India's Comprehensive National Power on the Rise, Driven by Economic and Military Strengths

The world has faced repeated disruptions in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and conflicts in West Asia. These crises exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains and energy networks, yet India has navigated these challenges, maintaining its economic growth. India earned international trust by developing and exporting a COVID-19 vaccine to over 110 countries. During the Russia-Ukraine war, it projected a message that "this is not the era of war" and exercised strategic autonomy by continuing oil purchases from Russia to safeguard its energy security, despite pressure from Europe and the United States. In response to escalating West Asian tensions, India swiftly secured crude oil supplies and successfully diversified its import basket. Economically, India ranks as the world's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP, sustaining a steady growth rate of 6-7 percent through a renewed focus on manufacturing, innovation, and exports. Its vast domestic market of over 1.4 billion people and the operationalization of free trade agreements are propelling exports and manufacturing. Militarily, beyond its third-largest armed forces globally, India is enhancing technological integration and domestic manufacturing. With its nuclear triad, evolving tri-service structure, diverse missile programs, space technology, blue-water naval capabilities, and cybersecurity frameworks, it stands as a significant military power. The participation of private industry in defense manufacturing is particularly driving India's defense sector. From the perspective of Comprehensive National Power (CNP), India ranked third in the 2025 Asia Power Index, behind the United States and China, reflecting its combined strength in economy, military, technology, and soft power. Achieving its goal of becoming a developed country by 2047 will require sustained high growth, a focus on manufacturing and exports, smoother logistics, and improvements in the ease of doing business.