To tackle the surge in visa applications, the Indian High Commission will outsource their processing from next year.
LONDON: To tackle the surge in visa applications, the Indian High Commission will outsource their processing from next year.
"The outsourcing of the processing of visas here is being done as a pilot project and based on its success, it will be extended in Europe and other countries," Ranjan Mathai, Deputy High Commissioner, said.
On an average the Mission here issued about four lakh visas per annum, Mathai, who would take up his new assignment as the Indian Ambassador to France in January, said.
Three companies have responded to the Ministry of External Affairs' circular regarding the outsourcing and discussions were on for the award of the contract, he said.
Mathai said the outsourcing would help to prevent the long queues at the centrally located India House at Aldwych, which has been renovated at a cost of over a million pounds.
"Our idea is to outsource visa processing the way countries like the United States and the UK have done in India," a senior official at the High Commission said.
The surge in Indian travel has forced countries such as the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Italy and Ireland to outsource their visa processing to private companies.
Britain has set up visa centres through private companies in Jallandhar, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Pune.
Similarly, the US has employed TT Services, a subsidiary of TTK Industries, to service visa requests from northern and southern Indian states.
According to sources, the outsourcing will be a win-win proposition for the Indian missions and applicants alike.
It will be convenient for the applicants and cost-effective for the Indian missions.
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