Cincinnati Reds Minor leagues India was considered one of the top prospects for the
2018 Major League Baseball draft, and was selected fifth overall by the
Cincinnati Reds. India signed with the Reds for $5.3 million, and began his professional career with the
Greeneville Reds of the
Rookie League Appalachian League, where he batted .261 with three home runs. He was moved to the
Billings Mustangs of the
Pioneer League on July 26 to get playing time at
shortstop. He hit .250 with two singles in three games for Billings. On July 30, India was promoted to the
Single–A Midwest League Dayton Dragons and ended the season there, batting .229 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 27 games. India began 2019 with the
Daytona Tortugas of the
High–A Florida State League (FSL). In June, he participated in the FSL All-Star game. On July 22, the Reds promoted India to the
Chattanooga Lookouts of the
Double–A Southern League after batting .256 with 8 home runs and 30 RBI in 87 games with Daytona.
Baseball America named him the No. 51 prospect in 2019. After the season, he played in
Arizona Fall League (AFL). He in the AFL after hitting .133/.254/.333 with three home runs in 18 games. India did not participate in any games during the 2020 season due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Major leagues 2021 season On March 31, 2021, the Reds announced India would make his major league debut on
Opening Day after being selected to make the team by way of a strong showing in spring training. Buzz about the move surfaced several days prior to the announcement, after his mother prematurely congratulated him on Instagram. On April 1, India was formally selected to the 40-man roster, and made his major league debut as the Opening Day starting second baseman. After striking out in his first at–bat, India got his first major league hit in his second, a double down the left field line off of
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Jack Flaherty, and also collected a single off of
Ryan Helsley in at bat number three. India established a Reds rookie record by recording 7 RBI in the first five games of his career. On April 22, 2021, India hit his first career home run at home against the
Arizona Diamondbacks. On July 30, India had his first multi-home run game, hitting two homers to help beat the
New York Mets, 6–2. On August 4, 2021, India was awarded July NL Rookie of the Month. India slashed .319/.470/.527 with four home runs and 12 RBIs over 25 games. India finished the 2021 season batting .269/.376/.459 with 21 home runs, 69 RBIs and 98 runs scored. He swung at a lower percentage of pitches in the strike zone than any other major leaguer, at 58.2%. India was named the
Baseball America Rookie of the Year for the 2021 season. India won the
Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award for the
National League, becoming the first Red to earn it since
Scott Williamson in 1999. Further, he was nearly the unanimous winner from the
Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) of the
Jackie Robinson National League
Rookie of the Year Award. He was also named by his fellow players as the
"Players Choice Awards" National League Outstanding Rookie. He won the
NL Rookie of the Year Award in a near unanimous-vote, receiving 29 of 30 first-place votes.
2022–2024 The Reds and India agreed to a $760,000 salary for the 2022 season, a 33% increase over his rookie salary. On April 16, against the
Colorado Rockies, India left the game with a right hamstring injury, and was placed on the injured list (IL). After returning on April 26, he went back on the IL on May 1. The injury kept India sidelined throughout May, until he was able to begin a rehab assignment on June 7. He hit a fifth-inning grand slam off
Zach Pop of the
Miami Marlins on July 25, his first career grand slam. On August 13, against the
Chicago Cubs during the
Field of Dreams Game, India was hit by a pitch in his
calf, which later caused him to be airlifted to a local hospital due to
compartment syndrome. Medical staff told India that if his injury had gone untreated for much longer, he potentially could have suffered permanent loss of at least part of his calf muscle. On September 3, against the Rockies, India recorded his first career walk-off hit, a single off of
Alex Colomé. India finished the regular season with a .249 average, 10 home runs, and 41 RBIs. India hit for 17 home runs, 61 RBI, and a .244 average in 119 games in 2023. India and the Reds agreed to a two-year contract on February 9, 2024, and avoided salary arbitration. In 151 games for Cincinnati, he slashed .248/.357/.392 with 15 home runs, 58 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. In October 2024, India underwent ankle surgery.
Kansas City Royals On November 22, 2024, the Reds traded India and
Joey Wiemer to the
Kansas City Royals in exchange for
Brady Singer. On April 25, 2025, India recorded his 500th career hit with a single to left field against the
Houston Astros. On July 26, in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the
Cleveland Guardians, India hit a three-run walk-off home run off closer
Emmanuel Clase to give the Royals a 5-3 extra innings victory. It was the first walk-off homer of his career. In 136 appearances for Kansas City during the regular season, India batted .233/.323/.346 wi the nine home runs and 45 RBI. India made 17 appearances for the Royals during the 2026 season, slashing .167/.310/.313 with two home runs and eight RBI. On April 28, 2026, it was announced that India had undergone season-ending surgery to repair a labrum injury in his left shoulder. ==Personal life==