Kumar was picked as the fourth seamer in a squad containing Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra, who overcame fitness concerns to win selection for the T20 World Cup, which starts April 30 in the Caribbean.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was also included, while leg spinner Piyush Chawla was recalled after a lengthy absence from international cricket.
The 26-year-old Vinay has played in 35 Twenty20 matches, including his time with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, before earning national selection.
His eight wickets is the second highest in the ongoing IPL season.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead the squad, with Virender Sehwag as vice captain.
Dhoni will have a back up wicketkeeper in Dinesh Karthik.
"The best team has been selected. I am very confident this time we will do very well," chief selector Kris Srikkanth told reporters. "Our batting line up is very powerful. In the West Indies, the wicket conditions are generally like what the Indian conditions are. It will suit our kinds of bowlers and batsmen."
India won the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007, but was ousted in the semifinals last year.
India is grouped with South Africa and Afghanistan in the group stage. The top two teams advance to the knockout round.
India Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice captain), Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, R Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Dinesh Karthik.
