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Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

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

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

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

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), but 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 international travel – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement 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 indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.