The Global Firepower Index 2025, which ranks military capacities of countries based on a comprehensive analysis of over 60 individual factors, ranked India as fourth in the Power Index.
According to the website, the ranking is based on each country's potential war-making capability across land sea and air, fought by conventional means.
"The result incorporates values related to manpower, equipment, natural resources, finance, and geography, represented by 60+ individual factors used in formulating the finalized GPF ranks..."
The rankings offer an interesting glimpse into an increasingly volatile global landscape where war seems an inevitability.
According to the rankings, the US tops the list, followed by Russia and China.
"The GFP index denotes India as a Top 5 global military power. For 2025, India is ranked 4 of 145 of the countries considered for the annual GFP review."
South Korea is right behind India, in fifth place, followed by the United Kingdom, France and Japan.
The yearly ranking of military powers places Pakistan in the 12th position.
Global Firepower notes that its "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, in the form of bonuses and penalties, are applied for further refine the list which is compiled annually."
In 2025, a new element, Navy Fleet Strength by Total Tonnage, which attempts to offer a more accurate reading of actual naval firepower between countries, was added to the ranking system.