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Earlier this year, an online clip by 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 nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. 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 providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), but the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to 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.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.