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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.

He mentioned that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

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

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

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

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.