Alhind Tours & Travels has confirmed that its rollout of its Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) services in the UAE has been temporarily deferred until further notice, following official communication from the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi.
The services, which were originally scheduled to commence on July 1, have been postponed due to “administrative reasons” as communicated by the embassy.
In a press release issued on Friday, Alhind said it has received official advice that the commencement of the services will take place only upon further instructions from the Indian mission in the UAE.
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Despite the delay, the company said it has completed all operational preparations, including the establishment of 16 CPV application centres across the UAE.
Centres have been set up in Al Danah, Al Reem, Musaffah, Al Ain, Ghayathi, Madinat Zayed, Bur Dubai, Dubai Investment Park (DIP), Al Majaz, Rolla, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Khorfakkan, Kalba, and Ras Al Khaimah.
“We remain fully prepared to commence services immediately upon receiving the necessary authorisation from the embassy,” the company said in its statement.
Legal battle
Alhind was awarded the contract earlier this year following a competitive bidding process in November 2025, after the Embassy of India announced it would replace BLS, which had been handling passport, visa, and consular services for over a decade. The company was chosen as the lowest bidder among four shortlisted companies.
The transition has been delayed as a legal dispute over the contract plays out in India’s Delhi High Court. Two failed bidders have challenged the decision, claiming they were disqualified from the technical evaluation stage without proper reasons. The court is expected to hear the case soon.
During the interim period, the Indian mission in the UAE has announced limited walk-in consular services from July 2, offering passport, visa, and attestation services on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Alhind urged applicants requiring consular services to contact or visit the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, or the Consulate General of India, Dubai, as applicable, and to regularly check official embassy websites for updates.
“We understand that this temporary postponement may cause inconvenience and sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding of all applicants,” the company said.
Established over three decades ago, Alhind Group is one of India’s leading travel and integrated service conglomerates, with a global network of more than 130 offices.
The company has said it remains committed to providing efficient, transparent, and customer-focused services and looks forward to commencing operations as soon as authorised.
Source: Khaleej Times