Latest news with #KapilJain
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
This Indian consulate has the shortest wait time for a US visa right now. It's not Delhi or Mumbai
Visitor visa appointment wait times at the US consulate in Kolkata have eased to six months, the shortest across India. By comparison, wait times for B1/B2 visa interviews remain longer in other major consulates: Delhi at 8 months, Mumbai 9.5 months, Hyderabad 7 months, and Chennai facing the longest wait of 14 months. The B1/B2 visa is used by Indian travelers visiting the United States for short-term business or tourism. These visas are among the most sought-after, and demand surged after the resumption of international travel post-pandemic. At the height of the backlog in 2022 and early 2023, wait times had crossed 800 days in some cities. ALSO READ: US is on track to lose $12 billion in travel revenue in 2025 by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Killer New Toyota 4Runner Is Utter Perfection (Take A Look) MorninJoy Undo This comes amid US visa applicants nationwide, including business and leisure travellers, are facing increasing challenges as wait times exceed a year in some cities, rescheduling becomes difficult, and interviews grow more detailed and stringent. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) ALSO READ: US student visa delays leave Indian applicants in worry Live Events As per new updates on visa changes, from May, if applicants do not appear for their scheduled appointment for the US visa, they will be blocked from booking a new appointment for 120 days, which applies to both interview and interview-waiver appointments. Applicants can reschedule the appointment only once now, effective January 1, 2025, as opposed to twice previously, agents familiar with the matter said. ALSO READ: US grant cuts spur foreign recruitment of American scientists While appointment delays have been there after the Covid-19 pandemic, timelines are now breaching the one-year mark, said Kapil Jain, cofounder and chief executive of Fly Divine Travels. 'Before January, it was taking about 8-9 months to one year for an appointment. You could get it in less than a year. But now that one year timeline is also getting breached. Rejection rates also seem to have gone up, and we know of applicants who got rejected for business and leisure visas despite solid documentation,' he added. Applicants with serious work commitments are flying to Singapore and Thailand for appointments as they are unable to secure appointments on time in India, said Himanshu Patil, director of Kesari Tours and president of the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India. 'We are not hearing of such delays in countries like China where appointments are available in a matter of weeks. Since there is no intervention by the government, we are also helpless. One of my friends flew to Singapore for the visa appointment and thereafter, took a flight for the US from Singapore after getting his visa,' said Patil.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Delays across categories: Wait for US visa now extends to over a year
Live Events It's not just students—US visa seekers across categories, including business and leisure travellers, are facing mounting hurdles as appointment wait times cross a year in some regions, rescheduling gets tougher, and interviews become more detailed and visa appointment availability for some western regions is now stretching to nearly a year and a half or the end of 2026, travel companies and agents familiar with the matter told ET. For North, East and South, this could take around one per new updates on visa changes, from May, if applicants do not appear for their scheduled appointment for the US visa, they will be blocked from booking a new appointment for 120 days, which applies to both interview and interview-waiver appointments. Applicants can reschedule the appointment only once now, effective January 1, 2025, as opposed to twice previously, agents familiar with the matter said.(Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)While appointment delays have been there after the Covid-19 pandemic, timelines are now breaching the one-year mark, said Kapil Jain, cofounder and chief executive of Fly Divine Travels. 'Before January, it was taking about 8-9 months to one year for an appointment. You could get it in less than a year. But now that one year timeline is also getting breached. Rejection rates also seem to have gone up, and we know of applicants who got rejected for business and leisure visas despite solid documentation,' he with serious work commitments are flying to Singapore and Thailand for appointments as they are unable to secure appointments on time in India, said Himanshu Patil, director of Kesari Tours and president of the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India. 'We are not hearing of such delays in countries like China where appointments are available in a matter of weeks. Since there is no intervention by the government, we are also helpless. One of my friends flew to Singapore for the visa appointment and thereafter, took a flight for the US from Singapore after getting his visa,' said Patil.'New visas are a challenge. Those days have gone when people used to book a US trip with us before the visa and used to fly in a month's time. We are hearing the US government is cracking down on unscrupulous agents, but we are still hearing of cases where people are paying extra to middlemen to secure appointments,' he Nahta, founder and CEO of visa platform Atlys, said there has been a noticeable uptick in how carefully US visa applications are being reviewed in 2025. 'Many travellers have shared that US visa interviews feel more detailed this year, with officers asking sharper questions about travel plans, timelines and intent,' he a post on X in March this year, the US Embassy in India said the consular team in India was cancelling about 2,000 visa appointments made by bots. In another update in May, it stated that the Department of State was taking steps to impose visa restrictions on owners, executives and senior officials of travel agencies based and operating in India for knowingly facilitating illegal immigration to the US. The names of the agencies could not be ascertained. Queries sent to CGI that provides visa processing support to US embassies and consulates did not elicit a response till the time of going to press on seems to be a greater scrutiny for US visa appointments, said Kartik Batra, founder of travel services provider Travexo. 'Appointment timelines continue being stretched with appointments available one year down the line. As a result, people who have to travel urgently fall prey to unethical practices. A new visa case for business or leisure travel could take one year or more,' he added.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Industry-Focused Specialist IT/ITES Firm eClerx Delivers Strong Q4 Results; Operating Revenue up 17.2% YoY
Revenue from operations increased to INR 898.3 crore in Q4FY24-25 as compared with INR 766.5 crore reported in Q4 FY23-24 an increase of 17.2% In US Dollar terms, operating revenue grew to $104.9 million in Q4 FY24-25, up 14.1% over $91.9 million recorded in the corresponding period last year Net profit in Q4 FY24-25 was INR 152.2 crore at 16.6% margin, as against INR 130.5 crore in Q4 FY23-24, an increase of 16.6% MUMBAI, India, May 14, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eClerx Services Ltd ( a leading productized services provider, reported strong top and bottom-line growth for the period ending March 31, 2025. Key highlights from the consolidated financial results reported for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 For the quarter ended March 31, 2025, eClerx's consolidated revenue grew by 4.7% on a sequential basis to INR 916.5 crore, up 16.1% Y-o-Y. In U.S Dollar terms, the company's revenue from operations came in at USD 104.9 million, a 14.1% YoY. On the profitability front, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) for the quarter were INR 250.5 crore, up 14.6% YoY. The Q4 net profit of INR 152.2 crore was up 16.6% YoY. The company reported EPS of INR 32.37 for Q4. Total delivery headcount increased to 19,267, up 11.8% YoY. For the full year FY25, revenues were INR 3,439.6 crore, up 15%. EBITDA for the year was INR 894.6 crore, up 6.4%, and profit was 541.1 crore, up 5.8%. Remarking on the firm's Q4 and full-year financial performance, Kapil Jain, CEO, eClerx said, "Building on our momentum from earlier quarters, eClerx has delivered a strong performance in Q4 with revenue going up 16.1% YoY and net profit by 16.6%. For the full fiscal year, we reported our highest-ever annual revenue at INR 3,439.6 crore. Our domain knowledge, productized services, and innovative technology solutions, coupled with strong delivery, are the unique differentiators which enable us to deliver exceptional value to our clients." Listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India, eClerx Services Ltd. counts many Fortune 500 companies among its Top 20 clients. Having established itself as a trusted innovation partner with an exemplary track record of driving business results, the company has now set its sights on leveraging its expertise to expand into new markets and drive an even greater client impact. Key developments, initiatives and recognitions eClerx won a Silver at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards for 'Innovation in Human Resources Management, Planning & Practice', making it the second consecutive year that the company's L&D practices have been recognised and awarded on this platform. eClerx has been named "Partner of the Year 2024" by a leading global Media and Telecommunications company. eClerx opened a delivery center in Lima, Peru to provide customer operations support. About eClerx Services Ltd: eClerx provides business process management, automation and analytics services to a number of Fortune 2000 enterprises, including some of the world's leading financial services, communications, retail, fashion, media & entertainment, manufacturing, travel & leisure and technology companies. Incorporated in 2000, eClerx is today traded on both the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges of India. The firm employs about 19,400 people across Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Dubai, Thailand, UK and the USA. For more information, visit Disclaimer: Certain statements made in this release concerning our future growth prospects may be interpreted as forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in such forward looking statements. Investors are requested to use their discretion in relying on them. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time. View source version on Contacts Investor Relations contactSrinivasan Media contactPrathibha DasHead-Brand & Corporate Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Industry-Focused Specialist IT/ITES Firm eClerx Delivers Strong Q4 Results; Operating Revenue up 17.2% YoY
MUMBAI, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eClerx Services Ltd ( a leading productized services provider, reported strong top and bottom-line growth for the period ending March 31, 2025. Key highlights from the consolidated financial results reported for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 For the quarter ended March 31, 2025, eClerx's consolidated revenue grew by 4.7% on a sequential basis to INR 916.5 crore, up 16.1% Y-o-Y. In U.S Dollar terms, the company's revenue from operations came in at USD 104.9 million, a 14.1% YoY. On the profitability front, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) for the quarter were INR 250.5 crore, up 14.6% YoY. The Q4 net profit of INR 152.2 crore was up 16.6% YoY. The company reported EPS of INR 32.37 for Q4. Total delivery headcount increased to 19,267, up 11.8% YoY. For the full year FY25, revenues were INR 3,439.6 crore, up 15%. EBITDA for the year was INR 894.6 crore, up 6.4%, and profit was 541.1 crore, up 5.8%. Remarking on the firm's Q4 and full-year financial performance, Kapil Jain, CEO, eClerx said, 'Building on our momentum from earlier quarters, eClerx has delivered a strong performance in Q4 with revenue going up 16.1% YoY and net profit by 16.6%. For the full fiscal year, we reported our highest-ever annual revenue at INR 3,439.6 crore. Our domain knowledge, productized services, and innovative technology solutions, coupled with strong delivery, are the unique differentiators which enable us to deliver exceptional value to our clients.' Listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India, eClerx Services Ltd. counts many Fortune 500 companies among its Top 20 clients. Having established itself as a trusted innovation partner with an exemplary track record of driving business results, the company has now set its sights on leveraging its expertise to expand into new markets and drive an even greater client impact. Key developments, initiatives and recognitions eClerx won a Silver at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards for 'Innovation in Human Resources Management, Planning & Practice', making it the second consecutive year that the company's L&D practices have been recognised and awarded on this platform. eClerx has been named 'Partner of the Year 2024' by a leading global Media and Telecommunications company. eClerx opened a delivery center in Lima, Peru to provide customer operations support. About eClerx Services Ltd: eClerx provides business process management, automation and analytics services to a number of Fortune 2000 enterprises, including some of the world's leading financial services, communications, retail, fashion, media & entertainment, manufacturing, travel & leisure and technology companies. Incorporated in 2000, eClerx is today traded on both the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges of India. The firm employs about 19,400 people across Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Dubai, Thailand, UK and the USA. For more information, visit Disclaimer: Certain statements made in this release concerning our future growth prospects may be interpreted as forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in such forward looking statements. Investors are requested to use their discretion in relying on them. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time.
