Indian expatriates living in the UAE and several other countries may face ongoing challenges with passport renewal services following a recent directive from the Delhi High Court. The court has officially cancelled the contract awarded to Alhind Tours & Travels for managing consular services, citing a lack of transparency in the selection process. This decision comes after two disqualified bidders challenged the technical evaluation, leading the court to conclude that the government failed to properly disclose how marks were assigned to candidates.

As a result, the Ministry of External Affairs has been instructed to initiate a fresh Request for Proposal (RFP) process for Indian missions in the UAE, Singapore, Kuwait, and Australia within the next month. In the interim, to prevent a complete halt in services, the court has allowed the former service provider, BLS International, to continue its operations on a temporary basis. While this arrangement aims to maintain stability, the transition period and the impending retendering process are likely to cause further uncertainty for expats awaiting their travel documents.