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In recent months, 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 to Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased 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 (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, 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.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 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 indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.