Indian English

Indian English
Native toIndia
RegionSouth Asia
Native speakers
250,000
L2 speakers: 83 million
L3 speakers: 46 million
128 million total speakers (2011)
Early forms
Latin (English alphabet)
Unified English Braille
Official status
Official language in
India
Language codes
ISO 639-1en
ISO 639-2eng
ISO 639-3eng
Glottologindi1255
IETFen-IN

Indian English (IndE, IE) is a group of dialects of the English language spoken in the Republic of India and among the Indian diaspora and is native to India. English is one of the two languages used by the Government of India for communication, and is enshrined in the Constitution of India. English is also an official language in eight states and seven union territories of India, and the additional official language in five other states and one union territory. India has one of the world’s largest English-speaking communities. Furthermore, English is the sole official language of the Judiciary of India, unless the state governor or legislature mandates the use of a regional language, or if the President of India has given approval for the use of regional languages in courts.

Before the dissolution of the British Empire on the Indian subcontinent, the term Indian English broadly referred to South Asian English, also known as British Indian English.