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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again 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.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), but India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.