India’s rise on the global economic stage is often celebrated as an emblem of national resurgence. Yet, a quiet contradiction shadows that progress ~ the persistently weak strength of the Indian passport. Even as India stands as the world’s fifth-largest economy, its passport continues to hover low in global mobility rankings, offering visa-free access to fewer than 60 countries. For millions of Indians aspiring to study, trade, or simply travel abroad, this paradox translates into tangible obstacles in terms of longer queues, higher costs, and fewer opportunities. The weakness of India’s passport is not an isolated administrative shortcoming.

It mirrors a deeper gap between economic heft and diplomatic reach. Over the past decade, India’s passport has slipped or stagnated in global indices, even as the number of visa-free destinations has increased slightly. The reason lies in relative performance ~ other nations, often much........

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