The records in the National Archives of India are broadly of four categories:

• Public Records
• Oriental Records
• Manuscripts
• Private Papers

These are in English, Arabic, Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Modi, Urdu etc., Apart from records on paper, we also have records on palm leaf, birch bark, etc. These records throw light on the activities of the later Mughals, the East India Company and British Rule and the emergence and growth of the freedom struggle in India and the activities of independent Indian Government. Apart from administrative history of the country, they also shed valuable light on our political, socio-economic, and cultural life. The public records holdings in the National Archives are in a regular series from the year 1748 onwards though there are stray records of the earlier period as well. In addition, there is a rich collection of Private Papers and more than 7500 microfilm rolls of records acquired from different countries such as Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Myanmar, United Kingdom, United States, France, Russia etc.

The total holdings in the custody of National Archives of India comprise the following ;

• 45,97,604 files
• 64,221 volumes’
• 1,10,332 maps and cartographic items
• 3,601 Bills assented to by the President(s) of India
• 1,065 Treaties
• 2,442 rare manuscripts