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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note 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. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.