India launches ‘Responsible Nations Index’; Singapore tops, India ranks ahead of US, UK, Japan

India on Monday launched a new global benchmark, the Responsible Nations Index, to measure countries on ethical governance, social well-being, environmental stewardship and their contribution to global stability.

The index, unveiled in New Delhi under the aegis of the World Intellectual Foundation, ranks 154 countries using what its creators said was transparent and globally sourced data to allow international comparison.

Singapore topped the inaugural rankings, followed by Switzerland and Denmark.

India was ranked 16th, ahead of several advanced economies including France, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, which placed 66th.

According to the framework, countries are assessed across three core dimensions: internal responsibility, which looks at dignity, justice and citizens’ well-being; environmental responsibility, covering climate action and natural resource management; and external responsibility, which measures contributions to peace, cooperation and global stability.

Former president Ram Nath Kovind, who attended the launch as chief guest, said ethical governance and inclusive development were essential for sustainable progress, both nationally and globally.

The index is the outcome of a three-year academic and policy research initiative, with contributions from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Indian Institute of Management Mumbai, a government release said.

An expert panel discussion held alongside the launch focused on redefining national success in an interconnected world.

The session was chaired by N. K. Singh, former chairman of India’s 15th Finance Commission.

Sudhanshu Mittal, founder and secretary of the World Intellectual Foundation, said the index marked a shift from “power-centric” metrics towards responsibility-based evaluation.

Here’s the list of top 50 countries: