India's performance during Operation Sindoor has boosted it to a "major power" status, with the country maintaining its 3rd position after US and China, according to Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index 2025.
According to the annual Asia Power Index released by the Australia-based think-tank, India has widened its small lead over Japan with its score rising by 0.9 points in 2025.
It is ranked 3rd with a score of 40, behind US (80.4) and China (73.5). Notably, India remains on the cusp of being a military superpower if it crosses the score of 40.
In its report, the think-tank cautioned that India’s vast structural gap with China has grown even further, complicating New Delhi’s long-term ambition of shaping a multipolar regional order.
The annual Asia Power Index — launched by the Lowy Institute in 2018 — measures resources and influence to rank the relative power of states in Asia.
It said that while India’s power in Asia continues to grow steadily, it remains well below the potential of its resources.
The think-tank said that India’s economic and military capability have both increased in the 2025 edition of its Asia Power Index.
"Its economy has continued to grow strongly and made small gains in terms of its geopolitical relevance — defined in terms of international leverage, connectivity, and technology. India’s military capability has also improved steadily," it said.
It credited Operation Sindoor in May 2025, when India struck nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, for the gains this year. Post Operation Sindoor, India was engaged in an intense four-day military escalation with Pakistan. Its missile strikes on key air bases in the neighbouring country proved to be decisive, prompting Pakistani DGMO to reach out to his Indian counterpart for ceasefire.
"For the most part, these gains were from improved expert appraisals of its capability, which were likely influenced by India’s performance in Operation Sindoor, launched in May 2025, which added to India’s recent combat experience," it said.
Notably, India also saw its first-ever rise in rankings for economic relationships since the Index began in 2018.
While its trade ties across Asia remain relatively weak, India overtook China as the second-largest destination for inward investment after the United States, based on cumulative flows over a decade. The shift, Lowy said, was driven by global supply-chain diversification and India’s growing attractiveness as an investment hub.
India also recorded a marginal improvement in diplomatic influence. The Index attributed this to more frequent bilateral engagements and expert views suggesting an improvement in the quality of India’s diplomatic service.
Cultural influence was another bright spot for India. Increased movement of people, rising tourism flows and improved air connectivity strengthened India’s presence across Asia.
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