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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

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

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 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 the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss 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, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

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

Elements like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.