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Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength 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 compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free countries 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 during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan 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 of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. 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 indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.