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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

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

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 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 in 2015 (52), but India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

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

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.