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Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting 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 the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

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

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.