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Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka 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 regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

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

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), but the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

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

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

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

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.