TNM,Abudhabi: The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi has awarded a major outsourcing contract to Alhind Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd, placing renewed focus on visa and related consular services for Indian nationals in the UAE.
Under the agreement, Alhind will handle a comprehensive range of services, with particular emphasis on visa processing alongside passport issuance, Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) applications, police clearance certificates (PCC), surrender certificates (SC), Global Entry Program (GEP) verification, and document attestation. These services will be provided at the embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai.
The contract follows a competitive tender process initiated in November 2025. Financial bids from four shortlisted firms—including VFS Global, DU Digital Global Ltd, and SGIVS Global LLC—were opened on March 30, 2026. Alhind emerged as the lowest financial bidder (L1), securing the deal.
The move comes after BLS International Services Ltd, which previously managed Indian consular outsourcing services in the UAE, was barred by the Ministry of External Affairs in October 2025 from participating in new contracts for two years.
With visa services forming a crucial component for millions of Indian expatriates and travelers in the UAE, the new contract is expected to streamline application processing and enhance service delivery. However, the embassy has not yet confirmed when the new system will be rolled out.
Sources indicate that Alhind must meet all operational requirements set by the embassy within 60 days before officially commencing services.
