The President of India is the head of the Indian Government. He is elected indirectly, for a period of five years, by an electoral college consisting of the elected members of both houses of parliament and the legislatures of states.
The President of India is the head of the armed forces and the business of government is run in his name. He is a constitutional head, who has the right and duty to advise or warn, but has to act in accordance with the advice of the council of ministers - in practice, the prime minister.