Bhubaneswar: A visa application centre will open in the capital on April 1, coinciding with Utkal Dibas. VFS Global will open and operate the centre, announced Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on X on Saturday.
VFS Global group founder and CEO Zubin Karkaria, in a letter to Pradhan on Friday, confirmed the company’s decision to set up the facility.
Pradhan on Sept 2 last year requested the external affairs minister S Jaishankar to establish a visa application centre in Bhubaneswar to support Odisha’s youth travelling abroad for higher education and business. He also discussed the proposal with Karkaria.
According to official sources, the centre will initially process visa applications for the UK and select other countries, with more destinations to be added based on demand. The facility is also expected to provide training and employment opportunities for local youth.
“Along with the visa application centre, we will also offer visa concierge services that will assist applicants with form filling, document guidance, travel insurance, and other visa-related support services. This will make the application process more efficient, convenient, and seamless for citizens, especially first-time travellers, students, and families. This initiative will also generate employment opportunities for local youth in Bhubaneswar, who we will train and deploy,” Karkaria said.
Pradhan welcomed the decision and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jaishankar, and VFS Global. He said the centre will reduce the need for applicants from Odisha to travel to Kolkata or other cities for visa-related work, saving time and cost, while also creating local jobs and strengthening Odisha’s international connectivity.
VFS Global invited Pradhan to attend the inauguration of the centre in Bhubaneswar. “We remain committed to delivering world-class, secure, and efficient visa facilitation services in Odisha and look forward to your continued guidance,” Karkaria said in his letter to Pradhan.
Hemanta Pradhan writes for the Times of India on education, hospi...
Read MoreHemanta Pradhan writes for the Times of India on education, hospital issues, transport, agriculture & tribal affairs. He has been working as a journalist since 2011. He has a PG degree in Journalism & Mass Communication from Berhampur University. He has won Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitivity.
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