India – Country Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

India stands for cultural diversity, historical richness, and biodiversity hotspots. The nation’s rapid technological advancements, seen in its thriving IT industry and space exploration endeavours, add a layer of modernity and innovation to its image. India’s commitment to economic growth, social development, and its influential role in global affairs contribute to its reputation as a dynamic and influential player on the world stage.

But what do leading rankings have to say about the country’s economic strength, its sustainability, soft power, and reputation?

Let’s take a closer look at:

• India’s soft power and brand strength
• Its appeal to skilled labour, investors, and visitors
• The country’s global contribution to peace and well-being
• How well it fares in terms of happiness and sustainability

Soft Power & Country Brand Strength

The Global Soft Power Index 2023 ranks India 28^th, indicating that there is room for improvement in terms of its soft power influence. Brand Finance‘s 2023 Nation Brands report ranks India the 7^th most valuable nation brand.

India is slowly but surely working towards improving its influence in various spheres, as indicated by its rankings in several soft power dimensions – science & technology (14^th), space exploration (9^th), arts and entertainment (5^th), and the influence of food and cuisine (8^th).

In the U.S. News Best Countries 2023 ranking, India secures the 30^th position behind Brazil (28^th) and Thailand (29^th). Notably, it excels in two key areas: movers (5^th), assessing differentiating factors, distinctiveness, dynamism, and uniqueness; and heritage (10^th), which examines culture, history, food, and geographic attractions. Impressively, India has jumped one position from the previous year.

The Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brand Index (NBI) calculates its ranking based on averaging the scores of six different factors: exports, governance, tourism, culture, people, and immigration. According to the NBI 2023 ranking, India secures the 38^th position, jumping one position from the previous ranking.

Appeal to Talent, Business, Trade and Travel

The Expat Insider 2023 notes India ranks 36^th out of 53 countries. The country performs best in the Local Friendliness (20^th), Healthcare (22^nd), and Ease of Settling In (22^nd) metrics.

As per the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2023, India secures the 8^th position for FDI inflows in 2022, trailing behind Australia (6^th) and Canada (7^th). Maintaining its position from the previous ranking, FDI flows rose by 10 per cent to USD 49 billion in India, making it the second-largest recipient of international project finance deals, with a 64% increase, and the third-largest host country for announced greenfield projects. In terms of FDI outflows, India ranks 20^th in 2022, a jump of five positions from 2021.

The Bloom Consulting biannual Country Brand Ranking Trade Edition 2022-2023 assesses investment-related variables, emphasising perceptions of a country’s trade-specific brand and evaluating branding performance. Regionally, India makes a remarkable leap to the 1^st position, surpassing China (2^nd) thanks to its impressive D2 – Digital Demand ©, average Net FDI inflows, and social media. Globally, India secured the 3^rd position, a jump of one position from the previous ranking.

In addition, the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Tourism Edition 2022-2023 places India at the 22^nd global position, dropping four spots from the previous year; it trails behind South Korea (20^th) and the Netherlands (21^st). Regionally, it continues to hold the 6^th position.

In the IMD 2023 World Competitiveness Ranking, India secured the 40^th position, showing a slight decline from its 37^th ranking in 2022. Currently, it sits just behind Kuwait (38^th) and Portugal (39^th) while surpassing Italy (41^st) and Slovenia (42^nd).

In terms of specific characteristics, India ranks 33^rd in economic performance, dropping five positions from the 2022 ranking. It holds the 44^th position for government efficiency, experiencing a jump of one position compared to 2022. India dropped five positions to the 28^th position for business efficiency, and holds the 52^nd spot for infrastructure, dropping three positions from 2022.

The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index 2019 edition placed India 68th position among 141 countries. However, it’s important to note that an updated version of this report hasn’t been released in the past five years, and rankings may have shifted since then.

India, classified as a lower-income country within the Central and Southern Asia regional group, currently holds the 103^rd position in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2023. Notably, India ranks best in the GK Skills pillar (83^rd) while the Attract pillar presents its biggest challenge, where it ranked 132^nd.

Environmental Performance & Sustainability

The 2022 edition of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks India 180^th among the 180 countries analysed, scoring and ranking these countries on their environmental performance using the most recent year of data available, as well as providing calculable changes in scores over the previous decade.

The Sustainable Development Report 2023 ranks India 112^th. It highlights that India continues to face significant and major challenges in quite a few of the 17 SDGs. However, the factor of Responsible Consumption and Production Infrastructure has reached SDG status and continues to be on track. The Climate Action goal has reached SDG status but appears to be stagnating; and the No Poverty goal is on track.

India a “Good” Country?

In the CAF World Giving Index 2023, India secured the 43^rd position. India performs best in the subfactor of helping a stranger, with 60% of its adult population. This marks a significant increase, as in 2022 the country ranked 57^th.

In the Good Country Index, India currently holds the 52^nd position overall, with notable subfactors as follows: Science & Technology (81^st), Culture (112^th), International Peace & Security (30^th), World Order (55^th), Planet & Climate (113^th), Prosperity & Equality (51^st), and Health & Well-being (22^nd). It’s worth mentioning that in 2022, India was ranked 53^rd, and in 2021, it held the 44^th position. The biggest positive changes can be seen in the Health and Well-being, and the International Peace and Security factors, whereas the Planet and Climate, and Culture factors have experienced significant declines.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index 2023, India ranked in the light blue zone (7-8 range) with a 7.04 out of 10. This is higher than Indonesia (6.71) and Brazil (6.78).

The 2022 Corruption Perception Index ranks India 85^th, tying with the Maldives. India’s score of 40/180 has remained the same since 2021.

Peace and Happiness

The Global Peace Index 2023 ranks India 126^th, jumping two positions from the previous year, meaning it now sits in the medium sector of the ‘State of Peace’ spectrum as defined by the Institute for Economics & Peace. India sits between Uganda and Zimbabwe (both in 124^th) and Guinea (127^th). India is positioned 5^th regionally amongst its fellow South Asian countries, led by Bhutan and Nepal.

The Institute for Economics & Peace similarly ranks India within the high impact zone in terms of ‘Impact of Terrorism’ in the 2022 Global Terrorism Index. India ranks 13^th, sitting between Mozambique (12^th) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (14^th).

Meanwhile, the World Happiness Report 2023, which displays the Ranking of Happiness based on a three-year average 2020–2022, ranks India 126^th.

Last updated in November 2023. Explore more country profiles here.

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Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of India’s economic and cultural landscape and facilitate comparison over time. While we strive for accuracy and completeness, we are not responsible for any typographical errors or inaccuracies. The data is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Users should verify any information before relying on it for decision-making purposes.