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Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

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

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.