India is harder than China but still possible. I founded 6 religions(except Judaism).
Found Takshashila, initial warrior go to tribal village near Samarkand and Siberia, have him promoted to woodsman II, then go to Beijing, attack China, capture their worker that is working on pig, that's an additional worker, extremely useful. Worker pop village on banana on southern China, go back, warrior fortify at forest hill, that chokes AI, making them build some useless archers and don't attack.
Research agriculture, Takshashila build settler at pop 2(another warrior go to Greece) - wheel - meditation & animal husbandary, settler found Lakhnau on Rice, found Hinduism there, so once its culture hit 500 we can work on spice 4E, then settle Dhaka there.
Takshashila build Stonehenge right after settler, workers mine hills first. Research priesthood - writing - fishing - sailing(you may trade with Carthage). Switch to Caste System and get 3 scientist at Takshashila, use GS to bulb Math --- Confucianism.
Lakhnau should build settler at pop 3, found Pitilnouraml, which will build Great Lighthouse & Moai. 4th settler go to Bang Makok for stone, 5th settle Hanoi, 6th Cochin, 7th Jayakarta, 8th Dhaka, 9th Mumbai.
Then build Oracle for Calendar -- Taoism and happiness. Research aesthetics - literature(for great library). Get another GP to build 1000/1700 theology. Have Lakhnau build Mausollos. When we found the fifth religion we get 12 turns of golden age.
I managed to research currency then divine rights, although unnecessary(we can trade with Mali later). Next time I'll go for civil service first.
Beijing razed by barbs. I conquered Xianggang(Hong Kong) in mid game, and settled Beijing(1e) as 11th city. Don't forget to send a spy to steal tech from Persia and one spy to Europe. Russia vassalized to me.
Beeline for biology. I think the better strategy is: 99% liberalism, sci-method, liberalism.