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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.