These updated Global and Indian Index Reports for October 2025 highlight India’s growing influence in global competitiveness, education, defense, and economy — while emphasizing areas like gender equality, hunger, and environmental sustainability that require more focus.
Staying informed about these indexes is crucial for UPSC, PSC, SSC, and State-level exam preparation, as they frequently appear in General Studies and Current Affairs sections.
1. Indian Air Force – 3rd Most Powerful in the World
Report Source: World Directorate of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA)
India has been ranked 3rd most powerful air force globally, after the United States and Russia. China holds the 4th position.
WDMMA evaluated 103 countries and 129 air services.
India’s Strengths:
Over 1700+ military aircraft including fighters, transport, helicopters, and special mission aircraft.
Advanced aircraft: Su-30MKI, Rafale, Tejas, Mirage-2000.
2. Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2025
Released by: Concern Worldwide (Ireland) & Welthungerhilfe (Germany)
India ranks 102nd out of 123 countries with a score of 25.8 (Severe Category).
In 2024, India ranked 105th with a score of 27.3.
Top Performing Nations: Armenia, Belarus, Chile, China
Lowest: Somalia, South Sudan, Congo
3. Henley Passport Index 2025 (October Update)
Basis: Number of countries accessible without prior visa.
Top 5 Passports:
Singapore – 193 countries
South Korea – 190
Japan – 189
Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland – 188
Austria, France, Netherlands, Ireland – 187
India’s rank: 85th (down from 80th)
USA rank: 12th (first time outside top 10)
4. Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026
Top Universities:
University of Oxford (UK) – 1st for 10th consecutive year
MIT (USA)
Princeton (USA) & Cambridge (UK) – Joint 3rd
Indian Institutions Ranking:
IISc Bangalore: 201–250
Jamia Millia Islamia: 401–500
BHU & IIT Indore: 501–600
5. IMD World Competitiveness Ranking 2025
Issued by: International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
Assesses government and private sector competitiveness.
Top 3 Economies:
Switzerland (100 points)
Singapore (99.44)
Hong Kong (99.22)
India’s rank: 41st (down from 39th in 2024)
6. Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2025
Issued by: Hurun Research Institute
Definition: Startups valued over 1 billion.
Top 5 Countries:
USA – 758
China – 343
India – 64
UK – 61
Germany – 36
7. WEF Energy Transition Index 2025
Issued by: World Economic Forum
Measures a country’s transition to clean energy.
Top 5: Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland
India’s Rank: 71st (down from 63rd in 2024)
China: 12th | USA: 17th
8. WEF Gender Gap Index 2025
Issued by: World Economic Forum
India’s Rank: 131st (down from 129th)
Top 5 Countries:
Iceland, Finland, Norway, UK, New Zealand
9. World Press Freedom Index 2025
Issued by: Reporters Without Borders (RWB)
India ranks 151st out of 180 countries (up from 159th).
Top Performers: Norway (1st), UK (20th), USA (57th)
Lowest: Eritrea (180th), North Korea (179th)
10. Human Development Index (HDI) 2025
Issued by: UNDP
India’s Rank: 130th out of 193 countries
11. Global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index 2025
Issued by: United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN)
Top Countries:
Finland
Sweden
Denmark
India’s Rank: 99th
Neighboring Ranks: Bhutan – 74th, Nepal – 85th, Bangladesh – 114th, Pakistan – 140th
12. World’s Top 5 Economies (Nominal GDP)
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook
India has surpassed Japan to become 4th largest economy in the world.
Top 5 Economies:
USA – 30.51 trillion
China – 19.23 trillion
Germany – 4.74 trillion
India – 4.187 trillion
Japan – 4.186 trillion
13. World Happiness Index 2025
Issued by: UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network
Top 3 Countries: Finland, Denmark, Iceland
India’s Rank: 118th (improved from 126th)
14. Global Terrorism Index 2025
Issued by: Institute for Economics and Peace (Australia)
India’s Rank: 14th most affected by terrorism
Top 5 Countries: Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Syria, Mali, Niger
15. Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2024
Issued by: Transparency International
India’s Rank: 96th (out of 180 countries)
Top: Denmark, Finland, Singapore
Bottom: South Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela
16. Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2025
Top Performing States: Gujarat and Telangana
Front Runner Panchayats: 699 (0.3%)
Gujarat – 346 Panchayats | Telangana – 270 Panchayats
17. Free Speech Index 2025
Issued by: The Future of Free Speech (USA)
Top 3: Norway, Denmark, Sweden
India’s Rank: 24th out of 33 countries
18. Global Firepower Index 2025
Issued by: Global Firepower Database
India ranks 4th most powerful military nation after the USA, Russia, and China.
Power Index Score: 0.1184
Top 5:
USA
Russia
China
India
South Korea
19. ADR Report on Chief Minister Assets (2025)
Issued by: Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)
Richest CM: N. Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh) – Rs 931 crore
Poorest CM: Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal) – Rs 15 lakh
Top 3 CMs by Assets:
N. Chandrababu Naidu – 931 crore
Pema Khandu – 332 crore
Siddaramaiah – 51 crore
20. Vulture Population Report 2024
India’s Highest Vulture Population: Madhya Pradesh – 10,845 vultures
Panna Tiger Reserve hosts the largest number.
21. Global Breast Cancer Report
Study Conducted by: Researchers from Australia and Canada
Countries with Highest Rates: Australia and New Zealand
22. Global Nature Conservation Index 2024
Issued by: Goldman Sonnenfeld School & BioDB.com
Top Country: Luxembourg
India’s Rank: 176th out of 180 countries
23. Index of Economic Freedom 2024
Issued by: Fraser Institute
Top Country: Hong Kong
India’s Rank: 84th (up from 87th in 2023)
24. Global Gender Gap Index 2024
Issued by: World Economic Forum
Top Country: Iceland
India’s Rank: 129th (down from 127th in 2023)
