universal fluency. In Nigeria, it’s a second language for most, uniting a nation with over 500 ethnic groups. Canada and Australia, like the UK, have high native-speaker populations, while in countries like Kenya and Uganda, English is an official language but spoken fluently by a minority. The Commonwealth’s 500 million-plus English speakers reflect this diversity, with India’s non-native dominance contrasting with the UK’s native fluency.
India’s scale gives it unique influence. Its 129 million speakers are more than double the UK’s, yet the UK’s cultural and historical role as the “motherland” of English ensures its disproportionate sway. Nigeria’s 111 million speakers, driven by population growth and English’s status as a unifying language, suggest it could rival India in the future. But for now, India’s combination of numbers, economic clout, and linguistic innovation makes it the Commonwealth’s linguistic juggernaut.
Beneath India’s linguistic triumph lies a stark divide. English is a gateway to opportunity, but access is uneven. Urban elites, educated in English-medium schools, dominate high-paying jobs in tech and finance, while rural Indians, often limited to regional-language education, are left behind. “English creates a new caste,” Aula wrote, noting that non-speakers are excluded from elite opportunities.
A 2014 Forbes article painted a grim picture: “Imagine living in a nation where you…are unable to read the label of the medicine you must give your child…This is the world that hundreds of millions of Indians live in simply because the elite prefer English.”(!)
The numbers bear this out. Enrollment in English-medium schools soared 50% from 2008 to 2013, reaching 29 million students, but rural schools often lack English teachers. India’s 2022 EF English Proficiency Index ranking—52nd out of 111 countries, with “moderate proficiency”—reflects this gap. Efforts to bridge it, like making English the medium of instruction in some state schools, falter due to teacher shortages. Meanwhile, Hinglish offers a cultural bridge, blending English with Hindi in pop culture and daily life, but it’s no substitute for formal proficiency.
India’s role in spreading English is poised to grow. Its tech industry, global diaspora, and cultural exports—from Bollywood to literature—carry Indian English worldwide. Within the Commonwealth, India’s 129 million speakers anchor a linguistic community that spans continents, outpacing the UK and rivaling global giants like the US. But the challenge remains: how to democratize English in a nation where it’s both a ladder to success and a barrier to inclusion.
As India navigates this paradox, its linguistic legacy is clear. From colonial imposition to global asset, English has become India’s gift to the world—and a mirror reflecting its aspirations and divides. In the words of the Digital Language Lab, “English is the best tool to provide good opportunity for the learner.” The question is whether India can ensure that opportunity reaches all its people.
Sources
- Census of India 2011, Language Data
- Wikipedia, “List of Countries by English-Speaking Population”
- Fluency Corp, “India’s Relationship with the English Language”
- BBC Culture, “How India Changed the English Language”
- Harvard Political Review, “Redefining Colonial Legacies: India and the English Language”
- Forbes, “The Problem With the English Language in India”
- Worldometers, India Population 2025
- EF English Proficiency Index 2022
