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In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.