A new species of Marphysa is described from India using both morphology and molecular data. The new species, Marphysa madrasi, belonging to the Teretiuscula-group, is characterised by having antennae about 2x longer than the prostomium, maxillae II and IV with a relatively large number of teeth (Mx II with 8+9; Mx IV with 7+11), compound spinigers present on a large range of mid-body chaetigers (at least 83–159), and pectinate chaetae present from the first few anterior chaetigers. We discuss all the species of this genus lacking compound falcigers (i.e., those belonging to the Sanguinea-, Mossambica- and Teretiuscula-groups), which have been reported from India and compare them to our new species. Only two accepted species in these groups can be confirmed as occurring in India, M. madrasi n. sp. and M. gravelyi Southern, 1921. We provide a table that summarises the important characters useful to identify species in this group of Marphysa with compound spinigers.