Delhi high court order has crippled consular, visa services at 4 missions: Govt to Supreme Court

Times of India Published Jul 18, 2026 Reviewed Jul 18, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors

Between November 2025 and January 2026, Indian missions in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore, Canberra, and Riyadh each floated separate Request for Proposals (RFPs) for outsourcing consular, passport, and visa services, using a two-stage bidding process requiring a minimum technical score of 70 out of 100 to proceed to the financial-bid stage.

5 · Indian missionsat least 70 out of 100 · technical evaluation score The Centre

The Indian government reported that visa and consular services at Indian missions in Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kuwait, Singapore, and Canberra (Australia) were brought to a standstill after the Delhi High Court quashed the selection of private service providers, forcing missions to divert staff to meet emergency public needs.

4 · Indian missions Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General of India

E Trav Tech Ltd failed to qualify for the financial-bid stage in the outsourcing tenders for five Indian missions abroad because it scored below the required 70 out of 100 marks in the technical evaluation.

5 · Indian missionsat least 70 out of 100 · minimum qualifying technical evaluation score The Centre

NEW DELHI: The Centre told Supreme Court Friday that visa and consular services, which are outsourced, offered to lakhs of Indian nationals, OCIs and foreign visa applicants were severely impacted in Indian missions in Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kuwait, Singapore and Canberra (Australia) as Delhi high court had quashed the selection of private service providers."We outsource consular, passport and visa services to private entities like other countries.

The cancellation of award of tender to the successful bidder has brought these services in four countries to a standstill. The Indian missions have diverted staff to meet emergency needs of people," solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a CJI Kant-led bench, which agreed to list the appeal for hearing on Monday.HC on Wednesday set aside the entire technical evaluation process undertaken by the 'expert outsourcing committees' for four Indian missions abroad, annulled the award of tender in favour of a private party despite execution of the contract and commencement of services by the highest bidder and directed govt to float a fresh request for proposal (RFP).Between Nov 2025 and Jan 2026, separate RFPs were floated by the Indian missions in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore, Canberra and Riyadh, each contemplating a two-stage bidding process: a technical-bid stage followed by a financial-bid stage, with the opening of financial bids confined to bidders securing the minimum qualifying score of 70 out of 100 marks in the technical evaluation.

Each bidder, including E Trav Tech Ltd which challenged the rejection of its bid before HC, had accepted the evaluation methodology. E Trav Tech failed to qualify the technical stage before seven independent missions as it scored below par in the evaluations, the Centre said.Get the latest India News and Live updates.

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