Indians likely to get e-passports soon: MEA Secretary Sanjay Bhattacharyya

Currently, passports issued to Indian citizens are printed on booklets. [Image: Shutterstock]

The Centre has announced plans to leverage the use of technology and digital systems to issue e-passports for all citizens. "Indian citizens are likely to start getting e-passports soon," said Ministry of External Affairs Secretary Sanjay Bhattacharyya in a tweet.

Emphasising the need to expedite the roll-out of e-passports, the MEA secretary said the said passports would be secure with biometric data and enable smooth passage through immigration posts globally, among other things.

India to soon introduce next-gen #ePassport for citizens

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- secure #biometric data
- smooth passage through #immigration posts globally
- @icao compliant
- produced at India Security Press, Nashik
- #eGovernance @passportsevamea @MEAIndia #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav pic.twitter.com/tmMjhvvb9W

— Sanjay Bhattacharyya (@SecySanjay) January 5, 2022

Currently, passports issued to Indian citizens are printed on booklets. India issued 20,000 official and diplomatic e-passports on a trial basis with an electronic microprocessor chip embedded in them. The government earlier said that the move was to make forgery of passports difficult and to help faster immigration for passengers.

"India Security Press, Nashik has awarded the contract for procurement of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-compliant electronic contactless inlays along with its operating system necessary for chip-enabled e-Passports," the ministry said in a statement released in March 2021.

In India, there is a network of 555 Passport Kendras which includes 36 Passport Offices, 93 Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) and 426 Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK).

In August 2020, the government said that all 36 passport offices in India would issue e-passports after the components of the personalisation system are inducted in the existing issuance system.