Indian Passport Services in Kuwait to Face Further Delays After Delhi Court Verdict
The Delhi High Court has set aside the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) decision to award the contract for outsourced Indian consular services in Kuwait to Alhind Tours & Travels, directing the government to initiate a fresh tender process within one month for the affected missions.
The judgment stems from petitions filed by two unsuccessful bidders, who challenged their disqualification during the technical evaluation. The petitioners argued that the authorities had failed to explain how technical scores were awarded, raising concerns over fairness and transparency in the procurement process. The High Court agreed, ruling that the evaluation process did not meet the standards expected in public tenders.
The decision effectively nullifies Alhind’s appointment as the new outsourced service provider for Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) in Kuwait and the other affected countries, delaying the planned transition that was expected to modernize the delivery of passport and consular services.
For the nearly one million Indians living in Kuwait, the ruling means that the delay surrounding passport renewals, visa services, Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) applications, attestation and other consular services is likely to continue until a fresh tender is completed and a new contract is awarded.
The court, however, emphasized that essential services should not be disrupted during the transition. Existing arrangements for consular services are expected to continue on an interim basis until the MEA completes the retendering process, ensuring that passport and visa-related services remain available to applicants.
The outsourcing contract has been the subject of legal disputes since Alhind emerged as the successful bidder under the MEA’s global tender for managing Indian consular services in several countries. The implementation of the contract had already been delayed for months following court proceedings, and the latest judgment now requires the entire bidding process to begin anew.
The ruling is expected to push back the rollout of the new outsourcing system by several months, leaving thousands of Indian nationals in Kuwait awaiting greater clarity on when the transition to a new service provider will finally take place.
The Indian Embassy in Kuwait is expected to issue further guidance should any operational changes arise following the High Court’s decision. Until then, applicants are advised to continue using the existing consular service arrangements for passport, visa and related services.
