BENGALURU: TCS has been selected for the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme implementation for the ministry of external affairs (MEA).
Analysts estimate the contract, spread over nine-and-a-half years, is worth nearly $1 billion. They said the contract allows for another two-year extension. TCS had won the first passport seva contract in 2008. It was worth Rs 1,000 crore.
In the second leg, TCS said it will refresh existing facilities and systems, and develop innovative new solutions to enable the issuance of e-passports. It will also further enhance the citizen experience using technologies such as biometrics, artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics, chatbots, auto-response, natural language processing, and cloud.
Tej Bhatla, business unit head of public sector in TCS, said the company’s partnership with the MEA over the last decade has become a benchmark in public-private partnership for citizen services.
“We are pleased to be selected for the next phase of the Passport Seva Programme and look forward to driving further innovations and improving citizen experiences using our contextual knowledge and digital technologies,” he said.
The 2008 project saw TCS transforming the delivery of passport-related services, digitising the processes, allowing for online filing of applications, and setting global benchmarks in timeliness, transparency, and reliability. The experience delivered at the TCS-run Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) across the country made the service popular. Accessibility was further enhanced by extending the service through designated post offices and through Indian missions and posts across the world.
Since it went live in 2010, the platform has serviced more than 130,000 citizens daily. TCS had set up 77 PSKs and deployed over 2,500 staff across India to manage the day-to-day operations.
Analysts estimate the contract, spread over nine-and-a-half years, is worth nearly $1 billion. They said the contract allows for another two-year extension. TCS had won the first passport seva contract in 2008. It was worth Rs 1,000 crore.
In the second leg, TCS said it will refresh existing facilities and systems, and develop innovative new solutions to enable the issuance of e-passports. It will also further enhance the citizen experience using technologies such as biometrics, artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics, chatbots, auto-response, natural language processing, and cloud.
Tej Bhatla, business unit head of public sector in TCS, said the company’s partnership with the MEA over the last decade has become a benchmark in public-private partnership for citizen services.
“We are pleased to be selected for the next phase of the Passport Seva Programme and look forward to driving further innovations and improving citizen experiences using our contextual knowledge and digital technologies,” he said.
The 2008 project saw TCS transforming the delivery of passport-related services, digitising the processes, allowing for online filing of applications, and setting global benchmarks in timeliness, transparency, and reliability. The experience delivered at the TCS-run Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) across the country made the service popular. Accessibility was further enhanced by extending the service through designated post offices and through Indian missions and posts across the world.
Since it went live in 2010, the platform has serviced more than 130,000 citizens daily. TCS had set up 77 PSKs and deployed over 2,500 staff across India to manage the day-to-day operations.
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