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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free 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 destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

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

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.