India’s Embassy in Abu Dhabi has awarded a three-year contract for passport, visa and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) services to Kerala-based Alhind Tours & Travels, ending BLS International’s 15-year run in the UAE. The public notice, released late on 30 April, states the hand-over will take effect on 1 July 2026 and covers all application centres in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. For the 4.3 million-strong Indian diaspora, the switch means new appointment portals, fee schedules and collection points. Past transitions of this scale have triggered initial backlogs; mobility managers should advise employees to renew passports or book visa slots well before the June-end cut-over. The decision follows the Ministry of External Affairs’ 2025 debarment that barred BLS International from bidding on new Indian government tenders after complaints about service quality and data security lapses. Industry analysts say the UAE loss could cost BLS up to ₹200 crore in annual revenue and may prompt other missions to review contracts. HR departments relocating staff to the Gulf should watch for updated checklists once Alhind publishes its standard operating procedures and digital payment gateways.
Source: The Economic Times
