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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing 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 of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities 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 former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

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