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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

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

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to 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 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

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

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.