India to introduce e-passports with chips

India will soon introduce smart e-passports with secure biometric data, Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, announced on Twitter. The passport was unveiled at India Security Press, Nashik.

Bhattacharyya added that the new passports would significantly ease passage through immigration check-ins and will be compliant with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The idea of a chip-secured biometric passport for Indians is not new. Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar had earlier said that the government was in talks with India Security Press about the feasibility and applicability of the project.

“We propose to pursue the manufacture of e-passports on priority so that a new passport booklet with advanced security features can be rolled out in the near future,” Jaishankar had said.

India Security Press, Nashik is already looking to award the contract for the manufacturing of ICAO-compliant electronic chip inlays in the passport jacket.

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