New Delhi: According to the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2025, India is ranked 3rd out of 27 countries for overall power with a score of 40.0 out of 100. India also crossed the important 40-point threshold, confirming its place as a major power in Asia. India’s total score rose by 0.9 points this year, showing steady but moderate improvement.
Strong Areas: Economy and Future Resources
India performed strongly in several key measures:
Economic Capability: Ranked 3rd, rising one place and overtaking Japan. This shows India’s growing economic strength.
Future Resources: Ranked 3rd, reflecting strong long-term potential in population, economy, and military capacity.
Economic Relationships: India climbed to 9th place, its highest ever. A rise in inward investments helped this improvement.
India also saw gains in:
Cultural Influence (+2.8)
Military Capability (+2.2)
Economic Relationships (+1.0)
Diplomatic Influence (+0.5)
These improvements show India’s growing visibility and influence across the region.
Weakest Area: Defence Networks
India’s weakest score is in defence networks, where it ranks 11th.
This measure fell by 2 ranks, with India being overtaken by the Philippines and Thailand.
A weaker defence network means India has fewer strong military partnerships compared to its competitors.
India’s resilience score also dropped by 2.6 points, showing reduced ability to deal with internal or external shocks.
Power Gap Still a Concern
The report says India continues to exert less influence than expected compared to the resources it has. This is shown by a negative Power Gap score, which has grown to its largest gap ever.
This means India has the capability to do more internationally, but its actual impact remains below potential.
India’s Trade Influence
Countries India Trades With Most:
China: 13.3 percent
European Union: 11.0 percent
United States: 10.4 percent
UAE: 8.1 percent
Russia: 6.3 percent
Countries Most Influenced by Indian Trade
Nepal: 58.9 percent
Sri Lanka: 13.7 percent
Russia: 11.0 percent
Bangladesh: 10.3 percent
Myanmar: 5.9 percent
This shows India plays a central economic role for several neighbouring countries.
Category-Wise Rankings
Military Capability: 4th
Resilience: 4th
Future Resources: 3rd
Defence Networks: 11th
Diplomatic Influence: 4th
Cultural Influence: 4th
The report highlights that India’s foreign policy strength ranks 3rd, showing strong global diplomatic engagement.
About the Asia Power Index
The Asia Power Index, launched in 2018, studies how countries influence the region. It covers 27 countries and uses 131 indicators across eight major categories. The 2025 edition also added economic statecraft to measure how well leaders push their countries’ economic interests internationally.
