List of States and Capitals of India 2026 with Union Territories

India is home to 28 states and 8 Union Territories, each with its own capital, language, and cultural identity. Knowing about the country's states and capitals is important for students, exam aspirants, and anyone who wants to learn about India's geography and government. This guide on Indian States and Capitals 2026 gives you the full list of states, Union Territories, official languages, and key facts like the biggest and smallest regions. It is written in simple words so that it is easy to read and easy to remember.

List of States and Capitals of India 2026

The States and Capitals of India are the main building blocks of the country's government system. Every state has its own government, a Chief Minister, and an Assembly. The capital city of each state is where the main government offices are located.

Here are a few simple points before we look at the full list:

• India has 28 states, and each state has its own capital city.

• India also has 8 Union Territories, which are run in a different way.

• Some states, like Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, have two capitals for different seasons.

• This list is asked very often in school tests, UPSC, SSC, banking, and other exams.

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List of 28 States and Capitals 2026

Here is the full list of States and Capitals of India, given in alphabetical order so it is easy to find and learn:

List of States and Capitals in India 2026
S. No	States	Capitals	Date Of Formation
1	Andhra Pradesh	Amaravati	1st Nov 1956
2	Arunachal Pradesh	Itanagar	20th Feb 1987
3	Assam	Dispur	26th Jan 1950
4	Bihar	Patna	26th Jan 1950
5	Chhattisgarh	Raipur	1st Nov 2000
6	Goa	Panaji	30th May 1987
7	Gujarat	Gandhinagar	1st May 1960
8	Haryana	Chandigarh	1st Nov 1966
9	Himachal Pradesh	Shimla (Summer) Dharamshala (Winter)	25th Jan 1971
10	Jharkhand	Ranchi	15th Nov 2000
11	Karnataka	Bengaluru	1st Nov 1956
12	Kerala	Thiruvananthapuram	1st Nov 1956
13	Madhya Pradesh	Bhopal	1st Nov 1956
14	Maharashtra	Mumbai	1st May 1960
15	Manipur	Imphal	21st Jan 1972
16	Meghalaya	Shillong	21st Jan 1972
17	Mizoram	Aizawl	20th Feb 1987
18	Nagaland	Kohima	1st Dec 1963
19	Odisha	Bhubaneswar	26th Jan 1950
20	Punjab	Chandigarh	1st Nov 1956
21	Rajasthan	Jaipur	1st Nov 1956
22	Sikkim	Gangtok	16th May 1975
23	Tamil Nadu	Chennai	26th Jan 1950
24	Telangana	Hyderabad	2nd June 2014
25	Tripura	Agartala	21st Jan 1972
26	Uttar Pradesh	Lucknow	26th Jan 1950
27	Uttarakhand	Dehradun (Winter) Gairsain (Summer)	9th Nov 2000
28	West Bengal	Kolkata	1st Nov 1956

This easy list of States and Capitals of India helps students learn the facts fast and remember them for a long time.

States and Capitals of India with their Specialities

Every state in the States and Capitals of India list has something special about it. Here are a few simple examples:

• Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram): Known for backwaters, houseboats, and high literacy.

• Rajasthan (Jaipur): Famous for forts, palaces, and the desert

• Punjab (Chandigarh): Known for farming, especially wheat and rice.

• Tamil Nadu (Chennai): Known for dance, temples, and factories.

• Maharashtra (Mumbai): Home to Bollywood and India's money market.

• West Bengal (Kolkata): Known for books, art, and the Howrah Bridge.

• Assam (Dispur): Famous for tea gardens and Kaziranga National Park.

• Sikkim (Gangtok): Known for hill views and organic farming.

• Gujarat (Gandhinagar): Known for business, the Rann of Kutch, and the Statue of Unity.

• Odisha (Bhubaneswar): Known for old temples, dance, and a long coastline.

• Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal): Known for forests, old caves, and tribal culture.

• Karnataka (Bengaluru): Known as India's tech city, along with old palaces and gardens.

These small facts make it easier and more fun to learn about state capitals, since every place has its own story.

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List of 8 Union Territories with Capitals 2026

Apart from the 28 states, India also has 8 Union Territories. Most Union Territories are run directly by the Central Government through an Administrator Governor.

List of Union Territories in India 2026
S.No	Union Territories	Capitals	Formation Date
1	Andaman and Nicobar Islands	Port Blair	1st Nov 1956
2	Chandigarh	Chandigarh	1st Nov 1966
3	Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu	Daman	26th Jan 2020
4	Delhi	New Delhi	9th May 1905
5	Jammu and Kashmir	Srinagar (Summer) Jammu (Winter)	31st Oct 2019
6	Ladakh	Leh	31st Oct 2019
7	Lakshadweep	Kavaratti	1st Nov 1956
8	Puducherry	Pondicherry	1st Nov 1954

Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh became separate Union Territories in 2019. Dadra and Nagar Haveli joined with Daman and Diu in 2020 to become one Union Territory. This is why India now has 28 states and 8 Union Territories.

States and Capitals with Official Languages of India

Language is a big part of every state's identity in India. Most states have one or more official languages used for government work and schools. Here are some examples:

S. No.	States	Language
1	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu and Urdu
2	Arunachal Pradesh	Miji, Apotanji, Merdukpen, Tagin, Adi, Honpa, Banging-Nishi
3	Assam	Assamese
4	Bihar	Hindi
5	Chhattisgarh	Hindi
6	Goa	Marathi Konkani
7	Gujarat	Gujarati
8	Haryana	Hindi
9	Himachal Pradesh	Hindi and Pahari
10	Jharkhand	Hindi
11	Karnataka	Kannada
12	Kerala	Malayalam
13	Madhya Pradesh	Hindi
14	Maharashtra	Marathi
15	Manipur	Manipuri
16	Meghalaya	Khashi, Jaintia, and Garo
17	Mizoram	Mizo and English
18	Nagaland	Ao, Konyak, Angami, Sema, and Lotha
19	Odisha	Oriya
20	Punjab	Punjabi
21	Rajasthan	Rajasthani and Hindi
22	Sikkim	Bhutia, Hindi, Nepali, Lepcha, Limbu
23	Tamil Nadu	Tamil
24	Telangana	Telugu
25	Tripura	Bengali, Tripuri, Manipuri, Kakborak
26	Uttar Pradesh	Hindi
27	Uttarakhand	Hindi
28	West Bengal	Bengali

As per the Constitution, states can pick one or more official languages for their own use, based on what most people in that state speak. Hindi and English are used by the central government. This mix of languages is one reason India feels so rich and diverse, with each state keeping its own language alive alongside a shared national identity.

Each State and Capital of India 2026 pair also has its own language, which adds to the country's cultural mix. This is why India is called a land of many languages living together.

States vs Union Territories in India

Many students mix up states and Union Territories, so here is a simple comparison:

Basis	States	Union Territories
Governance	Own elected government with a Chief Minister	Mostly run by the Centre through an Administrator or Lieutenant Governor
Legislature	Has its own Assembly	Only a few (Delhi, Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir) have an Assembly
Freedom	More freedom to make own rules	Less freedom; depends on the Central Government
How they are formed	Made through laws passed for state reorganisation	Made for administrative, strategic, or cultural reasons
Examples	Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab	Delhi, Chandigarh, Ladakh
Number in India	28	8

Union Territories were first made to bring small or important areas under direct central control, so that rules stay the same everywhere. Over time, some Union Territories, like Delhi and Puducherry, were given their own Assembly, but they are still under the central government.

This difference is a key part of understanding the States and Capitals of India, and it is often asked in civics and general knowledge exams.

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Largest State in India 2026

Rajasthan, with its capital at Jaipur, is the largest state in India by area. It covers about 3,42,239 square kilometres. Known for the Thar Desert, big forts, and Rajputana culture, Rajasthan is on top of the States and Capitals of India 2026 list when we look at land area.

Largest State in India by Population 2026

When we look at population, Uttar Pradesh, with its capital at Lucknow, is at the top of the State and Capital of India 2026 list. It is the most populated state in the country, home to more than 20 crore people, and plays a big role in India's politics and economy.

Largest State in India by Population
S. No.	State	Population (As per Census 2011)
1	Uttar Pradesh	199,812,341
2	Maharashtra	112,374,333
3	Bihar	104,099,452
4	West Bengal	91,276,115
5	Madhya Pradesh	72,626,809
6	Tamil Nadu	72,147,030
7	Rajasthan	68,548,437
8	Karnataka	61,095,297
9	Gujarat	60,439,692
10	Andhra Pradesh	49,577,103
11	Orissa	41,974,218
12	Telangana	35,003,674
13	Kerala	33,406,061
14	Jharkhand	32,988,134
15	Assam	31,205,576
16	Punjab	27,743,338
17	Chhattisgarh	25,545,198
18	Haryana	25,351,462
19	Uttarakhand	10,086,292
20	Himachal Pradesh	6,864,602
21	Tripura	3,673,917
22	Meghalaya	2,966,889
23	Manipur	2,855,794
24	Nagaland	1,978,502
25	Goa	1,458,545
26	Arunachal Pradesh	1,383,727
27	Mizoram	1,097,206
28	Sikkim	610,577

Smallest State in India 2026

Goa, with its capital at Panaji, is the smallest state in India by area. Even though it is small, Goa is a very popular place for tourists, known for its beaches and old buildings. When it comes to population, Sikkim has the fewest people, but Goa stays the smallest by land area in the State and Capital of India 2026 list.

Smallest State in India by Population 2026

Sikkim has the lowest population among all Indian states. As per the 2011 Census, its population is approximately 6.11 lakh. Situated in northeastern India the state is known for its beautiful landscapes, mountains, and biodiversity.

Largest Union Territory in India 2026

Ladakh, with its capital at Leh, is the largest Union Territory in India by area. Known for its cold desert land, Buddhist monasteries, and high mountain passes, Ladakh became a separate Union Territory in 2019 and is the biggest name in the States and Capitals of India 2026 list of Union Territories.

Largest Union Territory in India by Population 2026

By population, Delhi (National Capital Territory) is the largest Union Territory in India. As the capital of the country and a big city, Delhi's population runs into crores, making it much more crowded than any other Union Territory in the State and Capital of India 2026 list.

Largest Union Territory in India by Population
S. No.	Union Territory	Population (as per 2011 Census)
1	Delhi	16,787,941
2	Jammu and Kashmir	12,541,302
3	Ladakh	12,541,302
4	Puducherry	1,247,953
5	Chandigarh	1,055,450
6	Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu	5,86,956
7	Andaman and Nicobar Islands	380,581
8	Lakshadweep	64,473

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Smallest Union Territory in India 2026

Lakshadweep, with its capital at Kavaratti, is the smallest Union Territory in India, both in area and population. This group of small islands in the Arabian Sea is known for clear water and coral reefs, making it the smallest name in the State and Capital of India list.

7 Sister States of India with Their Capitals

The North-East part of India is often called the "Seven Sisters," a group of seven states known for their beauty, tribal culture, and nature. Here is the list: