India has recently leapfrogged Japan to gain the third position in Asia in terms of power, according to the September 25 source from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) based on the Asia Power Index. This index was launched by the Lowy Institute in 2018 and measures shifting balances of power within the Asia-Pacific. India has risen in this index due to both greater economic growth, a young population, and influence.
It has been further supported by the 2024 index, which shows that India has climbed up a few positions to be able to achieve its goal of achieving more power as well as influence in the region. According to the PIB, when evaluating India’s relatively better position, they realized that the following three aspects had indeed led to the change. First of all, one can note that the country has ‘the best post-Covid economic recovery’ with a 4.2 per cent enhancement of the economic capability. This growth is attributed to the large population of people in India and its good GDP status, which places India in the third position globally with respect to PPP.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, India enjoys demographic dividends to make today’s climb deeper. The country has a young population and, as such, scores the country another 8.2 points in the future resources segment of the index. This economic advantage of demographic dividend is poised to sustain and further fawn on its economy and workforce in the coming decades compared with China and Japan with their aging populations.
Finally, diplomatic advantage on the international platform is the primary factor contributing to India’s rise. In this regard, the index observed that being a member of the Non-Aligned Movement has helped India understand international relations with bluntness. According to DPG, in 2023, India occupied sixth rank in terms of diplomatic dialogues to present itself as an active member of multilateral diplomacy. Leadership in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) also helps it to extend its presence in regional security architecture, and thus, India is able to exercise its geopolitical power beyond the South Asian region.
Although these developments are gradual, they suggest that India is gradually and, more progressively, starting to make assertive geopolitical positions in the region.
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