International Driving Permit

yes.

if it is on the web it is probably not official.

We had a similar question from India last year and it turned out that the procedure for obtaining a proper one is a bit complicated in India.

You need to obtain it before leaving India.

You will likely not need to show an IDP to rent a car, just a driver's license. The rental car company won't care about this. Who will care, however, is the police as it is the law that you have one.

It is possible for tourists and foreigners to obtain an IDP in Austria at the local OeAMTC office (similar to AAA in the US). There is such an office on the Ring in Vienna and in other locations throughout the country.

Here is the link to that office:

http://www.oeamtc.at/portal/schubertring+2500+1323069+500414+1941?env=c2VhcmNoPVlteGtQVmRwWlc0NmEyRjBQVkpsYVhObFlzTzhjbTglMjUzRA

Thank you Emily. What is the approx. fees to obtain a IDP from Vienna/Austria ? Any specific documents they ask for ?

You should contact that office directly to ask those questions.

It doesn't look like the auto club is as widely distributed in India as in the USA. Currently, WIAA offers this service at Mumbai, Pune & Ahmedabad. Otherwise the application is processed by your local RTO and does require more documentation than we need here in the USA. See also: http://rto.kar.nic.in/IDP-PROCcss.html

Marginata- yes, that is correct. The IDP has nothing to do with where you are from - it is an international document essentially verifying your license. We are from the US and my husband and I both got our IDP at the office I listed above in Vienna. That said, I encouraged the OP to contact that office directly. If you have direct experience, please share, Marginata.

I'm not trying to argue with you, but honestly I know the difference between switching out a license and getting an IDP. We got our IDPs here in Austria at the OeAMTC when we first moved here. We said we were tourists. Months later (by law for residents within 6 months), we went through the very lengthy process of getting actual Austrian driver's licenses. Trust me that I know the difference as one takes 5 minutes and one takes weeks. Again, what is your direct experience?

Again, I am sharing my experience and a suggestion - not advice. I have suggested that the OP contact OeAMTC themselves to see if this is even possible!