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Earlier this year, an online clip from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming 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 was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings yet.

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

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

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

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th 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 sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.