MUSCAT : The announcement came on the occasion of the 13th Passport Seva Divas, with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar highlighting key milestones in the modernisation of India’s passport services.

“In line with the Government of India’s commitment to deliver the next level of citizen-centric service, I am delighted to inform that we have rolled out PSP V2.0 across the country,” the minister stated. “The pilot testing of Global PSP Version 2.0 is currently under progress and shall also be rolled out in a phased manner in all Indian Embassies and Consulates,” he added.

The new e-passport is a secure, chip-enabled document that combines traditional printed data with encrypted electronic information stored on an embedded RFID chip. This technology allows for contactless verification, reducing processing time and enhancing security at immigration checkpoints.

“The contactless reading of data stored in the chip facilitates the ease of travel for Indian citizens and their smoother interface with Immigration Authorities,” Dr. Jaishankar noted.

The rollout is part of a wider effort to modernise public service delivery, which includes the launch of the mPassport Police App, now implemented in 25 states and union territories, significantly reducing police verification time to 5–7 days.

Dr. Jaishankar also cited the steady growth in demand for passport services, pointing out that passport issuance had risen from 9.1 million in 2014 to 14.6 million in 2024.

As part of expanding access, the government has opened 10 new Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) in the past year, bringing the total to 450. Mobile passport vans have also been deployed to serve citizens in remote and rural areas.

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