She grew up with her several brothers at the opulent Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Baroda, and was betrothed at a young age to Madho Rao Scindia, the then Maharaja of Gwalior.

During the period of engagement, Indira attended the Delhi durbar of 1911, where she met the Jitendra, younger brother of the then Maharaja of Cooch Behar.

Indira knew that her parents would be aghast; many issues were involved: the diplomatic repercussions of breaking a standing engagement with the Scindia ruler of Gwalior, one of the premier 21-gun-salute princes of India; the scandal and universal opprobrium that would certainly ensue; also the fact that Jitendra was the younger son and thus unlikely ever to become king.

Indira's parents apparently regarded Jitendra as a playboy from a feckless family; they even ventured to summon him and give him a personal warning to stay away.

They were wed by the rites of the Brahmo Samaj, the sect to which Jitendra's mother, Suniti Devi, daughter of Keshub Chunder Sen, adhered.

It happened that at the time of the wedding, Jitendra's elder brother, Rajendra Narayan, the Maharaja of Cooch Behar, was grievously ill.

Her administrative skills were deemed by observers very mediocre, but Indira quickly gained a reputation for her highly-active social life, and spent prolonged periods of time in Europe and away from Cooch Behar.