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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding 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.

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 in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas 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 its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.