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A District Magistrate (also known as District Collector or Deputy Commissioner) is an Indian Administrative Service officer who is in-charge of a district, the basic unit of administration, in India. In general parlance, they are referred to by the abbreviation DM or DC. India has approximately 741 districts.

A Sub-Divisional Magistrate is a title which is sometimes given to the head official of a district subdivision, an administrative officer that is sometimes below the level of district, depending on a country's government structure. SDM is generally an officer of state civil service. Additionally, Indian Administrative Service officers selected from UPSC also serve as SDM in their training period. They are also known as Deputy/Assistant Collector or Assistant Commissioner in several Indian states. Each district is divided into tehsil. It is empowered by tax inspector, Collector or District Magistrate. All subdivisions (tehsils) are under the charge of SDM (Sub Divisional Magistrate).

In India, a sub-divisional magistrate has several executive and magisterial roles to play under Criminal Procedure Code 1973.