‘Our passport is absolutely useless’: Entrepreneur says he pays Rs 1 crore in taxes but gets no international benefit, post goes viral

Indian entrepreneur Jitendra Emmani has criticised the country’s passport over what he described as limited visa-free travel and cumbersome visa requirements for Indians. In an X post, the Hyderabad-based founder of CozyFarms.in said the Indian passport offered little international mobility and argued that travellers often have to submit extensive documentation and wait for visas before visiting many destinations.

"Our Passport is absolutely useless," Emmani wrote in the post, which he shared yesterday. He added that Indians "Can’t go anywhere good without waiting for days for the Visa or submitting a thousand pages."

Emmani, who holds a master's degree from Northern Illinois University in the US, also pointed to the role of a valid US visa in facilitating travel to some countries. However, he said obtaining a US visa itself can be difficult.


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Emmani questions need for US visa to ease travel

The entrepreneur said an existing US visa can serve as a shortcut for Indian travellers seeking easier access to certain countries.

"A valid US visa is the shortcut many use. Why do we need a US stamp to let an Indian Passport let in anywhere," he wrote.


His comments focused on the additional documentation, waiting periods and visa approvals that Indian passport holders can face when travelling internationally.

Emmani argued that the requirement for a US visa to obtain easier entry elsewhere illustrates what he considers a broader limitation of the Indian passport’s international access.

Entrepreneur links passport concerns to citizenship choices

Emmani also connected the issue of international mobility with the growing interest among some Indians in obtaining foreign citizenship and passports.

"No wonder so many Indians are chasing other passports," he wrote, while questioning whether Indian taxpayers receive corresponding benefits in terms of international travel.

The Hyderabad-based entrepreneur claimed that he pays between Rs 75 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually in direct and indirect taxes. Despite that, he said he sees "zero advantages both locally and internationally."

"I pay almost 75L - 1 Cr in taxes directly and indirectly a year and have zero advantages both locally and internationally," Emmani wrote.

He concluded by calling for efforts to address the country's situation instead of continuing to attribute problems to the past.

"We need to start fixing our country’s situation and stop blaming the past for few more decades," he said.

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X users debate Indian passport mobility

The post received more than 1.8 lakh views on X and prompted a range of reactions from users discussing the difficulties associated with international travel on an Indian passport.

One commenter argued that a passport's international access should correspond with the standing and economic contribution of its citizens, writing, "A passport should reflect the strength and trust of the country behind it. Indians contribute significantly through taxes, business and the economy, yet international mobility remains unnecessarily difficult."

Another user made a negative generalisation about Indians travelling abroad and the experience of other countries with Indian passport holders.

A third commenter said major visa systems were unlikely to become easier in the near future, specifically pointing to Schengen visa requirements and what the user described as increasingly stringent US visa procedures.

Disclaimer: This article is based on claims, statements and opinions shared by users on the social media platform X. The report reproduces content posted by users and reactions shared in response to those posts. The ET.com has not independently verified the authenticity, accuracy or completeness of these claims unless expressly stated otherwise. The views, allegations and assertions expressed in the social media posts are those of the respective users and do not necessarily reflect the views of The ET.com. Readers are advised to exercise their own judgment and seek independent verification where necessary.