India Ranks 3rd in Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2025

In the Australia-based Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index (API) 2025, India secured third place overall with a comprehensive power score of 40.0 out of 100.

• The Asia Power Index (API) 2025 is an annual assessment published by the Australia-based Lowy Institute, a leading international policy think tank.
• In the 2025 edition of the Asia Power Index, India secured third place overall with a comprehensive power score of 40.0 out of 100, placing it behind only the United States and China.
• This is a significant achievement, as India has crossed the 40-point threshold for the first time, officially entering the category of a “major power” in Asia - a milestone that reflects sustained economic, military, and diplomatic progress.

Asia Power Index

• It measures how effectively countries in the Indo-Pacific region can shape their external environment through economic strength, military capability, diplomacy, cultural influence, resilience, and future resources.
• The index uses 131 quantitative and qualitative indicators across eight thematic areas to rank 27 countries and territories.
• This index includes not only Asian countries, but also extends north to Russia, and into the Pacific region to Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

India’s achievements

• India made significant improvements in its economic capability score in 2025, surpassing Japan to reach third place in this domain. This reflects strong post-pandemic growth, rising foreign investment, and increasing integration into global supply chains.
• Improvements in India’s military capability contributed to its rise. Events such as Operation Sindoor in May 2025 demonstrated enhanced operational efficiency, boosting confidence in India’s defense readiness and combat experience. These gains helped elevate the country’s overall power metrics.
• India also scored highly in the future resources category, which includes demographic advantages (a young population), a growing technology ecosystem, and innovation capacity. These factors point toward long-term potential.
• India continued to strengthen diplomatic ties through strategic partnerships with major powers and regional groupings (such as the Quad and the G20). The government’s focus on economic diplomacy and connectivity also supported its upward trajectory.

Asia Power Index 2025 | Lowy Institute