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In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

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

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

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 compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, 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 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

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

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat 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 microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.