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

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), but 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 countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.