Finance
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today opened VFS Global’s new Visa Application Centre in Bhubaneswar, marking a significant step in improving Odisha residents’ access to overseas visa services.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister stated that the development of this hub symbolizes Odisha’s increasing global connectedness and dedication to citizen-centric services. He stated that such measures make it easier to travel, promote industries and tourism, and encourage international involvement.
The Chief Minister stated that there was a rising need for a Visa application center in the state. Given this necessity, the state government proposed that the central government enable the establishment of such a centre in Bhubaneswar. We are pleased that the national government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has provided full support and cooperation in the establishment of this centre here.
He went on to say that the newly established centre demonstrates the region’s growing demand for convenient and accessible visa services. It will greatly assist Odisha residents who previously had to travel to Kolkata to submit visa applications.
The state government has donated around 3,000 square feet for this cutting-edge facility inside the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Bus Terminal in Barmunda, according to the chief minister.
In its first phase of operations, the CM stated that the centre will provide visa services to the following ten countries: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Estonia, Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Japan, Morocco, and Egypt. Additional missions are planned to be released soon, broadening the spectrum of services accessible to candidates, he said.
The facility is intended to provide applicants with a seamless and quick application experience. VFS Global now provides visa services for 53 countries in India via a network of over 560 visa application centers spread across 20 cities.
Zubin Karkaria, VFS Global’s founder and CEO, has played a key role in the company’s growth to become the world’s leading provider of visa and consular services. Under his leadership, the firm supports 70 governments in 167 countries by encouraging innovation, responsible technology, and safe mobility solutions.
VFS Global, a global leader in trusted technology services, assists governments and diplomatic missions worldwide by handling the administrative and nonjudgmental parts of visa, passport, and consular services. This allows client governments to focus on essential decision-making processes. VFS Global has over 4,000 application centres in 167 countries and has handled over 537 million transactions since 2001.
The opening of the Bhubaneswar centre is another step toward enhancing infrastructure for global mobility and improving accessibility for Odisha residents.
Among those in attendance were Austrian, Italian, and Swiss embassy officials, Government Chief Whip Saroj Pradhan, Home Department ACS Hemant Sharma, ACS to CM Saswat Mishra, and Yummi Talwar, COO of VFS Global South Asia.
