• Currency 

The currency used in India is the rupee, which is divided into 100 paise. Rupees are available in the following denominations: Notes: Rs 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. Coins: 5, 10, 20, 25 and 50 paise and Rs 1,2 and 5.  One lakh is Rs 100,000, written 1,00,000. One crore is Rs 10,000,000, written 1,00,00,000. You are unlikely to come across paise, but conversely you will find that many people will have difficulty giving change for notes larger than Rs 100. Strictly speaking,you can neither import nor export Indian currency, but the Bureau de Change at First Choice travel agents can obtain it from their wholesaler (American Express).  You can get some at the airport straight away to at least get you transport to your accommodation.  There are Authorized Foreign Exchange dealers in most big cities, and Banks will also change your currency at a fair rate if you have time for the paperwork.  A good way of getting your travellers currency is via an ATM but beware of hidden bank charges, both from the bank providing the ATM and the card-issuing bank - you also don't know what exchange rate you're getting.  As with any country, it's not a good idea to rely solely on taking your bank card as, if this gets lost or stolen, you could be stuck without funds far from home.  Travel insurance tends to insure you only for £200-worth of lost currency so it is safer to take the rest in Travellers Cheques, as these are insured (certainly American Express ones) and will be replaced (usually) in 24 hours of reporting the loss.

• ATMs 

ATMs are found in most tourist destinations and are recommended for cash withdrawls, so if your itinerary includes some far off places, it probably would be a good idea to withdraw some money beforehand.  The average daily limit for withdrawal of money from an ATM is Rs 15,000.  For UK travellers the Nationwide's FlexAccount is one of the few whose debit card allows free foreign transactions. Many others charge a hefty fee and/or load the exchange rate to their benefit. It is far more convenient and safer than cash and cheaper than travellers' cheques. 

• Western Union and Travellers Cheques

Another option is Western Union.  You can receive money this way via any Western Union office.

Distances in the cities make it inconvenient to find a location for exchanging your travellers' cheques, plus it is often hard to find a location where they will exchange travellers' cheques. Hotels don't always give the best rates.

Credit cards

Visa, MasterCard and American Express are usually accepted in tourist hotels and larger shops, though many may try to insist on cash if they can.