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Earlier this year, an online clip by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.