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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings so far.

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

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians 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 offered visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

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

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.