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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.