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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

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

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

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

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.