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Earlier this year, an online clip from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries like 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, in that order.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

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. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, 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 that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.