India surpasses Japan to become third powerful country in Asia for the first time

For the first time, India has overtaken Japan to bag the third spot, in the list of countries in terms of its power in Asia. The Asia Power Index Report 2024 curated by Australian think tank Lowy Institute, suggests that India’s power in the continent is growing. 

The index, measuring the resources and influence to rank the ‘relative power of states in Asia’, ranks 27 countries and territories in terms of their capacity to shape their external environment. The index measures eight aspects: military capability, defence networks, economic capability and relationships, diplomatic and cultural influence, resilience and future resources. 

The report added that India is yet to reach its full potential, and its influence remains well below the levels promised by its resources. The Lowy Institute stated that India still has potential for further growth as a major power.

In its latest rankings, the United States and China rank in the first and second positions. 

“India’s great strength in Asia is the resources it brings from its huge population, landmass, and economy,” according to the Asia Power Index Report 2024.

The strong post-Covid-19 economic growth pushed India’s economic capability by 4.2 points. It also grew well in all other resource measures, especially future resources, where its score increased by 8.2 points. This growth reflects that India’s youthful population may deliver a demographic dividend over the decades ahead, unlike many other countries in Asia, including rival China, that are rapidly aging and whose workforces are contracting.

India saw improvements in resilience, economic capability, diplomatic influence, and military capability over last year. However, the gains in these areas were offset by losses in economic relationships and cultural influence. Despite this, India's overall score increased due to the different weights assigned to each category.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has garnered greater international recognition. India’s non-aligned strategic posture has allowed New Delhi to navigate complex international waters effectively. India ranked 6th in terms of diplomatic dialogues in 2023, reflecting its active engagement in multilateral forums.