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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 on social media.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

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

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

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 accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten 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 numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.