Tier 3 · Legal but discreet#17 in tier 3
India
Decriminalized in 2018 (Navtej Johar). The Supreme Court declined to legalize marriage in 2023 and dismissed the review in January 2025.
- Same-sex activity
- Legal
- Recognition
- No legal recognition
- Region
- Asia
- Confidence
- High
- Reviewed
- September 2026
Travel advice
Go with your eyes open. Keep affection private, use apps carefully, and stick to venues locals recommend.
Check the UK FCDO or US State Department advice before you book.
Where the boys go
Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru.
Method
Tiered on the legal status and social acceptance of gay men and LGB people using ILGA World, the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Human Dignity Trust, the Williams Institute, Pew, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index, Equaldex and court rulings. Where two tiers are plausible we choose the more cautious one. How we tier. Last reviewed September 2026.