Indian court voidsIndian court voids visa services tenders in Australia and Singapore
An Indian court scrapped the government's tender to outsource passport and visa services at diplomatic missions in four countries, including Australia and Singapore, after losing bidders challenged the fairness of the selection process.
The Centre told the Supreme Court that consular services for lakhs of nationals and OCIs were severely impacted in missions across Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore, and Canberra.
This ruling matters because it halts a major outsourcing initiative intended to expand access to visa and consular services for Indian citizens abroad.
- Australia and Singapore are key destinations for Indian students and skilled workers seeking long-term employment opportunities.
- The National Capital Territory of India falls under the jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court rather than a separate state court.
- Consular services in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait support large populations of Indian expatriates working in the Gulf oil sector.
