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It depends on what kind of a pilot you want to be. A guy with a PPL or CPL? If CPL, then will that do for major airliners?
First things first, a college degree may not be a mandatory but many major airliners look for pilots with a degree pertaining to science, aviation related fields. It's like an add on to your resume, it helps you to understand concepts easier. But you need to read, write and speak English. I don't need to emphasize that you'll need to be 17+ to apply for single engine aircraft and 16+ for balloons, gliders etc.
Next thing, here in India, you'll need to be at least 5 feet and having a 6/6 vision or vision correctable through glasses, no contact lenses. So, basically a Class 1 medical certificate.
Your real training will start when you will apply for the Private Pilot license. During the course you will be trained to fly an aircraft. An instructor will train you to fly the plane after which you will have to do it on your own. You will need at least 20 hours of solo flying and 40 hours of flying experience with instructor to get the Private Pilot Licence. There is a written test waiting for you too. An instrument rating requires 50 hours of cross country Pilot-in-Command or PIC and 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument conditions. For the commercial certificate, you will need 250 hours total time, 100 hours PIC, 50 hours cross country, and 10 hours of dual instruction in a complex aircraft. You'll need a CPL to fly for the big guys like commercial airliners and cargo.