'India is an economic superpower': Former UK PM Rishi Sunak speaks on new global order, US tariffs and migration issue

Speaking at NDTV World Summit 2025, Sunak has praised the Indian economy calling it "superpower" in the backdrop of the South Asian country overtaking Japan as the fourth largest economy in the world.

He said, "India has just about surpassed the UK in terms of the number of Unicorns."

Sunak says the old global order is over and the current world will be based on "multipolarity".

"The old global order, which I grew up with, is gone. I don’t think it’s coming back. But a couple of themes are clear. I see more multipolarity, and countries will focus on their own strengths," he said.

"On the issue of migration, I come from a family of immigrants. But the first issue is the issue of illegal migration, it’s the government’s decision who can come to your country, as it’s a matter of fundamental sovereignty," Sunak, who was the first British Prime Minister of Indian origin, added.

On the US tariffs which have been imposed on India, Sunak said, "I think every country is gonna work on its own national interest. And that is entirely right."

"When you base your relationships on trust, I think they can, over time, be more powerful," he added.

India has been reported to have become the fourth-largest economy in the world (by nominal GDP) as of 2025, having overtaken Japan. 

India is now the 4th largest economy. What does it mean?

According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and quoted by the NITI Aayog CEO, India’s nominal GDP is estimated at around US $4.18 trillion in 2025-26, slightly ahead of Japan’s estimate.

This places India behind only the United States, China and Germany in the global ranking by size of economy.

Important caveats

“Fourth-largest economy” here is based on nominal GDP (i.e., total value of output in current dollars) — it does not necessarily capture standard of living, per-capita income, inequality, or other measures of wellbeing.

Different sources may use different fiscal year conventions, exchange rates, or projections, so the ranking can fluctuate slightly depending on which data set is used.

Even though India is now 4th by size, the size gap between it and those ahead (especially US/China) remains very large.

By another measure — GDP measured in purchasing power parity (PPP) — the ranking is different. India is already among the top three globally on a PPP basis.