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In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered 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 improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

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

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.