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In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries 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 in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October following the loss 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, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, authorities detained 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 diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.