South India in October

I'm looking to finalise and book my RTW flights in the next few weeks.
I've been playing around with the itinerary as I'm trying to hit the courtiers I'm visiting at the best possible time weather wise.

We don't want to hit New Zealand any later than March and therefore it's working out that I would begin my travels in South India around 7th October.

Is this too early to be visiting Mumbai, Goa, Kerala, Chennai etc?

From everything I've read the monsoon season ends by the beginning of November.
October is seen as a shoulder month.

Will I regret arriving in October and not holding off until November? Or is October actually a really lovely time to be there as the monsoon is clearing and tourism is low?

Will Goa be waking up from the monsoon? Will the backwaters be okay to visit? Will roads and train tracks be clear to travel?
Any advice would be much appreciated?

Rough itinerary below:

London - Delhi - Mumbai : Approx. Thurs 12th Oct / Arrive Fri 13th Oct
6 full weeks in South India

Channai - Bangkok: Approx: Thurs 30th Nov
3 full months in SE Asia

Singapore - Melbourne: end of w/c 12th Feb
2 full weeks in Oz

Sydney - Christchurch: end of w/c 26th Feb
2 full months in NZ

Auckland - San Fran: end of w/c 23rd April
2 full weeks in San Fran

San Fran - London: end of w/c 7th May

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maybe this helps

<snip>

I was in Delhi during monsoon 2014, meaning one shower a day. not even a bad one
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In response to: Msg #201406
Welcome to India! I am from South India and it is a lovely time to be here. If you are here around mid-October, it is Diwali time and the entire country will be in festive mood. Reply to this