Organised crime in India is a reference to organised crime elements originating in India and active in many parts of the world. The purpose of organised crime in India, as elsewhere in the world, is monetary gain. Its virulent form in modern times is due to several socio-economic and political factors and advances in science and technology. There is no firm data to indicate the number of organised criminal gangs operating in the country, their membership, their "modus operandi" and the areas of their operations. Their structure and leadership patterns may not strictly fall in the classical Italian mafia.