In India, graduation refers to completing a bachelors degree program in any field, such as B.A., B.Com, B.Sc, B.Tech, B.E, or MBBS. Graduation can be pursued after passing the Higher Secondary Examination (the Standard 12 examination) and is considered the first or tertiary degree that allows students to proceed further in higher education. According to the latest 2011 Census, about 8.15% of Indians are graduates, with the Union Territories of Chandigarh and Delhi topping the list with 24.65% and 22.56% of their population being graduates, respectively.

Indian higher education has expanded rapidly in recent years, with nearly 20,000 colleges and more than 8 million students added in a decade from 2000-01 to 2010-11. However, Indian education is primarily marks-based and theoretical in nature, with minimal emphasis on practical experience, soft skills training, and English writing skills. Indian education also has its own limitations, such as a lack of soft skills training, minimal emphasis on English writing, and difficulty in finding jobs without practical training.

Graduation in India is celebrated with a graduation ceremony, which marks the achievement of a significant level of economic and food security and social integration. However, there has been debate within the community of graduation practitioners about what it means beyond that, such as whether it is necessary for participants to become completely self-reliant. The definition of graduation in India has been updated to better reflect the context of integration into government programs and the services and support that the government has committed to providing to program participants.