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.
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