The variability of the Indian summer monsoon on timescales ranging from days to months to years isonly poorly simulated by existing models, pointing to the need to better understand the complex dynamics of this phenomenon. The underlying feedbacks or processes that drive this variability are not well understood. One of the key questions in this regard is whether or not the feedbacks are internal, i.e., specific to the region, or global. We use a simple dynamical model to investigate the main ingredients for capturing the qualitative aspects of the Indian monsoon and variability.