Indian HC in UK to outsource visa appln process from May

LONDON: With a rising number of people from Britain queuing up to visit India, the Indian High Commission here will outsource the Visa Application Process from May this year.

"From Summer (May) this year, the same company that handles the Visa Application Process for the British High Commission in India - VFS Global - will do the Visa Application Process for us," Acting High Commissioner Asoke Mukerji said.

On an average the High Commission issued 500,000 visas in a year, the same as the British High Commission issues to Indians wishing to visit the UK.

Observing that in the last few years emergence of India as an economic power has attracted a lot of attention, Mukerji said Indian companies have so far acquired 65 British entreprises and "there may be an announcement about Tatas acquiring Land Rover soon."

Contrary to perception that Indian companies take away jobs, they were creating jobs here, the envoy said at a function to celebrate the Republic Day of India at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hereon Thursday night.
   
Mukerji said the City of London proposed to hold an Indian cultural festival here in collaboration with the Nehru Centre this year and expected a quantum leap forward in the UK-India relations in the coming years.

Manick Dalal, Chairman of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, UK and Lord Khalid Hameed highighted India's rapid progress during the last few years and noted that the country is being recognised now as one of the power houses of the 21st century.