That's a question I hear all the time, especially from family who want to visit cousins in the US without all the hassle! So for India to get into the VWP, the US looks at a bunch of requirements. The big things are having a super low rate of visa refusals (usually under 3%), really strong passport security, quick sharing of info about lost or stolen passports, and solid cooperation on law enforcement stuff.

Right now, India still has a higher visa refusal rate than the US wants, and there are constant talks about how tech and info-sharing could get better. It’s not impossible for India to join down the road, but honestly, it might take a while unless there’s a big push from both governments. I feel like every time there’s a diplomatic meeting, this topic comes up but never gets solved! So yeah, unless some of these numbers and systems change, we might be stuck with visa interviews and paperwork for a bit longer. But I do think if more countries with big populations get added, maybe India will finally make the list. Fingers crossed!