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Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.