Climatic contrasts are just as stark as physiographic contrasts. Despite being a monsoon-dominated region, India's climate exhibits a wide range of climatic variations. While temperatures in Jammu and Kashmir's Dras and Kargil can drop to (-) 400°C during winter nights, temperatures in Chennai can reach 200°C to 250°C. In the summer, the temperature in Barmer, Rajasthan, can reach 480°C to 500°C, while the Himalayas' upper reaches may still be snow-covered. The changes in rainfall patterns are particularly significant. Mawsynram, near Cherrapunji, receives about 1,221 cm of yearly rainfall, compared to merely 12 cm in Jaisalmer. 

Several locations in the Garo hills receive more rainfall in a single day than Jaisalmer does over a ten-year period. People in Mumbai who live in a maritime climate may be unaware of climate extremes. However, because Delhi is located in a continental environment, it must go through the complete seasonal cycle. Natural vegetation ranges from extensive tropical evergreen forests in the Western Ghats, North-Eastern States, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to sparse shrub bush vegetation in the Thar Desert and its surrounding areas as a result of climate variations.

Extremes and diversities in physical characteristics and climatic conditions have resulted in a high level of cultural heterogeneity. The vast uninhabited expanses of Ladakh and the Thar Desert are on one end of the scale, while river valleys and deltas on the other account for some of the world's greatest population densities, all based on a completely agrarian economy. The country's length and breadth contain a rich mosaic of religions, languages, civilizations, and races, making it diverse in character and spirit. The country exhibits all stages of economic development, from the Stone Age to the satellite and computer era. Purely tribal, agricultural, industrial, and commercial economies coexist in large sections of the country. India is often referred to as the "epitome of the world" because of its physical and cultural diversity.