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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

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

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

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 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 rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the 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 growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.