India to Introduce e-Passports with Microchips

In an ambitious project that will ensure speedy services, the Ministry of External Affairs is working to introduce microchip-based electronic passports for its citizens. The main features of the new system would include the use of biometrics and artificial intelligence in passport relay services, to ensure smooth movement of citizens at all immigration posts around the world.

India has already issued about 20,000 official and diplomatic e-Passports, which contain an embedded electronic microprocessor chip. In partnership with Tata Consultancy Services, the government will introduce a state-of-the-art digital ecosystem through the second phase of the Passport Seva Program.

In its first phase, TCS had digitized many passport-related processes under the Passport Seva Program. This also included the creation of 93 Passport Seva Kendras, 428 post offices, 36 passport offices and their integration with the Passport Seva system. In the new phase, the IT organization aims to develop new solutions to enable the issuance of electronic passports.

"We propose to pursue the manufacture of e-passports on priority so that a new passport booklet with advanced security features can be rolled out in the near future," Jaishankar had said.

According to Sanjay Bhattacharyya, secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, the new passport services will also ensure quality services at Post Office Passport Service Centers, new data centres, data personalization, coordination with the Civil Aviation Organization International and a first citizen approach.

As of now, India issues passports for citizens in paper booklets and was recently ranked 83rd in the list of most powerful passports in 2022, improving its ranking by 7 places.