Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu sparked a social media debate on Saturday over India’s global image and passport rankings. Commenting on India’s international perception, Vembu noted that those who have spent extended periods abroad have witnessed a remarkable transformation in the country’s image over the past decade.
“Those of us who lived abroad for a long period (like I did, 30 years abroad) know just how much India’s image has changed in the past 10 years. That is the real yardstick. We have to thank our Prime Minister for this — and that is why his popularity is so high with the diaspora,” Vembu wrote on X.
His comment drew a response from Vijay, an X user, who questioned whether improved perception had translated into tangible benefits for ordinary Indians traveling abroad. “If India’s image has transformed so much, why does our passport still rank so low? In 2025, only 59 countries allow Indians in without a pre-approved visa. Popularity with the diaspora doesn’t pay for the lack of global mobility. The yardstick of a nation’s rise is how much the world trusts its citizens to enter their borders, and we are nowhere near the top yet,” Vijay wrote.
Vembu responded by linking passport strength to economic fundamentals. “We have a vast population, and our GDP per capita is still too low. Only when our GDP per capita catches up will our passport carry value. Raising GDP per capita tenfold is a monumental effort that takes decades. I am an optimist and hope to live to see the day our Indian passport allows easy travel,” he said.
Vijay pushed back, arguing that economic growth alone does not fully explain passport rankings and pointing to examples of countries that improved mobility through diplomacy. “Agreed that GDP per capita is the ultimate long-term anchor. But look at the UAE: they didn’t wait for a tenfold GDP jump to transform their passport. In just a decade, they moved from 42nd to 8th globally through aggressive, strategic diplomacy. Even Malaysia and Chile, with far lower economic heft than the G7, have much stronger passports than ours. Low GDP per capita is a challenge, but it shouldn’t be an excuse for stagnant mobility. If the image has truly shifted, our diplomats should convert that into easier access today, not in 2050.”
According to the Henley Passport Index, Malaysia and Chile hold significantly stronger passports than India. Malaysia ranks 12th globally with access to 180 visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations, Chile is 14th with 176 destinations, while India is placed 81st with access to only 57 destinations.
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