India’s passport falls to 85th rank in world's most powerful passports index
New Delhi: India has slipped to 85th place out of 199 countries in the latest 2025 Henley Passport Index, released on Wednesday, down from 77th in July.
The quarterly report, published by citizenship and residence consultancy Henley and Partners, ranks passports based on the number of countries their holders can enter without a pre-departure visa.
According to the index, Indian passport holders can now travel visa-free to 57 countries, a decline from 62 countries last year when India was ranked 80th. Countries allowing visa-free entry to Indians include Angola, Barbados, Bhutan, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Cambodia, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, among others.
Among India’s neighbours, Pakistan ranked 103rd, down from 96th in July; Bangladesh stood at 100th; Nepal at 101st; and Bhutan at 92nd.
Singapore retained its position as the world’s strongest passport, with citizens able to travel to 193 countries without a pre-departure visa. South Korea ranked second with access to 190 destinations, followed by Japan with 189.
For the first time in the index’s 20-year history, the United States fell out of the top 10 most powerful passports.
At the bottom of the index, Afghanistan holds the least powerful passport, granting visa-free access to only 24 countries, followed by Syria with 26 and Iraq with 29 visa-free destinations.
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India achieves major milestone in wind energy; capacity now 56 gigawatts: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): India has achieved a major milestone in wind energy, with the country's wind energy generation capacity exceeding 56 gigawatts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
In his monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi also said the country must save electricity and adopt clean energy.
“India recently achieved a major milestone in wind energy. India's wind energy generation capacity has now exceeded 56 gigawatts. In just the past year, nearly 6 gigawatts of new capacity have been added,” he said.
Underlining that solar and wind energy are essential for India's development, Modi said, “It is not just about the environment; it is about securing our future, and we all have a role to play in it.”
On April 22, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, said that India has recorded its best-ever year in wind energy capacity addition, with a historic 6.1 GW added during 2025-26.
India currently ranks fourth globally in wind energy, with more than 56.1 GW installed capacity and an additional 28 GW under implementation.
Emphasising the vast untapped potential of the sector, Joshi highlighted that India's wind energy potential at 150 metres hub height is estimated at nearly 1,164 GW.
He expressed confidence that with sustained efforts, the country will achieve 100 GW wind capacity by 2030 and 156 GW by 2036, contributing significantly to the net-zero target by 2070.
Joshi also underlined that wind energy plays a critical role in stabilising India's energy system, particularly due to its peak generation during evening and night hours, which aligns with high demand periods.
He noted that nearly 45 per cent of wind power generation occurs during peak demand hours, making it a vital complement to solar energy.
