Documents (hand luggage)
Passport and visa, admission letter, fee receipts, original certificates and transcripts, passport photos, insurance documents, and printed and digital copies of everything.
Clothes
Light cotton clothes for hot months, a jacket and warm layers for winter (northern India can be cold from December to February), rain gear for the monsoon, and modest outfits for formal and religious places.
Electronics
A laptop, an unlocked phone, chargers and a universal plug adapter. India commonly uses Type C, D and M sockets at 230V.
Health
A supply of your regular medication with prescriptions, a small first-aid kit and insect repellent.
A taste of home
Some favourite spices or snacks (check customs rules), photos and small reminders of home help with homesickness in the first weeks.
Leave at home
Bulky bedding, kitchen items and furniture, which are easy and cheap to buy in India.
Next: your first week in India.