India’s passport ranking stands at 80th in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, giving Indian passport holders access to 56 destinations without obtaining a traditional visa before travel. The ranking, current as of Friday, July 3, 2026, places India alongside Mauritania and Senegal. Henley’s index covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations and is updated monthly using International Air Transport Association data. India

NRI vs OCI Difference: What Indian-Origin Americans Should Know The main difference between NRI and OCI is citizenship. An NRI is an Indian citizen living outside India, while an OCI cardholder is a foreign citizen of Indian origin who gets special India-related benefits but not Indian citizenship. For Indian-origin Americans, this difference matters because it affects passport use, India travel, voting rights, property ownership, banking access and long

Digi Yatra could change your airport experience India’s push toward seamless air travel is being led by Digi Yatra, a government-backed initiative that uses facial recognition to streamline passenger movement through airports. Developed under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the system allows travelers to bypass repeated document checks by using biometric verification instead of physical boarding passes and identification. How Digi Yatra is transforming airport travel in India Digi Yatra enables passengers to create a digital identity through the Digi Yatra App by uploading ID credentials and flight details before arriving at the airport. Once enrolled, travelers can pass through entry gates, security checkpoints, and boarding areas using facial scans. The system is currently operational at major hubs such as Kempegowda International Airport and Indira Gandhi International Airport, with plans for wider adoption across the country. The initiative is voluntary and emphasizes speed, convenience, and reduced physical contact in crowded terminals. Biometric travel systems already in use across US airports In the United States, similar biometric technologies are already deployed, primarily for international travel. Agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection operate facial recognition systems that match a traveler’s live image with passport or visa databases. These systems are commonly used at immigration checkpoints and boarding gates for international flights, and in some cases at security screening through programs like TSA’s touchless identity verification. Unlike Digi Yatra, enrollment is not typically handled through a consumer-facing app, and the process is largely managed through government databases. Key differences between Digi Yatra and US biometric systems   Feature Digi Yatra (India) United States Systems Control User-controlled via app Government-controlled databases Enrollment Voluntary, app-based Mostly automatic or backend Primary Use Domestic travel International travel focus Documents Replaced by facial ID Linked to passport/visa User Role Active participation required Passive participation Data Handling User uploads data Govt retrieves from records Experience Fully contactless journey Partial contactless process   What global travelers should know about evolving airport technology As airports worldwide adopt digital identity solutions, the contrast between India’s Digi Yatra and US biometric programs highlights broader questions around privacy, convenience, and control. For US-based travelers heading to India, understanding how Digi Yatra works can help streamline the airport experience, while also offering insight into how biometric travel technology may continue to evolve globally.

Colombo — Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka fell sig

Indian passport holders are facing new travel restrictions in 2026 despite an improvement in the passport’s global ranking. India’s passport rose from 85th in 2025 to 80th in the Henley Passport Index for 2026, reflecting enhanced global mobility. However, the number of countries Indian citizens can visit without a prior visa has decreased from 57 to 55. This reduction is due to updated entry rules in two countries that previously offered visa-free or visa-on-arrival access: Iran and Bolivia

Indian tourism is undergoing a quiet but significant shift as international travellers begin to look beyond the country’s most familiar destinations. While cities like Goa, Jaipur, Delhi, and Mumbai have long dominated travel itineraries, a new name is steadily gaining global attention. According to Agoda’s New Horizons Rankings, Thiruvananthapuram has emerged as the fastest-growing destination

Personal loans for holidays are becoming a growing trend in India, especially among younger travellers and residents of smaller cities. According to the Paisabazaar report ‘How India Travels Using Holiday Loans (Vol. 2.0)’, 27% of personal loan borrowers in the first half of 2025 used the money for travel, a jump from 21% in 2023. This rise has pushed holiday loans ahead of home renovation loans, which have dropped from 31% in 2023 to 24% in 2025.

Usha Vance, the wife of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, has shared touching insights from her family’s visit to India earlier this year. Calling it the “trip of a lifetime,” she spoke about the warm hospitality shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described how her children were charmed by the experience, especially during a personal meeting at the PM’s residence. Speaking at the US-India S