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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), but India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies 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, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.