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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 across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

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

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

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

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.