Country life’s beginning in an Indian state (6)
I believe the answer is:
angola
'country' is the definition.
(Angola is an example)
'life's beginning in an indian state' is the wordplay.
'beginning' suggests taking the first letters.
'in' is an insertion indicator.
'indian state' becomes 'goa' (I've seen this in another clue).
The first letter of 'lifes' is 'l'.
'an'+'goa'='angoa'
'l' put inside 'angoa' is 'ANGOLA'.
(Other definitions for angola that I've seen before include "Southwestern African state" , "SW African nation" , "West African country" , "Country of south-western Africa" , "African state (and Department of Health?)" .)