The tribes of India are classified into different groups on the basis of geographical location, language, race and levels of their socioeconomic development.

The tribes of India form an important part of Indian population. Tribal population in India constitutes 8.2% of Indian Population according to Census of India, 2001. The census of 2001 estimated their population at 84, 326, and 240.

India has the largest total tribal population compared to any other country in the world. The large tribal population of India is not a homogeneous group. It is composed of a number of different tribes.

The people of India project conducted under the auspices of the Anthropological Survey of India enumerated 461 tribal communities, of which 174 have been identified as sub-groups. Our Constitution recognizes 212 tribes and these tribes are found in different parts of the county. According to the Scheduled Tribes list modification order, 1956; there are 414 tribes in India

Classification of Tribes on the Basis of Geographical Location:

The tribal population in India is widely dispersed. Hence, there is concern among scholars to arrange the tribes along regions. There is no single, definite and acceptable way of classifying the regions inhabited by the tribes. The more commonly used classifications are: The Himalayan region, middle India, Western India, South India and Islands (Vidyarthi) or North-Eastern India, middle India, Southern India, North-Western Himalayas, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Singh). However, the administrative boundaries do not necessarily coincide with the demarcation of traditional habitats. Territorially, tribes in India are divided into