New Delhi, Dec 5 (TIWN) India is the fourth most powerful country in Asia, as per the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2021.

Russia, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia round out the top 10. Lowy estimates India will reach 40 per cent of China's economic output by 2030, compared with the 50 per cent estimate a year ago.  "It's certainly delayed India's arrival as the great power in the region. And it also means that India will be quite distracted by the development challenges and by the new poverty rate, with more newly impoverished people in South Asia," Herve Lemahieu, study's research chief and director of Lowy's Asian Power and Diplomacy Program told the media.  Although the US obtained the top position as the most powerful country influencing the Asia-Pacific, China seemed to have wielded more power in terms of its economy rebounding from the virus and is the only large economy forecast to recover in 2020. This shaky recovery is supposed to benefit the neighbouring countries.  According to the media report, America's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has tarnished the country's reputation, and its 10-point lead on China two years ago has been halved.