Well there you go then!

I'd say start with "The Discovery of India" by Jawaharlal Nehru". Nehru was India's first Prime Minister, so it would make sense reading a history from his perspective vs. that of some white European.

A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India by Upinder Singh also sounds fascinating, though I have not read it.

I'm told that, as far as white European perspectives go, "India: A History" by John Keay is very good. As is "The Wonder That Was India" by A.L. Basham. The latter book sounds like the focus is on pre-Muslim India, and the phrasing of the title in THAT context sounds like it could be problematic.

Now, that being said, I'd argue you might also want to find histories of the other countries around India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Burma. But I don't have good sources there.

One other thing: India has a deep religious and mythological history. You'd want to be aware of the content of the Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, and Mahabharata. But that's a MASSIVE amount of original texts to read first hand and I'm not sure of what the best translations there are.

I really want to get my hands on the comic book adaptation but I haven't pulled the trigger yet:

https://us.amarchitrakatha.com/products/epics-mytho-pack-of-25