New York: India has ranked fourth in the Asia-Pacific region on an index that measures their overall power, with the country being pegged as a “giant of the future” but trails behind in indicators of defence networks and economic relationships.
The Lowy Institute Asia Power Index measures power across 25 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region, reaching as far west as Pakistan, as far north as Russia, and as far into the Pacific as Australia, New Zealand and the US.
A country’s overall power is its weighted average across eight measures of power — economic resources, military capability, resilience, future trends, diplomatic influence, economic relationships, defence networks and cultural influence. India is ranked fourth overall on the inaugural index by The Lowy Institute.
Japan and India share major power status. Tokyo is a smart power, while New Delhi is a giant of the future, the report said. Among the key findings from the 2018 index are that the US remains the pre-eminent power in Asia, while China is rapidly closing in on the US.
“Three of the world’s four largest economies are in Asia, and the fourth, the US, is a Pacific power. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in Asia, compared with just over a tenth in the West,” the Institute said.
