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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

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

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. 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 at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to 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 of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.