India is completely contained on the Indian Plate, which is a Tectonic
Plate (Parts of Lithosphere). The Plate was initially not a part of
Asian Continent; rather it was a part of Gondwana Continent. During the
Cretacious Period, which was about 90 years back, the Indian Plate
started to move towards north at 15cm/yr.
After number of Years
in the Cenozoic Area (50-55 million years ago) it finally collided with
the Asian continent. It is today part of the major Indo-Australian
Plate, and includes the subcontinent of India and a portion of the
basin under the Indian Ocean. The total distance the plate covered at
time was 2000 to 3000 km.
The Indian Plate is supposed to have
moved at a rate faster than any other plate in the world. The
scientific reason behind such a fast speed of the plate lies in the
fact that the Indian Plate was only half the size of any other plate in
the Gondwana Continent (an Island). During the collision of Indian
Plate with the Eurasian Plate, which lied along the present day Indian
Nepal border, The Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas were formed.
Presently the Indian Plate is moving at the rate of 5cm/yr, while the
Eurasian Plate is moving much slowly, which is causing the Indian Plate
to compress.