For a long time, India has been ranked poorly in the globally dominant indices. These indices are based on perceptions and expert opinions, which tend to create a narrative of “democratic decline” in India. But this narrative does not quite fit the reality on the ground, as evidenced by a number of developments.
These rankings tend to disregard the size, diversity, and federal nature of the Indian state. They fail to notice the progress made in terms of increasing polling percentages, substantial improvements in rural infrastructure, the widening reach of social security programs of the central and state governments, the rapid inclusion of Indians in the digital revolution, and the efforts made for social equality.
Thus, there is a definite chasm between reality and international perceptions.Instead, India has started to question the frameworks themselves on which governance, democracy, and the responsibility of nations are judged. It is in this background that the concept of the Responsible Nations Index (RNI) has been introduced. The RNI provides a transparent and objective alternative to the perception-based judgments imposed on nations.
The intellectual underpinning for this paradigm shift was established in 2022, when economist Sanjeev Sanyal questioned the validity and process of these “perception indices” that are used to judge countries like India. He argued that most of these perception indices are based on small, non-transparent expert surveys, ambiguous questions, outdated data, and selective media reporting. This has led to the consistent downgrading of India since 2014, despite the lack of hard facts on voter turnout, the political representation of minorities, and the delivery of welfare schemes.
Sanyal has also pointed out the fallacies in the comparisons that are embedded in these rankings, where India is ranked lower than smaller countries with dubious or no democratic credentials. This is because large democracies are penalized for their complexity.
More importantly, Sanyal has argued that such subjective rankings are not merely harmless. They affect World Bank rankings, sovereign ratings, ESG investments, and international media coverage, which have direct economic implications for India.
The point was clear: rather than continuing to dispute problematic rankings, India should take on the problem of Western hegemony in global benchmarking by developing its own responsible and data-driven indices. This vision became a reality on 19 January 2026, when India launched the Responsible Nations Index, the world’s first such index, developed by India and the Global South.
The index was created by the World Intellectual Foundation in partnership with Jawaharlal Nehru University, IIM Mumbai, and the Dr Ambedkar International Centre. The index was launched in New Delhi by former Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, who said that the index is a new approach to the definition of national responsibility in terms of ethics, accountability, and inclusive growth.
With the emphasis on responsibility rather than the abstract concept of power, the index not only defies the rankings controlled by the West but also reflects the increasing confidence of Indian institutions as norm-setters in the global arena. The importance of this initiative extends far beyond the boundaries of India. For Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and West Asia, the index offers a credible alternative to the Western narrative.
Crucially, this transformation is not adversarial. By doing so in a low-key manner, India can gradually decrease reliance on Western systems and help create a more pluralistic and balanced international order. In terms of diplomacy, the Responsible Nations Index is a strategic instrument that offsets the effects of perception-driven results on investment patterns, credit ratings, ESG scores, and press coverage through systematic and verifiable data.This initiative further cements India’s position as a leader in the Global South and is very much in line with its overall agenda that was articulated at the G20 summit, specifically on the issue of ethical responsibility and development.
On a more profound level, the launch of the Responsible Nations Index represents a shift from a phase of India being judged by others to a phase of India itself playing a role in shaping the global agenda. This change also paves the way for future global indices led by India in the realms of digital governance, infrastructure sustainability, innovation, inclusiveness, and soft power. This is because a world that celebrates diversity cannot be captured through a single Western perspective. In the end, the Responsible Nations Index is more than a gesture of goodwill. It is a strategic soft power move, showing the world how India has turned a long-held criticism into building an institution that shapes the global discourse. India has moved from being ranked to setting the agenda, and it has entered the agenda-setting role of global governance based on ethics, sustainability, and equity.