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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders 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, declining once more to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning countries are forming 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 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance 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 Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Elements such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.