In a major boost to New Delhi's global standing, India has attained "major power" status on the Asia Power Index-2025, powered by its strong economic growth and military capability based on its performance in Operation Sindoor. The country has secured third place in the world ranking, only behind the United States and China, which stand at first and second place respectively. The annual Asia Power Index measures resources and influence to rank the relative power of states in Asia.&nbsp;As per the latest standings released by the Australia-based think tank Lowy Institute, the top five nations in terms of comprehensive power this year are the United States, China, India, Japan and Russia. The United States has retained its position as the most powerful country in Asia; however, its overall power has declined significantly since the launch of the Asia Power Index in 2018. Meanwhile, India’s western neighbour, Pakistan, did not find a place in the top ten. It ranked at number 16 on the list.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/defence-ministry-to-seek-20-rise-in-allocation-in-upcoming-budget-report-1764337131263">Defence Ministry to seek 20% rise in allocation in upcoming budget: Report</a>&nbsp;The rankings also pointed out that there remain gaps in India's ambitions and the reality of continued limits on its influence, especially in comparison to its northern neighbour, China. New Delhi stood at the third point with a score of 40 behind the US (80.40) and China (73.5). It has widened its small lead over Japan, with its score rising by 0.9 points in 2025.&nbsp;Other major observations of the rankings are that India stands at the brink of attaining military superpower status if it crosses the score of 40. India was ranked among middle powers in the Asia Power Index-2024 with a comprehensive power score of 38.1, which increased marginally to reach the threshold of a “major power”.&nbsp;Also Read: ‘<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-absolutely-no-problem-tejas-is-among-safest-aircraft-in-the-world-hal-chief-after-dubai-crash-1764328481797">Absolutely no problem; Tejas is among safest aircraft in the world’: HAL chief after Dubai crash</a>&nbsp;Moreover, India has also witnessed its first time rise in rankings for economic relationship since the Index began in 2018. Lowly institute in its report stated, “India's economic and military capabilities have both increased in the 2025 edition of the 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.”<h2>Impact of Operation Sindoor</h2>The Index attributed India's rise in military capability to Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7, 2025, in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. Indian Armed Forces responded with precision strikes targeting nine terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Institute observed, “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."&nbsp;

India’s rise is attributed to its robust economic growth and its strong military performance during Operation Sindoor. The country has also surpassed China, becoming the leading destination for inward investment.

In a major boost to New Delhi's global standing, India has attained "major power" status on the Asia Power Index-2025, powered by its strong economic growth and military capability based on its performance in Operation Sindoor. The country has secured third place in the world ranking, only behind the United States and China, which stand at first and second place respectively. The annual Asia Power Index measures resources and influence to rank the relative power of states in Asia. As per the latest standings released by the Australia-based think tank Lowy Institute, the top five nations in terms of comprehensive power this year are the United States, China, India, Japan and Russia. The United States has retained its position as the most powerful country in Asia; however, its overall power has declined significantly since the launch of the Asia Power Index in 2018. Meanwhile, India’s western neighbour, Pakistan, did not find a place in the top ten. It ranked at number 16 on the list. Also Read: Defence Ministry to seek 20% rise in allocation in upcoming budget: Report The rankings also pointed out that there remain gaps in India's ambitions and the reality of continued limits on its influence, especially in comparison to its northern neighbour, China. New Delhi stood at the third point with a score of 40 behind the US (80.40) and China (73.5). It has widened its small lead over Japan, with its score rising by 0.9 points in 2025. Other major observations of the rankings are that India stands at the brink of attaining military superpower status if it crosses the score of 40. India was ranked among middle powers in the Asia Power Index-2024 with a comprehensive power score of 38.1, which increased marginally to reach the threshold of a “major power”. Also Read: ‘Absolutely no problem; Tejas is among safest aircraft in the world’: HAL chief after Dubai crash Moreover, India has also witnessed its first time rise in rankings for economic relationship since the Index began in 2018. Lowly institute in its report stated, “India's economic and military capabilities have both increased in the 2025 edition of the 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.” Impact of Operation Sindoor The Index attributed India's rise in military capability to Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7, 2025, in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. Indian Armed Forces responded with precision strikes targeting nine terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Institute observed, “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."

India’s rise is attributed to its robust economic growth and its strong military performance during Operation Sindoor. The country has also surpassed China, becoming the leading destination for inward investment.

India emerges as ‘major power’ only behind US and China in Asia Power Index | Know where Pakistan stands

The United States, China, and Russia hold the top three Global Firepower Index rankings in military strength. India is fourth, supported by a $75 billion defence budget and ongoing modernisation efforts. Saudi Arabia, the UK, and Japan round out the top seven powers in 2025.

Global Firepower Index: Top 7 countries ranked by military strength - Is India among the top 5?

The United States took the first spot in Global Firepower's Military Strength Rankings 2024, followed by Russia and China. India clinched fourth sport, above the United Kingdom and Japan. Bhutan is at the bottom of the list with a power index of 6.3704.&nbsp;

Global Firepower's rankings are based on the evaluation of 145 countries, considering over 60 individual factors such as troop numbers, military equipment, financial stability, geographic location, and available resources.&nbsp;

All the mentioned factors are taken into consideration to determine a particular country's PowerIndex ('PwrIndx') score, with categories ranging from the quantity of military and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography.&nbsp;

In a statement on its website, Global Firepower said that "our unique, in-house formula allows for smaller, more technologically advanced nations to compete with larger, lesser-developed powers, and special modifiers, in the form of bonuses and penalties, are applied to further refine the list, which is compiled annually".&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-missing-us-navy-seals-were-on-mission-to-stop-iranian-weapons-bound-for-houthi-rebels-us-680621">Two missing US Navy SEALs were on mission to stop Iranian weapons bound for Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;

<h2>Here's the list of the top 10 countries with the most powerful militaries&nbsp;</h2>

1. United States 
Power Index: 0.0699&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Total Military Personnel (est): 2,127,500

2. Russia 
Power Index: 0.0702&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Total Military Personnel (est): 3,570,000

3. China 
Power Index: 0.0706&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Total Military Personnel (est): 3,170,000

4. India 
Power Index: 0.1023&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Total Military Personnel (est): 5,137,550

5. South Korea&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Power Index: 0.1416&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Total Military Personnel (est): 3,820,000

6. United Kingdom 
Power Index: 0.1443&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Total Military Personnel (est): 1,108,860

7. Japan 
Power Index: 0.1601&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Total Military Personnel (est): 328,150

8. Turkey 
Power Index: 0.1697&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Total Military Personnel (est): 883,900

9. Pakistan&nbsp; 
Power Index: 0.1711&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Total Military Personnel (est): 1,704,000

10. Italy 
Power Index: 0.1863&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Total Military Personnel (est): 289,000

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-launches-barrage-of-missile-strikes-in-iraq-and-syria-680336">Iran launches barrage of missile strikes in northern Iraq and Syria; US condemns attacks</a>&nbsp;

Forbes India cited a report by the World Bank to take a detailed look at how much the nations are investing in their militaries.&nbsp;

For example, America's military spending is said to be $876 billion and it's on top of the Power Index list because of the country's commanding dominance in key material, financial, and resource categories. It is also a leading player in technological advancements, excelling in the medical, aerospace, and computer/telecom sectors. As per the report, the US has 13,300 aircraft, with 983 being attack helicopters.&nbsp;

Russia stood at second position based on its advanced technology and strategic global influence. They have a significant and well-trained military force, but the Russian forces have been criticised for the reported shortcomings in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Global economic risks in 2024: Top risk is the war in West Asia&nbsp;

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China is at the number three spot and the nation has made significant attempts to improve its navy, airpower, and land warfare capabilities, mostly from domestic sources. Its military spending is around $292 billion.&nbsp;

As for India, the report mentioned that its military spending is around $81.3 billion. It has a growing focus on digitisation and modernisation, and in recent years, it has increased its defence budget significantly.&nbsp;

Last year, India proposed $72.6 billion in defence spending for the 2023-24 financial year, which was 13 per cent up from the previous period's initial estimates. It aimed to add more fighter jets and roads along its tense border with China. As per the report, India possesses a total of 2,210 aircraft, 4,614 tanks, and 295 assets in terms of naval forces.

The United States took the first spot in Global Firepower's Military Strength Rankings 2024, followed by Russia and China. India clinched fourth sport, above the United Kingdom and Japan.

The United States took the first spot in Global Firepower's Military Strength Rankings 2024, followed by Russia and China. India clinched fourth sport, above the United Kingdom and Japan. Bhutan is at the bottom of the list with a power index of 6.3704. Global Firepower's rankings are based on the evaluation of 145 countries, considering over 60 individual factors such as troop numbers, military equipment, financial stability, geographic location, and available resources. All the mentioned factors are taken into consideration to determine a particular country's PowerIndex ('PwrIndx') score, with categories ranging from the quantity of military and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography. In a statement on its website, Global Firepower said that "our unique, in-house formula allows for smaller, more technologically advanced nations to compete with larger, lesser-developed powers, and special modifiers, in the form of bonuses and penalties, are applied to further refine the list, which is compiled annually". Also read: Two missing US Navy SEALs were on mission to stop Iranian weapons bound for Houthi rebels Here's the list of the top 10 countries with the most powerful militaries 1. United States Power Index: 0.0699 Total Military Personnel (est): 2,127,500 2. Russia Power Index: 0.0702 Total Military Personnel (est): 3,570,000 3. China Power Index: 0.0706 Total Military Personnel (est): 3,170,000 4. India Power Index: 0.1023 Total Military Personnel (est): 5,137,550 5. South Korea Power Index: 0.1416 Total Military Personnel (est): 3,820,000 6. United Kingdom Power Index: 0.1443 Total Military Personnel (est): 1,108,860 7. Japan Power Index: 0.1601 Total Military Personnel (est): 328,150 8. Turkey Power Index: 0.1697 Total Military Personnel (est): 883,900 9. Pakistan Power Index: 0.1711 Total Military Personnel (est): 1,704,000 10. Italy Power Index: 0.1863 Total Military Personnel (est): 289,000 Also read: Iran launches barrage of missile strikes in northern Iraq and Syria; US condemns attacks Forbes India cited a report by the World Bank to take a detailed look at how much the nations are investing in their militaries. For example, America's military spending is said to be $876 billion and it's on top of the Power Index list because of the country's commanding dominance in key material, financial, and resource categories. It is also a leading player in technological advancements, excelling in the medical, aerospace, and computer/telecom sectors. As per the report, the US has 13,300 aircraft, with 983 being attack helicopters. Russia stood at second position based on its advanced technology and strategic global influence. They have a significant and well-trained military force, but the Russian forces have been criticised for the reported shortcomings in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Watch: Global economic risks in 2024: Top risk is the war in West Asia × China is at the number three spot and the nation has made significant attempts to improve its navy, airpower, and land warfare capabilities, mostly from domestic sources. Its military spending is around $292 billion. As for India, the report mentioned that its military spending is around $81.3 billion. It has a growing focus on digitisation and modernisation, and in recent years, it has increased its defence budget significantly. Last year, India proposed $72.6 billion in defence spending for the 2023-24 financial year, which was 13 per cent up from the previous period's initial estimates. It aimed to add more fighter jets and roads along its tense border with China. As per the report, India possesses a total of 2,210 aircraft, 4,614 tanks, and 295 assets in terms of naval forces.

2024 Military Strength Ranking: India ranked above Britain, US tops list

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India emerges as ‘major power’ only behind US and China in Asia Power Index | Know where Pakistan stands

Global Firepower Index: Top 7 Military Powers - Is India in the top 5?

2024 Military Strength Ranking: India ranked above Britain, US tops list