India fast tracks e-visa process, wait time now just 1 day
At a meeting held on Wednesday at North Block, New Delhi, chaired by Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, senior officials from the ministry's foreign division focused on further simplifying visa procedures and modernising immigration checkposts across the country.
Officials reported that visa rules have been significantly simplified — the number of main visa sub-categories has been reduced from 26 to 22, and smaller classifications cut from 104 to 69.
You Can Also Check:
Hyderabad AQI
|
Weather in Hyderabad
|
Bank Holidays in Hyderabad
|
Public Holidays in Hyderabad
|
Gold Rates Today in Hyderabad
|
Silver Rates Today in Hyderabad
Automated travel document scanning and biometric registrations are now being rolled out at immigration checkposts (ICPs). Since 2014, the number of ICPs has grown from 82 to 114 — including 37 air, 37 road, 34 sea, and six rail points.
A key highlight is the fast-track immigration trusted traveller programme (FTI-TTP), operational in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Ahmedabad. Under this scheme, pre-verified travellers can clear immigration in just one minute. The facility will soon expand to airports in Kozhikode, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Amritsar, Tiruchirappalli, Noida, and Navi Mumbai.
The ministry has also strengthened services for the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) community, with about five million OCI cards issued and the OCI portal redesigned for easier access. Additionally, a CAA-2019 mobile app has been launched to assist citizenship applicants from six minority communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
The Union minister directed officials to ensure that travellers face no hassles related to visas or immigration and to adopt all necessary measures to further improve the experience for visitors.
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
PM Modi outlines 11 yrs of progress, plan for a prosperous India: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation has given a broad outline of the progress made by the country in the last 11 years, the strength of the present and the strategy for a prosperous India. Shah also said that whether it is the elimination of terrorists through Operation Sindoor, the plan to secure the country's infrastructure through 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra', or the resolve to create an infiltrator-free India through the 'High-Powered Demography Mission', the Modi government is committed to making the nation strong and secure. Highlighting the government's unwavering commitment to the interests of farmers, PM Modi, in his address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on 79th Independence Day, called for self-reliance in nuclear energy, critical minerals, energy, the space sector, and jet engines. "Moreover, the announcement of the 'Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana' and significant GST relief measures during the upcoming Diwali will make the lives of citizens easier and boost small enterprises," Shah said. Under 'Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana' with a fund of ₹1 trillion, he said first-time employees in the private sector will receive ₹ 15,000, and companies generating more jobs will also receive incentives. This initiative will benefit approximately 35 million people, providing a golden opportunity for Indian youth and strengthening the journey toward a self-reliant India, Shah said. The home minister said the Modi government is taking robust steps toward a self-reliant India by empowering small businesses. "From the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi announced Next Gen GST Reforms as a Diwali gift to the nation. These reforms will not only greatly benefit small industries but also make everyday essentials more affordable, giving a new impetus to the Indian economy," he said. Shah said this effort will further strengthen India's economic prowess and significantly contribute to making it the world's third-largest economy. He said PM Modi made a historic announcement by launching 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra'. Under this mission, by 2035, critical national sites will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and powerful weapon systems. "The mission aims not only to neutralize enemy attacks but also to deliver impactful counterstrikes, much like the Sudarshan Chakra. This step will prove to be a milestone in making national security impregnable and enabling targeted strikes against adversaries," he said. The home minister said PM Modi also acknowledged the 100-year rich history and contributions of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to nation-building, paying tribute to all the volunteers who have made unparalleled contributions to the country's 100-year journey of progress. "For the past century, the RSS has fulfilled its resolve of nation-building through individual development with service, dedication, organisation and discipline," he said.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
India building commercial silicon fab with 50,000 per month wafer production capacity: Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Agencies Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw India is building a commercial-scale silicon-based fabrication facility (fab) that will churn out 50,000 wafer starts per month, even as such fabs usually operate at 20,000-40,000 wafer starts per month, electronics and information technology (IT) minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday. The minister was referring to the Rs 91,000 crore fab being built by Tata Electronics in Gujarat's Dholera, which was approved in February last year. In semiconductor manufacturing, a wafer is a thin, circular slice of a crystalline semiconductor material, most commonly silicon, upon which integrated circuits are fabricated. "Six semiconductor units, one fab and five Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging units, are at different stages of planning, construction and execution. Four more (one silicon carbide fab and three ATMP including the most advanced packaging unit) were approved last week. The entire ecosystem - design, fabrication, packaging, equipment, chemicals, gases - taking shape in Bharat," Vaishnaw said in a post on social media platform X. Two of the largest equipment manufacturers—Applied Materials and Lam Research—are setting up their design, production, and validation facilities in the country, he added. Also Read: Four new semiconductor units worth Rs 4,594 crore to come up in Odisha, AP, Punjab: Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Vaishnaw's comments came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his Independence Day speech that while the first proposal to set up a semiconductor factory in India got killed 60 years back, the country will finally get semiconductor chips that are 'Made in India' and 'Made by Indians' before the year is over. Elaborating on the PM's statement, Vaishnaw said semiconductor industry pioneer Robert Noyce had come to India to set up a plant in 1964, but the erstwhile Permit Raj implemented by the ruling Congress Party back then did not allow him to. Royce then moved to Hong Kong and founded global tech major Intel Corporation, Vaishnaw claimed in his post. Nicknamed "the Mayor of Silicon Valley," Robert Noyce was an American physicist and entrepreneur who co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957 and Intel Corporation in 1968. Fairchild Semiconductor was a pioneer in the manufacturing of transistors and of integrated circuits, while Intel created the world's first commercial microprocessor chip—the Intel 4004—in 1971. Both companies were founded and incorporated in California. Also Read: Crisis-hit global chip companies vie for an Indian summer via partnership The minister also pointed out that Intel had once again tried to set up a semiconductor unit in India in 2005-06. "Once again, it was not allowed because of the policy paralysis of the UPA regime," Vaishnaw said, questioning Congress General Secretary and Member of Parliament Jairam Ramesh on it. Earlier in the day, Ramesh had posted on X that the Semiconductors Complex Ltd (SCL) was established in Chandigarh during the Congress regime, starting operations in Vaishnaw argued that despite being established so many years back, SCL, Mohali, continues to work at just a lab scale. Also Read: Approved semiconductor projects to produce over 24 billion chips per annum: Official Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Tariffs, tantrums, and tech: How Trump's trade drama is keeping Indian IT on tenterhooks Good, bad, ugly: How will higher ethanol in petrol play out for you? As big fat Indian wedding slims to budget, Manyavar loses lustre As 50% US tariff looms, 6 key steps that can safeguard Indian economy Stock Radar: JSPL forms Ascending Triangle pattern on weekly charts, could hit fresh 52-week high soon Nifty and business are different species: 5 small-cap stocks from different sectors with upside potential of up to 30% F&O Radar | Deploy Bear Put Spread in Nifty to play index's negative stance amid volatility Wealth creation: Look beyond the obvious in some things; 10 fertilizer sector companies worth watching
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
‘Roadmap for prosperous India': HM Amit Shah hails PM Modi's I-Day address
New Delhi: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Friday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on the 79th Independence Day as a roadmap showcasing the progress of the past 11 years, the strength of the present, and the strategy for a prosperous India. Home Minister Shah, in a series of posts on X, said that whether it's the elimination of terrorists through 'Operation Sindoor,' the plan to secure the country's infrastructure through 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra,' or the resolve to create an infiltrator-free India through the 'High-Powered Demography Mission,' the PM Modi-led government is committed to making the nation strong and secure. HM Shah highlighted the government's unwavering commitment to the interests of farmers and hailed PM Modi's call for self-reliance in nuclear energy, critical minerals, energy, the space sector, and jet engines. He said the announcement of the 'Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana' and significant GST relief measures during the upcoming Diwali will make the lives of citizens easier and boost small enterprises. HM Shah said that on Independence Day, PM Modi gifted the youth of the nation by announcing the implementation of the 'Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana' with a fund of Rs 1 lakh crore. Under this scheme, first-time employees in the private sector will receive Rs 15,000, and companies generating more jobs will also receive incentives. This initiative will benefit approximately 3.5 crore youth, providing a golden opportunity for Indian youth and strengthening the journey toward a self-reliant India. The Home Minister stated that the Modi government is taking robust steps toward a self-reliant India by empowering small businesses. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi announced Next Gen GST Reforms as a Diwali gift to the nation. These reforms will not only greatly benefit small industries but also make everyday essentials more affordable, giving a new impetus to the Indian economy. This effort will further strengthen India's economic prowess and significantly contribute to making it the world's third-largest economy, he said. He added that that PM Modi made a historic announcement on Independence Day by launching 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra.' Under this mission, by 2035, critical national sites will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and powerful weapon systems. The mission aims not only to neutralise enemy attacks but also to deliver counter-strikes, much like the Sudarshan Chakra. This step will prove to be a milestone in making national security impregnable and enabling targeted strikes against adversaries. The Union Minister said that in his historic Independence Day address, PM Modi acknowledged the 100-year rich history and contributions of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to nation-building, paying tribute to all the volunteers who have made unparalleled contributions to the country's 100-year journey of progress. For the past century, the RSS has fulfilled its resolve of nation-building through individual development with service, dedication, organisation, and discipline, he said.
