The team was led by Balbir Singh Sr, who had established himself, by that time, as one of the greatest ever hockey players.
India was dealt a heartbreaking 1-0 loss against Pakistan in the final, but it was the fourth successive campaign that they had won a medal.
Fans were over the moon with the 1948 success but there were doubts regarding whether the nation could repeat the 1928-1936 hat-trick.
The 1948 London Olympics saw India winning a gold medal for the first time as an independent nation.