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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country 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 so far.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite 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, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago 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 what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, 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 further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged 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, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a small chip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.