MEA given three months to issue fresh bids as interim passport and visa services to continue
India’s Supreme Court has upheld a Delhi High Court ruling that cancelled the tender process for outsourcing passport, visa and consular services at four Indian missions abroad, including those serving the United Arab Emirates (UAE), paving the way for a fresh bidding process.
The dispute concerns the outsourcing of Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) services at Indian missions in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore and Canberra. The Delhi High Court had earlier found flaws in the tender evaluation process and directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to invite fresh bids through a new Request for Proposal (RFP).
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to interfere with the High Court’s decision, effectively confirming that the previous tender process would remain invalid. The apex court granted the MEA three months to complete a fresh tender process while allowing interim arrangements to ensure passport, visa and attestation services continue without disruption for Indian nationals overseas.
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The ruling is significant for the large Indian community in the UAE, where demand for passport renewals, visa processing, Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) documentation and attestation services remains high
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The legal dispute had raised concerns over possible service interruptions and longer processing times
The Centre had challenged the High Court verdict, arguing that cancelling the tender had disrupted the transition to new service providers and affected the delivery of essential consular services. However, the Supreme Court chose not to overturn the earlier judgment, requiring the government to conduct a fresh and legally compliant tender process.
Indian missions are expected to continue providing essential passport and consular services under temporary arrangements until a new outsourcing contract is finalised, offering reassurance to millions of Indians living and working in the affected countries.
