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In recent months, an online clip from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.