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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining 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 passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year 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 eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to 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 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index 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 multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.