Plants stemless perennial herbs, rhizomatous and stoloniferous, about 5-12 cm tall; rhizomes slender, short, stout and densely articulated; stolons at the nodes, up to 20 cm long. Leaves petiolate, stipulate, simple; stipules persistent, lanceolate-ovate, margins entire, tips acuminate, persistent; petioles slender, slightly winged above, up to 10 cm long; blades simple, basal, ovate-lanceolate to ovate-oblong, 2-6 cm long, 1.5-4 cm wide, bases cordate, margins crenate-serrate, tips acute to subacuminate, surfaces glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Flowers axillary, pedicellate, bisexual, bilaterally symmetric, usually dimorphic, chasmogamous flowers conspicuous and larger than cleistogamous flowers; chasmogamous flowers: pedicels 3-11 cm long, equal or longer than petioles, with 2 bracteoles at about midlength; sepals 5, subequal, persistent, 4-6 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, ovate-lanceolate to oblong, bases usually auriculate, margins scarious or ciliate; corollas violet or purplish with dark striations, fragrant, about 1.2-1.5 cm across; petals 5, 4 subequal, lower petal in each flower larger and spurred, limbs oblong-ovate, spreading, about 1.5 cm long, lateral petals smooth, not bearded at the base, lowest petal spurred basally, spur stout, slightly curved upwards, about 8 mm long; stamens 5, filaments short, anthers 2-loculed; ovaries superior, ovoid-globose, sessile, 3-carpellary, glabrous, about 2 mm long; placentae parietal, ovules many; styles 1, geniculate at base, stigmas shortly beaked. Fruits capsules, not seen.
Viola indica is known from a few locations in the western Himalayas where it grows on rocky slopes at 1300-2400 m. There are two records for Pakistan in GIBF, one from Nathia Gali, the other from Chitral.