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Earlier this year, an online clip from a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

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

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

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

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.