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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka 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, which placed India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

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.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – 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 many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.